The Wisdom Behind Repetition in Prayer

The Wisdom Behind Repetition in Prayer

Posted: by Fajr Blog

As-salamu `alaykum wa rahmatullah

“… And it has been prescribed for the servant to repeat these actions and words (i.e. repeat recitation of al-Fatiha, rukoo’, sujood etc, in the prayer) as it is a source of nourishment for the heart and soul. There is no strength in them (the heart and soul) except through this.

Its repetition is just like repeatedly eating food – mouthful after mouthful until a person eats his fill, and drinking again and again until his thirst is quenched. If a hungry individual only took one mouthful of food and then pushed his food away, what will that mouthful do for him? In fact, it may even cause him to become hungrier!

For this reason, one of the Salaf said: ‘A person who prays but does not find tranquillity in his prayer is like a person who is hungry… food is brought to him but he only takes one or two handfuls. What will it then do for him?!’”

[Asrar al-Salat, Ibn al-Qayyim]

Most of the time, a person’s level of Iman, khushu’ (humbleness), and depth of spirituality increases in stages, and doesn’t occur overnight or with one act of ‘Ibadah alone. For this reason, Allah legislated that the soul undergo repetitive acts of ‘Ibadah for it to attain higher levels of Iman; so in the case of prayer, a slave offers it no less than 5 times a day and if they feel themselves lacking in spiritual nourishment, they should increase in nafl (supererogatory) salah until their soul begins to feel nourished and the empty voids are all filled. The same with other acts of worship and the soul will soon taste the sweetness of Iman (faith) and climb up from rank to rank in the Sight of Allah.

The Murder of Umar Ibn Al-Khattab (radiallahu anh)

The Excellence of Qiyaamul-Layl and its Effect in Increasing Eeman

by Husayn al Awayishah

If the Muslim carefully considered Suratul Muzammil, he would find the greatest lesson in it, since Allah, the One free and far removed from all defects and the Most High, ordered the Messenger of Allah salAllahu ‘alayhi wasalaam to establish the Night Prayer when he was in the direst need of help and assistance. So there is in the saying of Allah, the Most High:

O, you wrapped in garments (i.e. Prophet Muhammad salAllahu ‘alayhi wasalaam)! Stand to pray all night, except a little” [Surah Muzammil, 73; 1-2]

Cultivation and training for the soul and refinement and reassurance for the heart of the Prophet salAllahu ‘alaihi wasalaam. The night prayer used to be an obligation on the Prophet salAllahu ‘alaihi wasalaam and his Companions radiyAllahu ‘anhum. The Prophet salAllahu ‘alaihi wasalaam and his Companions observed it for a year and Allah withheld the end of it for twelve months in the heavens, until Allah sent down the conclusion of the Soorah when the duty was eased and the night prayer became optional after having been an obligation [Reported in Muslim, Eng. Trans. 1/358-361/no.1623].

So indeed there must be hidden benefits arising from the night prayer. Indeed it is a preparation for men. It makes the hearts firm upon the truth and further strengthens them. It is the secret of success. It distances a person from sins and evil actions. It increases eeman. It causes a person to be joined with the righteous and raises him to the level of the sincere worshipers.

From Abu Hurayrah radiyaAllahu ‘anhu, the Messenger of Allah salAllahu ‘alaihi wasalaam said: “The best fast after the month of Ramadhan is in the month of Muharram, and the best prayer after the obligatory prayer is the Night Prayer” [Reported by Muslim (Eng. Trans. 2/269/2611), Abu Dawood (Eng. Trans. 2/668/2423), at-Tirmidhee, an-Nasaa’ee, and Ibn Khuzaimah in his Saheeh]

From ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar radiyaAllahu ‘anhu who said, the Prophet of Allah salAllahu ‘alaihi wasalaam: “In paradise, there is a (raised) chamber the outside of which can be seen from its inside, and whose inside can be seen from its outside. So Abu Maalik al Asha’aree asked: Who is it for O Messenger of Allah? He replied: For those whose speech is good, who provide with food and who stand the night (in prayer) whilst the people are sleeping” [Reported by at-Tabarani in al-Kabeer with a hasan chain of narration, and al-Haakim who declared it saheeh to the standard of al Bukhari and Muslim]

From Jaabir radiyaAllahu ‘anhu, who said that I heard Allah’s Messenger salAllahu ‘alaihi wasalam say: “Indeed in the night there is an hour which no Muslim man encounters whilst asking Allah for the good of this world and the Hereafter except that He gives it to him and that is every night” [Reported by Muslim (Eng. Trans. 1/365/no. 1654]

From Abu Umamah Baahili radiyaAllahu ‘anhu, the Messenger of Allah salAllahu ‘alaihi wasalaam said: “ Perform the night prayer, for it was the practice of the pious before you, and draws one near to Allah, the Most High, and is an expiation of sins and a prevention of evil deeds”. [Reported by Ahmad, at-Tirmidhee, and others and found in Saheehul Jamee’ (no.3958)]

Wa salaamu ‘alaikum wa rahmatuAllahi wa barakaatuh

“Indeed I saw some 30 angels all scuffling to see which one of them could record it.”

