BaKhabar, May 2010, Page-8

better light a candle than curse the darkness

Prayers in Islam, Part-6

- Gheyas S Mahfoz Hashmi, Jeddah

(hgheyas@savola.com)

……. Continued from previous issues.

In Apr 2010 issue we have mainly mentioned that one who is negligent of his 5-time prayers is getting bad news all around him. No salvage is forthcoming. Here we are going to discuss the sincerity in prayers. There are two types of sincerety, one is visible and other is not visible. The visible means a prayer should be exactly the same way our prophet (S) performed, without any personal addition or deletion. The invisible is the condition of the heart that is known to Allah alone. That is to say prayers should be free from any eye-service and duplicity. A littel prayer with sincerity is better than an abundance of prayer with lack or loss of sincerity. Allah says, “ He will try you which of you best in action” (Hood/7).

When we stand for Salah, we should focus our attention to it. We should do it as if we are seeing Allah. If we are not able to see Him, we should know He is watching us. A Hadith reported by Tibrani in Al Kabeer reads "When a servant of Allah prays in well manner, his prayer goes up with a light. When it reaches the entrance of the Heaven, the door is opened for it and it pleads for worshipers saying that may Allah protect you as you have protected me. When there is a defect in Salah, in bowing down and in prostration, it goes up getting dark and says, "May Allah ruin you as you have ruined me." When it arrives at the entrance of the Heaven, it finds the door closed. Henceforth, it is wrapped up same as old clothes and hurled at the face of the worshipper."

However, while praying, we should maintain our outer and inner appearance in the required manner. All basic requirements must be correctly met. Allah says in Surah (A'raf): O Children of Adam! Wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of Prayer. We should stand in full submissiveness and complete humbleness. Our Salah should be the manifestation of our meekness, lowliness and smallness. Emam Ahmed bin Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on him) reported in his book "Salah" that Allah has inspired Jesus and Moses saying: "Whenever you stand in front of Me, be like a despised, insignificant and mean mankind.

namaz (salah) in the cricket field

Because, this human being is highly condemnable. When you call Me, call in such a way that your parts of the body are falling off."

Bowing down and prostration must be complete. We are required to gain full knowledge of obligatory and essential portions (Furud & Wajayeb) of prayer in order to make our prayers perfect and valid. In this connection, a very famous Hadith is quoted that reads; "A man entered the mosque and prayed. Then, he sat near our prophet (pbuh). The prophet asked him if he performed the prayer. He replied in affirmative. The prophet said he din 't. Go and repeat it. He repeated and sat again near the prophet. The prophet asked him again if he said Salah. He said, "Yes! O' prophet of Allah." The prophet told him he didn't. Go and repeat it again. He prayed 3-4 times but in vain. Then, the prophet taught him how to pray. He did as per the prophet's instructions and completed his prayer."

If we see errors in people's prayers, we should not be a silent spectator but we are required to inform politely. This is duty of the Ummah of the last prophet (PBUH). No prophet will now come to guide us as they used to come before. The Quran and Hadithes are guidelines and manuals for us. We are also guides for each other. Our prophet (PBUH) said: "Those, who notice an error in someone's prayer and do not rectify, would equally share their errors and sins"(Reported by Ibn Mas'oud). The other Hadith at the authority of Abu Horairah reads: "The man will be resurrected at the day of judgment along with his neighbours. His neighbours will say," O! My Lord, he has embezzled us. The man will reply, "My Lord, by Your Glory, I have not embezzled them in their properties and children. Then, they will say," O my Lord! He is right, but he did not prevent us from committing sin."(Quoted by Munzari in Al Targhib).

This Hadith is also supported by another Hadith reported by Abu Sa'id Khidri and says: "If anyone of you sees evils, he should change it by his own hand. If he is not in a position to do it, he should prevent it verbally. And if he is not able to do it, he should take it bad in his heart which is the lowest degree of belief". (Related by Muslim). First action is by responsible person (ruler, governor, etc), 2nd is for all of us to tell them about goodness and badness. Those who just feel about someone that they are doing wrong but not telling them are at the lowest degree of Eman, and what to say about those whose feeling is dead.
….… to be continued.

Email: bakhabar@biharanjuman.org 8