We know from the saying of the Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam (please be upon him) that salah (prayer) is the pillar of one's deen. Salah is the foundation for one's relationship with Allah, subhanahu wata'ala (be He glorious and exalted). How precious is salah to us in our daily lives? When you hold a precious newborn baby, you take special care to be gentle and protective.
In the same way, salah needs delicate and careful handling. We have to know the right approach, the right mind set, the right way to present ourselves to the Lord of the Universe. The Qur'an says: "Successful indeed are the believers, those who in their salah have khushu' (humility)" [23:1-2]. And the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said: "The first thing to be lifted up from this Ummah will be khushu', until you see no one who has khushu"' (Tabarani). And in another hadeeth (Prophet's Muhammad's saying): "O Allah, I seek refuge with You from a heart that has no khushu'..." (Tirmithi and Ibn Majah).
So what is khushu'? It encompasses awareness, surrender, humbleness, dignity, and calm-the right approach, the right mindset, the right way to present ourselves to the Lord of the Universe. This is in contrast to the all too common experience of salah. Many of us have become slaves to the "habit" of praying salah, doing so in a mechanical and thoughtless manner. Salah then does not improve us, does not increase our eman, and does not deter us from wrongdoing. This kind of salah, rather than bringing us nearer to Allah, makes us remote from Him. So how can we increase khushu' in our salah?
1. Formulate our intention with regard to salah. That means that we will be mindful of why we are praying and what the benefits and blessings are of salah. If you make a list of these, you begin to see just how extensive it is. Salah demonstrates surrender and obedience to Allah It cleanses and removes our sins. It prevents sins and wrongdoings. It positions us to be graced by Allah with the reward of Paradise and protects us from the punishment of Hell. It brings Allah's help and guidance. It brings comfort and delight. It cultivates patience and perseverance. It exercises the will It increases adaptability. It teaches us to silence the inner chatter. Ibn Al-Jawzi said: "Whoever sees the dawn of reward bears easily the darkness of responsibility." Human beings have a need to see the purpose and the benefits in striving for a goal. Research shows that "why" one wants to change or achieve something constitutes 80 percent of the success.
2. Approach the salah with remembrance of death. If we remember that this life is a preparation for the Day upon which Allah will recompense each soul according to what it has earned; that death is the transition to the next life; and that death could be now or tomorrow-then we will make salali as if it is our last salah and the last supplica- tion to Allah for His mercy and forgiveness. The Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said: ".. .and make the salah of a man who does not think he will make another salah" (Al-Albany, as-Silsilah as-Sahihah). If we keep the remembrance of death fresh in our conscious mind when we approach salali, we will have greater awareness, surrender, humbleness, dignity, and calm.
3. Approach and perform the prayer with fullest awareness of the power and glory of Allah, and of the noble stature and challenge of being human. One of the Tabi'een (a person who met a Companion of the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) would visibly change in the coloring of his face at the time of prayer. He would say: "Do you know before whom I am going to stand and with whom I am going to talk?!" (Silah al-Yaqadhan li Tard al-Shaytan, Abdul-Azeez Sultan). And Ali ibn AbiTalib would not only change color, he would be visibly shaken. When asked why, he said: "By Allah, there has come the time of the amanah (trust) which Allah offered to the heav- ens and the earth and the mountains, but they declined to bear it, but I bore it."
4. Perform the salah in a measured pace and keep the eyes on the place of prostration. Carelessness and haste in salah are impediments to khushu'. The Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said: "The one who does not do ruku' (bowing) properly and pecks (like a bird) in sujud (prostration), is like a starving man who eats only one or two dates; it does not do him any good at all" (Tabarani). A measured pace and singular focus befits the occasion of standing before one's Lord.
