[IL] Virtue and Significance of Solah

By Islam Online Researchers

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, alone. May peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

The Prophet SAW said, “Islam is built upon five pillars: testifying that there is no true god except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, performing Salah, paying the Zakah, making the pilgrimage to the Sacred House (Hajj), and fasting the month of Ramadhan.” [Al-Bukhari]

An illustration of the virtue and significance of Solah.

Solah is the pillar of Islam, the pinnacle of good deeds, and the peak of obedience. `Uthman ibn `Affan RA reported that the Prophet SAW said: "If the time for a prescribed Solah comes, and a Muslim performs Wudu' properly (and then offers his Solah) with humility and bowing (to Allah), it will be an expiation for his past sins, so long as he has not committed a major sin; and this is applicable to all times." [Muslim]

Allah, Most Exalted Says, "It is not their meat or their blood that reaches Allah: it is your piety that reaches Him." (Al-Hajj: 37)

The measure of an acceptable Solah.

1 - Consciousness: It means to show indifference to all worldly interests and have absolute consciousness of Allah SWT. The cause of such consciousness is decisive intention since the man who has decisive intention to do something, necessarily puts his heart to it. Consciousness, in fact, differs according to the strength of belief in the Hereafter and scorn of this world. Therefore, if you miss consciousness in Solah, you should know that the root-cause of this is weakness of faith, and so you should exert yourself to strengthen and bolster it.

2 - Reflection on the words; this is the second step after consciousness: Consciousness may be present without grasping the meaning, and so attention should be directed to grasping the meaning by refraining from thinking of other matters.

3 - Glorification and fear of Allah, Most Exalted, which emanate from two facts: realizing the Majesty and Magnificence of Allah, and looking down upon one's self, which would result in humility and consciousness. Hope is also an important factor in Solah. The one who offers Solah should hope for the reward of Allah, and fear the punishment due to his imperfection.

Finally, you should know that performing solah in such a manner purifies and enlightens the heart, which, in turn, could behold the Glory of Allah. In fact, no one but the devout scholars can grasp these meanings.

In contrast, whoever performs solah without observing its requirements would in no way grasp its significance. Such a man, furthermore, may exceed the limit and deny its existence.

Allah Almighty knows best.

Quoted, with slight modification, from Ibn Qudamah Al-Maqdisi's Mukhtasar Minhaj Al-Qasidin, published by Dar Al-Manarah for Translation, Publishing and Distribution, Egypt, 2001

[IL] Khusyuk in Prayer

ISLAH LEAGUE:

Khusyuk in prayer

One particular evening….A and B is strolling around after lunch and on their way back to lecture hall they came across a poster entitled “Khushoo’ in Prayer- Key to success”

Mr. A: khushoo’? Hey, I’ve heard of this term before…somewhere around last year, where I go to this one place…I don’t know why but that day my dad ask me to put on some new cloth and we went to this big building with large dome. I think they called the prayer as ‘eid prayer or something like that. Anyway, what this khushoo’ REALLY is? Is it a creature or any kind of words that you say in your prayer?

Mr.B: Are you serious you don’t know what it means?

Mr. A: Im serious. Are you making fun of me?

Mr. B: Oh, okay…I thought u joked earlier because at least I pray every week you know, usually on Friday. I don’t know why but since all my colleagues do it, I usually tag along. Oh, I heard this khushoo’ is related to the kind of feeling where to put it simple as ‘all is gone except Him in your thought’.

Mr. A: Wah, you actually managed to stay awake eh? I always hear that it is bad to sleep during what you call that khutbah thing. So, I don’t go because I’m afraid that I’ll induce others to sleep. You remember that emotion is contagious right? Eh, can’t you at least describe it?

Mr. B: You should not praise me like that laa...I’m lucky you asked something that I heard because most of the time I sleep also like anyone else.. haha. Erm, I don’t know, what I do know is that the guy with the microphone said that khushoo’ is not something you can describe; you must feel it yourself. So, I can’t help you on that. Sorry. Why should we get this khushoo’ thing also I can’t remember, maybe I wasn’t awake at that time when that guy mentioned it. You know it is a difficult one to remain awake the whole time..

Mr. A: Eh, you shouldn’t say like that. I maybe don’t have any religious school before but I do have this one believe that whatever Allah asks us to do, we should be able to do it. I don’t know what this khushoo’ thing, maybe I’ll point it out during this afternoon’s IIMP session but I am affirming u that we should be able to have it.

Mr. B: But I can’t…u just can’t see it do you? I been well until now…I sleep at 10, I have my breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper some more like anyone else…Beside, it is not like I don’t pray at all.

Mr. A: Do you remember during our secondary year where we have to memorize some part from the Quran?

Mr. B: oh yes, I did memorized it. But now I forget it already. I’m sure I’ll look it back and memorize it. We can memorize the whole coagulation cascade so it shouldn’t be a problem for us to memorize that back right? Anyway, Can I borrow your Quran? I don’t have it now since we don’t have any tilawah class anymore this year.

Mr. A: Sure…hey, you must’ve at least remembered the first part. It sounds like “Qadaflahalmukminunallazina hum fi solatihimkhoshiiunn”. I think the meaning is something like “Successful indeed are the believers.. Those who offer their Salat (prayers) with all solemnity and full submissiveness.”…whatever it is I’m determined. I will find my way to attain it…I just realized that my life is all empty…I feel this void that I can’t explain. I don’t know…

Mr. B: Are you alright? I’m sorry for just now. You know what…How can Allah ask you to have khushoo’ in salah and then make it impossible for you? Even if Arabic isn’t your first language—did Allah not know that Islam would spread far and wide that it’ll reach Malaysia to people like us?

Mr.A: Yalah, yalah.. Enough already. It’s one o’clock already…you don’t know eh that the prayer time is early now? come on, let us try to pray along them…from what I know praying congregationally is very important...we should start with this first.

Mr.B: Sure! No harm I think. I also feel like I need to change. I’m 21 already…judging from the metre tape Dr.Syamsul showed last block I have two third left unless I’m really endowed with longevity. Shall we go now?

Both rushed as they see the imam has begun praying…

Mrs Cleaner: Adik!!! Jangan lari adik, licin tu…(in English, “Hey, you shouldn’t run, it is slippery there”)

But it is too late- you all know what I mean.

Lessons:

1. What others do or avoid is not necessarily right or wrong. Justification is not done by quantity of the doers. Instead, refer to what is there in Quran or in Hadith-of course, ask for the explanation from the scholar. We have them here in Kuantan. Alhamdulillah.

2. Devil will not ask you to leave something as easily as that. You’re too smart to fall for that. But be reminded, we are dealing with a being that existed long enough. You must be smart to recognize their tricks. So, how? Of course with knowledge.

3. Come on, it is a gift. There is countless recount of the miracles one could attain if they really attain khushoo’ in prayer. But of course, what is more rewarding than knowing that you’d be able to do the first worship that’ll be asked in the hereafter.

4. Pray in congregation. It is second year already and I highly believe most are well aware with the necessity of this act

5. Medical student without any text book. Businessman without hand phone. Weird isn’t it? Muslim without Quran that he’ll bring along everywhere? What the….

6. The challenges that we have dealt with…try recalling them. Can we still feel the pain? When we feel something like “oh, that is it, I’m doomed” and yet now we are here…so, are the challenges too hard for us to bear?

Wallahua’lam. Selamat beramal.