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.