5. Think deeply about the meaning of the ayaat (verses) that are being recited during the prayer. Ibn Jareer said: "I am astonished at people who recite the Qur'an and do not know what it means..." If the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, himself would often spend hours reflecting upon one verse, we can understand the importance of thinking, reflecting, and probing the mean- ing. When Saeed At-Tanukhi made salah, tears would roll down his cheeks, wetting his beard. Only by reflecting deeply on the meaning of the Qur'an can we be moved as they were. "And they fall down on their faces weeping, and it adds to their khushu"' [17:109].
These five steps can humble us, heighten our aware- ness of the greatness of prayer, and bring a calmness and dignity to our minds, hearts, and limbs. In this way we feel our surrender to Allah becoming more full, more complete! We have to remember that if we want to ensure our children's surrender to Allah, we must truthfully represent that surrender with our own manner of thought, feeling, and action. In that way, our children will emulate us and they will love Allah. If we increase the khushu' in our own salah, we are doing much to ensure that the salah of our children will not be meaningless, empty, mechanical, and unsuccessful.
To conclude....
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1. If we are dedicated to self-transformation and growth, continuously observing, examining, and correcting/improving ourselves (in a gently, loving, and self-accepting way), then we are striving to guard our rela-tionship with self.
2. If we abide by a constitution of adab in all our relationships and particularly in the relationship with our
spouse and children, then we are striving to guard our relationships with others.
3. And if we strive to increase our khushu' in salah as a means to draw nearer to Allah and to more completely
surrender to Him, then we are striving to guard our relationship with Him.
We said at the beginning that the month of Ramadhan is a wonderful time for reflection and self-examining. If we seize the opportunity during this blessed month to reflect deeply on our relationships and to implement the above three principles of good relationship, then we will be taking the steps necessary to avoid defect in our relationships and prevent a "shaving clean" of our religion. We will be providing a superb model for our children.And our relationship with them will be held securely between...
May Allah accept from us all our fasting, our prayers, our charity, and our resolutions to implement whatever we learn so that it becomes knowledge of the heart and an experience of deep devotion. Ameen.
Source: http://www.islamicity.com
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Growing anti-mosque hysteria in the heart of America
The “Ground Zero Mosque” controversy is gradually developing into a national hysteria threatening to shack the image, and potentially the reality, of the United State as an open society and a beacon of freedom and civil liberties. The campaign against the proposed mosque in lower Manhattan has already dwarfed the one mobilized early last year by European far right parties to ban Swiss Muslims from building minarets for their mosques.
The anti mosque campaign is a testimony to the growing influence of the American far right in media and political circles and a sad commentary on the ability of Muslim bashers to sway public opinion in the post 9/11 American.
The campaign is led by open bigots like Pamela Geller who is on record calling for the destruction of the Golden Dome Mosque so a Jewish temple can be built in its place, and who recently argued that Hitler adopted Jihad and was inspired by Islam to commit the Holocaust. She is also on record “praying” for a nuclear war between Iran and Israel that would give the latter the opportunity to nuke Tehran, Mecca, and
Medina. She has the audacity to question the patriotism of President Obama and accuse him on numerous occasions being a covert Muslim and an anti-Semitic, Jihadist Mohammadan [sic] who is aiding the Iranian regime.
Geller, along with her network of likeminded Muslim bashers, including
Sean Hannity of the Fox News and Robert Spencer of Jihadwatch, succeeded in setting the tone of the current debate. They have referred to the proposed Islamic center as a “triumphant mosque” claiming that it is customary for Muslims to build such mosques after defeating their enemies. They called the plan to build an Islamic
center two blocks away from ground zero a provocation intended to upset the families of the victims of 9/11. They even argued that the site of 9/11 is a hallowed ground and should hence be made inaccessible for Muslims to build an Islamic Center two blocks away from its site.
The language of “provocation,” “triumph,” and “sensitivity” presumes that all Muslims, and not only al-Qaida members, are guilty of 9/11 attacks. Muslim Americans by and large, including Imam Faisal Rauf, have strongly rejected al-Qaida actions and views, as did most Muslims the world over. To equate Muslims with the atrocities committed by al-Qaida operatives is tantamount to equating Christians with the massacres committed by the Serb nationalists in Bosnia. The opponent of building an Islamic center near 9/11 site must remember that ground zero is hallowed not only by Jewish and Christian blood, but by the blood of over 90 Muslims who perished on that horrific day.
