Mohammad Ali Hazratji – Focusing in Salah and its inner dimensions.
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AI: Transcript ©
So now I do kumara barakato
Bismillah Alhamdulillah wa Salatu was Salam ala Rasulillah while
either he was happy women who Allah,
Allah,
Allah to call Obinna bothered Hadith, or hablando Milla don't
Kurama in a cantilever
Allahumma Salli ala Sayidina Muhammad in Al Fatah Halima
overlook all hot Amanda Masako nostril happy will help will have
the article Mr. K Mala Ali haka cadre, omekata Halothane.
We praise Allah subhanaw taala and we seek his blessings and
acceptance for this event.
And we seek His help and we are always in need of his help.
We are always
in a state of destitution in front of him.
So we ask Allah subhanaw taala to make this a means of higher of
goodness
that it benefits us.
Bennett benefits us in what is the most important aspect of our
lives.
The single most important event of your day of my day, every day of
your life
by which we confirm our Abu dia our submission to Allah subhanaw
taala is a Salah
our five daily prayers, there is nothing that has a higher status
than that.
Once Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was asked what is it
that Allah loves the most.
And in one narration, he said a Salah Allah wa Actaea Salah on its
time, there is nothing more beloved to Allah.
So nobody should fool themselves that I do things and Allah will
love this. And Allah says, I love this. Take care of this first and
then everything else will fall into place.
Unfortunately, the teaching of our Salah has been very, very
deficient. I'm talking about my own experience as a child.
And I don't know what you experiences
we are told to memorize and we're supposed to, we are beaten if we
don't get it right. And then we are told do this do this, you
know, mechanical salah.
And we don't understand what we are saying. So you have to do this
and from childhood it starts and then it doesn't get any better.
And many of us
are praying the same way at 55 that we were praying at five
we made progress in everything else except Salah.
So today, we want to cover certain aspects of this act of worship,
the greatest act of worship that we are not commonly taught, some
of you may be very well aware of what we are going to talk about.
And if that's the case, then this is a reminder because reminder is
beneficial for the believers. Okay.
So
I'm going to put out everything that I have learned from my
teachers my show you
in for a text. The text that I am using for this presentation is
from Imam Abu Hamad Al Ghazali. Some of you may have heard of him.
The great saintly scholars of our past, was born around 1058 and
died in December of 1111.
So that's about a little over 900 years ago.
And he was a full fledged scholar, a fake a jurist, and a
practitioner. And he was the head of the greatest Islamic Institute
in Baghdad.
And then, after doing that for four or five years, he had a
breakdown, he couldn't take it anymore. And he left everything,
the highest post in the Seljuk Empire for a scholar and he
disappeared. And he traveled as an unknown to Damascus in Jerusalem
and Makkah and Medina and then finally came back and in those few
years,
he took up the inner dimensions that the sub of so he took the
aspects of the Sufi path, which is the inner part of worship, versus
the external part, the 50 juristic parts and he put it together
either in many of his works, and the greatest of which is called
Luma Dean, or the revival of Islamic sciences, which comes in
multiple volumes.
So this is from some of the chapters in there some of it
I'm hoping Allah subhanaw taala will is my throat because I have a
throat problem today and voice is not going to disappear. But isn't
it Allah?
Allah subhanaw taala says in the Quran
in any and Allah La ilaha illa Anna
for Boonie Okay Miss Salah tele decree
this is truly indeed I am Allah, this is Allah talking to you and
me. La ilaha illa Anna and there is no other deity worthy of
worship except me.
fat booty therefore, worship me, this is a direct command and then
what does he say? What Okay Miss salata Lee decree and establish
Salah establish Salah for what Lee decree for my remembrance, I want
you to remember that the purpose of Salah is what?
What is it for the remembrance of Allah.