One day we were praying behind the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and when he ﷺ raised his head from the position of ruku` (bowing position), he said: “Sami Allahu leman hamidah” – ‘Allah hears the one who praises Him’. A man from behind added: رَبَّنـا وَلَكَ الحَمْـدُ حَمْـداً كَثـيراً طَيِّـباً مُـبارَكاً فيه “Rabbanaa wa la kal hamd, hamdan katheeran tayyiban mubaarakan feeh” ‘Our Lord, all praise is due only to You, praise which is abundant, excellent and blessed.’ When we finished [the prayer] the Prophet ﷺ said: ‘Who spoke?’ The man said, ‘I did’. He ﷺ said, ‘Indeed I saw some 30 angels all scuffling to see which one of them could record it.’ [Muslim]

Tranquility in Salah

 

Al-Ḥātim b. ‘Āṣim (raḥimahullāh) was one of the tabi‘īn. He was asked, “How do you attain tranquility in your prayer? We see you so engulfed. How do you reach that level?” He said, “Before I start, I imagine the ṣirāṭ (bridge over Hellfire) in front of me. I imagine Jannah is on my right and Hellfire is on my left. I remember that the one who does not pray his ṣalawāt in this world will be grabbed by a hook on the ṣirāṭ and have to make them up in Jahannam. Then I imagine the angel of death is standing behind me, and I don’t know when he is going to attack. Then I imagine that the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is standing in front of me to monitor the correctness of my ṣalāh. Then I remember that Allāh, Who created all of that, is monitoring me. Then I start.”

From the class: Behind the Scenes by Sh. Omar Soleiman

Qabeelat Madinatayn PPN, page 135

Who is Allah? — Powerful Speech

Allah knows what is in your heart, and when you are daydreaming in the salah, He is aware of all of it. He is the one who gave you the wife you are busy with, He gave you the job you are busy with, He gave you the children you are busy with.

And how Patient is Allah, that you do this day in and day out in your salah, and He still continues to give you chances to speak to him, and complain to Him, and beg Him.

Allah doesn’t need us.

We need Allah.

Worst Quality of Hypocrisy (Laziness towards Salah)

The Levels of Prayer – What Level Are You?

By Ibnul-Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah

Ibnul-Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah said:

And mankind, with regard to their performance of prayer are in five levels:

The First: The level of the one who is negligent and wrongs her soul: She is the one who falls short in performing Wudu (ablution) properly, performing the prayer upon its time and within its specified limits, and in fulfilling its essential pillars.

The Second: The one who guards her prayers upon their proper times and within their specified limits, fulfils their essential pillars and performs her Wudu with care. However, her striving (in achieving the above) is wasted due whisperings in her prayer so she is taken away by thoughts and ideas.

The Third: The one who guards her prayers within the specified limits, fulfils their essential pillars and strives with herself to repel the whisperings, thoughts and ideas. She is busy struggling against her enemy (Shaytan or Satan) so that she does not steal from the prayer. On account of this she is engaged in (both) prayer and Jihad.

The Fourth: The one who stands for the prayer, completes and perfects its due rights, its essential pillars, performs it within its specified limits and her heart becomes engrossed in safeguarding its rights and specified limits, so that nothing is wasted from it. Her whole concern is directed towards its establishment, its completion and its perfection, as it should be. Her heart is immersed in the prayer and in enslavement to her Lord the Exalted.

The Fifth: The one who stands for the prayer like the one mentioned above. However, on top of this, she has taken and placed her heart in front of her Lord looking towards Him with her heart with anticipation, (her heart) filled with His love and His might, as if she sees and witnesses Allah. The whisperings, thoughts and ideas have vanished and the coverings which are between her and her Lord are raised. What is between this person and others with respect to the prayer, is superior and greater than what is between the heavens and the earth. This person is busy with her Lord delighted with Him.

The First type will be punished, the second type will be held to account, the third will have her sins and shortcomings expiated, the fourth will be rewarded and the fifth will be close to her Lord, because she will receive the portion of the one who makes her prayer the delight and pleasure of her eye. Whoever makes her prayer, the delight and pleasure of her eye, will have the nearness to her Lord made the delight and pleasure of her eye in the Hereafter. She will also be made a pleasure to the eye in this world since whoever makes Allah the pleasure of her eye in this world, every other eye will become delighted and pleased with her.

Prayer: It’s Importance by AbudrRaheem Green

Life is never ALL ups

Qur’an:
2:153 O ye who believe! seek help with patient perseverance and
prayer; for Allah is with those who patiently persevere.
Surat Al-Baqarah 2:153

[Lessons from this Verse] Life has both ups and downs. If you
are in a down turn, Allah gives you two tools by which you can
stay strong: being patient and focusing on your Salah. The
reward: Allah will be with you!