Part 18: “How to Taste the True Beauty of Salah” !

Part 18: “How to Taste the True Beauty of Salah” !

*** A Desperate Plea ***!

As we have seen so far, every station in Salah has a special meaning and a unique significance, so that with every position we move to, we are transported into a new and different scene. These transitions help our minds to stay aware of and internalize the words we utter. These transitions help our hearts to stay alive throughout our Salah… alive with alternating feelings and emotions before Allah: Those of love, hope, fear, and humility. The station we arrive at now is one which should inspire immense humility and fear.

It is a position resembling a position occurring on Judgment Day:

“And (on that Day) you will see every people kneeling down/brought down to their knees (from
fear/humility), every people will be called upon to (face) its record: “Today you shall be requited for all that you ever did! This Our record, speaks of you in all truth, for verily, We have recorded all that you ever did!”(45:28-29)

In our present world, it is that mortifying position of one about to hear out his death sentence… A position of someone in utmost desperation for a pardon, a savior… It is the sitting between the 2 prostrations .. down on your knees! What is it that we are to say when in this position? No words can we possibly need more, than: “

Rabbi ighfirli” (My Lord forgive me!)- Twice, three times, four times, or more. How many times have we wronged ourselves and transgressed Allah’s bounds. It is a time to ask for much forgiveness as we sit this position of full servitude and helplessness. The Prophet pbuh used to sit in this position a length equal to that of his sujood (prostration), seeking Allah’s forgiveness and making the following duaa:

“Allahumma ighfirli wa-rhamni, wa ihdini wa-jburni, wa aafini wa-rzuqni wa-rfa’ni.”

(O Allah forgive me and have mercy on me, guide me and enrich me, give me health and provide for me and raise me in rank.). The provision we ask of Allah, implies a provision in this life, and more importantly, in the next. On Judgment Day, as creation fretfully awaits its judgment, the Prophet pbuh will prostrate before Allah’s Throne in a prolonged sujood- praising, glorifying, praying..and crying- crying for the people of his nation.. Till Allah answers him,

“Lift your head up, O Muhammad. Ask and it will be granted, intercede and it will be accepted.” The Prophet will rise from his sujood to this position, and begin his intercession for us. From this we can understand, that our prayers can be answered both when we are in sujood, or after.

As we beg for Allah’s forgiveness, we proceed to make another sujood, for we need to draw closer still, to Our Lord.. One sujood is not enough. And as the first Sura of the Quran, Sura Al Alaq, starts out with a recitation (“ Read!”) and ends with a prostration, so is the case with the Rik’a (unit) of Salah- It starts with recitation and ends with prostration..

Every act of worship has a special beauty to it, a unique flavor. The more we learn the more we can taste that flavor and feel that beauty, after all:

“Are they equal- Those who know and those who do not know?” (39:9)