Part 21 : “How to Taste the True Beauty of Salah”
Fit To Be Seen :
A few words about Wudu’ (Ablution)… Many of us perform our Wudu’ simply out of habit, assuming that there is nothing really special about it other than that it is required before we can make our Salah. But there is so much more to Wudu’ than we know.. You probably already know how to perform Wudu’, what you’re to say while doing it, how the Prophet pbuh did it, and things such as not wasting water, etc.. What else could there be to it? Well, notice that the above are all actions of your faculties- your hands, mouth, feet.
But where is heart? Isn’t heart the place where the intention lies? How many a small act, augmented in the scales because of the niyya (intention) and how many a great act, reduced in the scales also because of the niyya! Thus, when we involve the heart, we add to the weight of a given action, far surpassing the amount of rewards earned by just the faculties alone. So the next time you rise to go wash up for Salah, don’t just fulfill a prescribed requirement before Salah but add on the following intentions to gain much much more:
Rise with the intent of wholehearted obedience.. Obedience to Allah as you fulfill His commands of verse 6 of Sura Al Ma’idah:
But where is heart? Isn’t heart the place where the intention lies? How many a small act, augmented in the scales because of the niyya (intention) and how many a great act, reduced in the scales also because of the niyya! Thus, when we involve the heart, we add to the weight of a given action, far surpassing the amount of rewards earned by just the faculties alone. So the next time you rise to go wash up for Salah, don’t just fulfill a prescribed requirement before Salah but add on the following intentions to gain much much more:
Rise with the intent of wholehearted obedience.. Obedience to Allah as you fulfill His commands of verse 6 of Sura Al Ma’idah:
“O you who have believed, when you rise to (perform) prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to the ankles.”
Rise with the intent of complete conformance to our beloved Prophet’s example the best example. Rise with the intent of cleansing yourself of your wrong deeds. Since wudu’ is your prerequisite before entering upon Allah and no one is permitted to enter upon Him except in a state of purity, wudu’ cleanses you from the outside till you can be cleansed next- from the inside! Our prophet said, “He who performs wudu’ and perfects it, his wrong deeds leave his body till it runs off with the last drop of water (he’s cleansed completely)!” or “till it runs off even from under his nails!” And these sins are washed off from every body part of wudu’- the sins committed by his hands, his feet, his face (eyes, mouth/tongue). Try to visualize this
purification as the water washes it all away. Visualize it with a heart full of hope in Allah’s mercy. Upon completion, proclaim the Shahada and then say,“ Allahumma ij’alni mina-Tawwabeen, waj’alni minal Mutatahhireen.”- O Allah, make me of those who return to You often in repentance, and make me of those who remain clean and pure! With wudu’, you are preparing for the meeting with The King and as before any meeting of such status and prestige, one needs to beautify himself- going to great lengths to appear presentable! Wudu’ gives you all that beautification and that “fit to be seen” appearance before the Lord. This beauty given by wudu’ will stay with us till the Day of Judgment. The Prophet pbuh once said, “ How
I wish we could have seen our brothers ..”-
Those of his nation who had yet to come after him. That’s us! He will be able to identify us on that day, from the bright traces of our wudu’- in our faces and our extremities! The Prophet encourages us to wash even beyond the required point on each body part- beyond the elbows and the ankles- for an even brighter more luminous effect, on that day! This extra effort not only erases sins, but also raises the ranks! Wudu’ can eventually take us even higher and higher in rank- to a status unimaginable! How? The Prophet one morning asked Bilal, “ How did you get ahead of me in Jannah? (meaning- as a servant walks ahead of his master in serving him) I entered Jannah and heard your movement before me! ” Bilal answered, “Well ya
Rasulullah, Never did I make the Athaan but prayed two Rik’as after it, and never did I lose my wudu’ but (immediately) renewed it.” “With that!”, commended our Prophet. When we finish our wudu’, we seal it with the Shahada- “ Ashhadu anna la ilaha illallah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan Rasulullah.”… upon which all the 8 gates of Heaven open up – for us to enter through any gate we choose!
purification as the water washes it all away. Visualize it with a heart full of hope in Allah’s mercy. Upon completion, proclaim the Shahada and then say,“ Allahumma ij’alni mina-Tawwabeen, waj’alni minal Mutatahhireen.”- O Allah, make me of those who return to You often in repentance, and make me of those who remain clean and pure! With wudu’, you are preparing for the meeting with The King and as before any meeting of such status and prestige, one needs to beautify himself- going to great lengths to appear presentable! Wudu’ gives you all that beautification and that “fit to be seen” appearance before the Lord. This beauty given by wudu’ will stay with us till the Day of Judgment. The Prophet pbuh once said, “ How
I wish we could have seen our brothers ..”-
Those of his nation who had yet to come after him. That’s us! He will be able to identify us on that day, from the bright traces of our wudu’- in our faces and our extremities! The Prophet encourages us to wash even beyond the required point on each body part- beyond the elbows and the ankles- for an even brighter more luminous effect, on that day! This extra effort not only erases sins, but also raises the ranks! Wudu’ can eventually take us even higher and higher in rank- to a status unimaginable! How? The Prophet one morning asked Bilal, “ How did you get ahead of me in Jannah? (meaning- as a servant walks ahead of his master in serving him) I entered Jannah and heard your movement before me! ” Bilal answered, “Well ya
Rasulullah, Never did I make the Athaan but prayed two Rik’as after it, and never did I lose my wudu’ but (immediately) renewed it.” “With that!”, commended our Prophet. When we finish our wudu’, we seal it with the Shahada- “ Ashhadu anna la ilaha illallah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan Rasulullah.”… upon which all the 8 gates of Heaven open up – for us to enter through any gate we choose!
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