Despite the twisted logic of these arguments, and the blatant efforts to revive medieval anti-Muslim propaganda and equate all Muslims with the criminal attacks of 9/11 terrorists, several prominent politicians jumped on the anti-mosque bandwagon. Republican leaders, including Dwight Gingrich and Sarah Palin, sided with the anti-mosque crowd. The Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid added his voice to those who spoke against the mosque. Even President Obama wavered in the face of the anti-mosque campaign as he seems to backpedal after speaking strongly in support of the right of American Muslims to exercise their religious freedom.
Obama reportedly made a distinction between the “right” to build the mosque, which he supports, and the “wisdom” of building the mosque, on which he chose to withhold judgment. Granted that having right and being right are two different things, it is unfortunate that President Obama seems to indirectly question the wisdom of the Islamic center proponents rather than those who unfairly oppose it. If anyone’s actions and motives should be questioned, it should be those of the bigots who equate Islam with terrorism and who have embarked on a campaign of disinformation and character assassination to stop Muslims from exercising their constitutional rights freely. Yet it is the actions and motives of the Muslim peacemakers who took the initiative to build an Islamic center dedicated to enhancing interfaith dialogue and cooperation, and who have for decades been involved in counter extremist interpretations and in bridge building with their Jewish and Christian neighbors are place under scrutiny.
The history of the United States clearly illustrates that the constitutional rights Americans have cannot be separated from their ability to exercise their rights freely. Despite having constitutional rights, African Americans were prevented from exercising their rights by racists and demagogues who used every false arguments to stipulate how, when, and under what conditions black Americans could exercise their rights.
If history teaches us anything it should teach us that people have rights only when they can exercise them freely, and that they have to exercise them despite the arguments of those who want to limit their rights. This simple fact was borne through the struggles of all numerous individuals whose ability to exercise their rights was thwarted by the ignorance and prejudice of their countrymen, including blacks, women, Jews, Catholics, and now Muslims.
It is now the time for Muslim Americans to follow the excellent examples of those who struggled before them, and remind the whole world once again that no false arguments should be allowed to separate the rights of a minority and its ability to exercise its rights freely.
Right wing media has generated a national hysteria, and amplified the voices of far right pundits who succeeded in creating enough suspicion and arousing public passion against the proposed Manhattan Islamic Center through misinforming and unfounded accusations. It is time for national leaders of all religious persuasions to do the right thing and speak with clear and unwavering voice in support of the right of Muslims to freely exercise their religious freedom. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Fareed Zakaria of the Newsweek have set a high example of statesmanship and principled media punditry.
Will we see more principled voices in the face of shameless demagoguery? If 9/11 shocks has not penetrated into the soul of America and has not changed its spirit then America will once again reject the voices of intolerance and push the bigots back into their dark corners where they belong.
Source: http://islamonline.com
The anti mosque campaign is a testimony to the growing influence of the American far right in media and political circles and a sad commentary on the ability of Muslim bashers to sway public opinion in the post 9/11 American.
The campaign is led by open bigots like Pamela Geller who is on record calling for the destruction of the Golden Dome Mosque so a Jewish temple can be built in its place, and who recently argued that Hitler adopted Jihad and was inspired by Islam to commit the Holocaust. She is also on record “praying” for a nuclear war between Iran and Israel that would give the latter the opportunity to nuke Tehran, Mecca, and
Medina. She has the audacity to question the patriotism of President Obama and accuse him on numerous occasions being a covert Muslim and an anti-Semitic, Jihadist Mohammadan [sic] who is aiding the Iranian regime.
