Ramadhan Special

GOD RESPONDS TO THE PRAYER!
[Example: Soorat al Fatihah]

In a hadith qudsi,* the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said: “Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, has said: I have divided the prayer between Myself and My servant, and My servant shall have what he has asked for.
When the servant says: Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds,
Allah the Exalted says: My servant has praised Me.
When the servant says: The, Ever Graceful the Most Gracious,
Allah the Exalted says: My servant has Exalted Me.
When the servant says: Master of the Day of Judgement,
Allah the Exalted says: My servant has glorified Me.
When the servant says: It is You alone do we worship and it is You alone we ask for help,
Allah the Exalted says: This is between Me and My servant, and My servant shall have what he has asked for.
When the servant says: Guide us to the straight way, the way of those on whom You have bestowed Your grace, those whose portion is not wrath, and who go not astray,
Allah the Exalted says: All these are for My servant, and My servant shall have what he has asked for.”-- Saheeh Muslim.

*hadith qudsi: ‘sacred hadith’: a hadith communicated to Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him) by Allah, but it is not part of the Qur’an.
(Adapted from Al- Khushoo‘ by Muhammad Salih Al-Munajjid)

How wonderful! God the Exalted responds the prayer, and says in verse 4 of Surah 73: “ recite the Quran calmly and distinctly with thy mind attuned to its meaning.”

What could be better ‘ibadat in Ramadhan than to spend affordable time in understanding the Qur’an, its meanings and explanations, rather than reading God’s Message without understanding!

3.16. PRAYER: THE ASCENT OF MAN (concluded)

God says

So remember Me and I shall remember you; … Q2:152

And if My servants ask thee about Me, I am near; I respond to the call of him who calls, whenever he calls unto Me: let them, then, respond unto Me, and believe in Me, so that they might follow the right way. -- Q2:186

And bring your Lord to remembrance in your very soul, with humility and
reverence,…. Q.7:205


Prophet said

“Worship God as if you see Him, and if you don’t see Him, He certainly sees you” – H: Muslim. N: Omar-bin-al-Khattab

“A servant becomes nearest to his Lord while he is in prostration; …” – H: Muslim. N: Abu Hurairah

Prayer is a living experience for those who turn to God with the whole mind turned towards Him, inspired by the awe of Him, and reflecting upon His word with devotion while praying, extolling His glory and praising Him

confirming their relationship with Him : IYYAKA N`A BUDU WA IYYAKA NASTA’EEN ; asking for His guidance : IHDINAS SIRATAL MUSTAQEEM; and listening to Him in the recitation from Quran that follows; bowing down, extolling His glory; and standing up from the “ru’ku” listening to: “God heard him/her who praised Him” and, thereupon, with a deep sense of gratitude and humility touching the ground with their foreheads – drawing closer, still closer: the ascent of the humans to God!

3.16. PRAYER: THE ASCENT OF MAN (to continue)

God says

[true servants of the Most Gracious are (only) those] and who remember their Sustainer far into the night, prostrating themselves and standing; -- Q.25:64

“Your Sustainer says “Call unto Me, [and] I shall respond to you! …” Q.40: 60

Prostrate yourself [before God] and draw close to Him.* -- Q96:19
* Prostration is the climax of each rakat, repeated twice, drawing one close to God again and again.



Prophet said

“There is concentration* in prayer” – H: Bukhari and Muslim. N: Abdullah-b-Masud
* I.e., prayer is performed with concentration.

“Recite the Qur’an morning and evening, recite in a good voice and reflect upon it,* so that you may be rewarded” – H: Mishkat. N: Ubaidah.
*The Tradition is directing us to understand the verses when we perform our prayer because it is only then we can “reflect” upon it.

God says about the Quran in 38:29 “[This is] a Book which We have sent down to you, full of blessings that they may ponder over its verses, and that people of understanding may remember.” Quran with Tafseer i.e., commentaries and explanations are today available to help us to understand. God also says in 25:73 “And those who, when they are reminded of the verses, do not fall deaf and blind at that.” Hence, necessary to gradually learn the meanings of what we recite in the prayer and understand it. The matter needs urgent attention, as it will be in the direction of performing the prayer in communion with God.

3.15. PRAYER AND HEEDFULNESS

God says

Be ever-mindful of prayers and of praying in the most excellent way,* and stand before God in devout obedience. -- Q.2:238
* Lit., “the mid-most” (or “the most excellent) prayer. According to Muhammad ‘Abduh, it may mean “the noblest kind of prayer—that is, a prayer from the fullness of the heart, with the whole mind turned towards God, inspired by the awe of Him, and reflecting upon His word, ( manar 2).


O you who have attained to faith! Be conscious of God with all the consciousness that is due to Him,… Q.3:102


... those who believe in the life to come do believe in this [Book]; and it is they who are ever-mindful of their prayers. -- Q.6:92


… and do not allow yourself to be heedless [in prayer]. – Q.7:205


Woe to praying ones who are heedless* in their prayer -- Q.107:4
*I.e., knowingly unmindful of prayer.


Prophet said

“Prayer performed in the early time is to please God and performed later in time is to ask His forgiveness.” – H: Tirmizi. N: Ibn Umar

“…The person, who does not bow down (properly in prayer) and does not prostrate well, in fact steals in prayer.” – H: Ahmed. N: Abu Qatada

“Whoever becomes Imam of a people, let him make the prayer easy because among them are the old, and the sick, and the infirm, and among them there are those who have (to attend to) other needs” – N: Osman-b-Abil`Aas