Geller, along with her network of likeminded Muslim bashers, including
Sean Hannity of the Fox News and Robert Spencer of Jihadwatch, succeeded in setting the tone of the current debate. They have referred to the proposed Islamic center as a “triumphant mosque” claiming that it is customary for Muslims to build such mosques after defeating their enemies. They called the plan to build an Islamic
center two blocks away from ground zero a provocation intended to upset the families of the victims of 9/11. They even argued that the site of 9/11 is a hallowed ground and should hence be made inaccessible for Muslims to build an Islamic Center two blocks away from its site.
The language of “provocation,” “triumph,” and “sensitivity” presumes that all Muslims, and not only al-Qaida members, are guilty of 9/11 attacks. Muslim Americans by and large, including Imam Faisal Rauf, have strongly rejected al-Qaida actions and views, as did most Muslims the world over. To equate Muslims with the atrocities committed by al-Qaida operatives is tantamount to equating Christians with the massacres committed by the Serb nationalists in Bosnia. The opponent of building an Islamic center near 9/11 site must remember that ground zero is hallowed not only by Jewish and Christian blood, but by the blood of over 90 Muslims who perished on that horrific day.
Despite the twisted logic of these arguments, and the blatant efforts to revive medieval anti-Muslim propaganda and equate all Muslims with the criminal attacks of 9/11 terrorists, several prominent politicians jumped on the anti-mosque bandwagon. Republican leaders, including Dwight Gingrich and Sarah Palin, sided with the anti-mosque crowd. The Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid added his voice to those who spoke against the mosque. Even President Obama wavered in the face of the anti-mosque campaign as he seems to backpedal after speaking strongly in support of the right of American Muslims to exercise their religious freedom.
Obama reportedly made a distinction between the “right” to build the mosque, which he supports, and the “wisdom” of building the mosque, on which he chose to withhold judgment. Granted that having right and being right are two different things, it is unfortunate that President Obama seems to indirectly question the wisdom of the Islamic center proponents rather than those who unfairly oppose it. If anyone’s actions and motives should be questioned, it should be those of the bigots who equate Islam with terrorism and who have embarked on a campaign of disinformation and character assassination to stop Muslims from exercising their constitutional rights freely. Yet it is the actions and motives of the Muslim peacemakers who took the initiative to build an Islamic center dedicated to enhancing interfaith dialogue and cooperation, and who have for decades been involved in counter extremist interpretations and in bridge building with their Jewish and Christian neighbors are place under scrutiny.
The history of the United States clearly illustrates that the constitutional rights Americans have cannot be separated from their ability to exercise their rights freely. Despite having constitutional rights, African Americans were prevented from exercising their rights by racists and demagogues who used every false arguments to stipulate how, when, and under what conditions black Americans could exercise their rights.
If history teaches us anything it should teach us that people have rights only when they can exercise them freely, and that they have to exercise them despite the arguments of those who want to limit their rights. This simple fact was borne through the struggles of all numerous individuals whose ability to exercise their rights was thwarted by the ignorance and prejudice of their countrymen, including blacks, women, Jews, Catholics, and now Muslims.
It is now the time for Muslim Americans to follow the excellent examples of those who struggled before them, and remind the whole world once again that no false arguments should be allowed to separate the rights of a minority and its ability to exercise its rights freely.
Right wing media has generated a national hysteria, and amplified the voices of far right pundits who succeeded in creating enough suspicion and arousing public passion against the proposed Manhattan Islamic Center through misinforming and unfounded accusations. It is time for national leaders of all religious persuasions to do the right thing and speak with clear and unwavering voice in support of the right of Muslims to freely exercise their religious freedom. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Fareed Zakaria of the Newsweek have set a high example of statesmanship and principled media punditry.
Will we see more principled voices in the face of shameless demagoguery? If 9/11 shocks has not penetrated into the soul of America and has not changed its spirit then America will once again reject the voices of intolerance and push the bigots back into their dark corners where they belong.
Source: http://islamonline.com
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