Now look, and we should be reviewing how many of my Salas are
performed, when I don't remember Allah and my thoughts are
everywhere else. And Allah subhanaw taala is telling us you
stablish Salah for one purpose, the decree
for my remembrance
in Surah Al mcmoneagle Allah subhanaw taala says cut me noon
Alladhina home fee Salah to him Harsha own indeed the believers
have succeeded. They are successful already Allah subhanaw
taala is talking as if it's in past tense, although it hasn't
happened yet. And he says Who are these what is their criterion
Alladhina whom feast salata him caution, these are the ones who in
their prayer, are full of submission, solemn knitty
reverence for sure
that they feel that they are standing in front of the Lord of
the heavens and the earth, and they are in awe of him. And of
course they're attentive.
What is the opposite of this? This is the ayah about the believers
and the opposite the disbelievers especially the munafo and the
hypocrites who truly have disbelief inside but they claim to
be look at their characteristics.
Allah subhanaw taala says in L Manasa. Pina you hold your own
Allah HA HA HA HA
what you're the camo Illa Salviati are muku Salah you are our own and
NASA wala yet Karuna ilaha illa kalila. Allah subhanaw taala says,
Verily the hypocrites they seek to deceive Allah subhanaw taala they
think they're fooling Allah subhanaw taala but it is he who
causes them to be deceived.
And then Allah subhanaw taala describes the salah of the
hypocrites because they used to pray because they wanted to look
like believers said when they stand for Salah they stand half
heartedly, lazily, they don't want to be there, but they are there
only to be seen of men so that people can see that they're
praying.
And they do not remember Allah except a little goes back to the
same
remembering Allah in Salah. So if we have very little remembrance of
Allah in Salah we have potentially a Salah of a hypocrite, that's the
worst of all creatures.
Is that understood clearly.
So the purpose of Salah, my dear brothers and sisters, is an
uninterrupted remembrance of Allah during Salah and therefore we need
to constantly remind ourselves of that because Salah has become a
habit. We do Salah many of us in autopilot we don't know what we
are saying what we are doing. We go through the motions and it's
done.
Did you think of Allah What did you recite Where were you many
times we can answer that? So that's not the kind of Salah that
Allah
He's talking about Okay.
So, Allah subhanaw taala wants us to become unaware of everything in
Salah except him, unaware of ourselves
that we are standing in front of
the originator of the universe, the Creator, the Sustainer, the
provider, we're standing in front of him, how can we be distracted
and turning somewhere else?
So, this requires a change in our attitude to Salah. Many of us
consider Salah as a burden, you know, okay, it's a duty, I got to
do it. I'm a Muslim. It's like a load on my back, I finished now
I'm done. I'm relieved. We have to change that from a burden
to treating it as a special gift from Allah as a trust that we have
to fulfill because as you know, the commandment for Salah was not
sent on this earth by Gibreel alayhi salam, all of the other
commandments came down from Allah subhanaw taala through the angel
Gabriel gibril to Rasul Allah salAllahu Alaihe Salam, but for
this special
act of EBA, Allah subhanaw taala took rasool Allah salAllahu Alaihe
Salam on this miraculous journey called Mirage into His Divine
Presence and gave him as a gift for this ummah, the Salah,
this is a gift for your ummah, through which anywhere they are,
they have direct access to me, like Allah gave you a personal
line, anywhere you want to be in his presence, you can do that. And
we have to treat it like that as a gift, as this is something special
that nobody has been given.
And in every document in every commandment of Allah subhanaw
taala, there is His mercy and Salah is His mercy, because it's a
means of forgiveness, it's a means of approach to the Lord. So we
should look within the Salah, for that Mercy of Allah subhanaw taala
and it is through Salah that a person becomes a beloved of Allah
subhanaw taala.
And
ultimately, since we're talking about inner dimensions,
the heart is the locus of those inner dimensions.
And the greatest key that opens that heart of the believer is
Salah. There is nothing that is more effective than proper Salah
and it is a light that illuminates our hearts and it clears our
doubts that murkiness that we have. We don't understand this. We
don't understand this, we question this and so on so forth. It is
through Salah that it is cleared, because that murkiness comes
because of the effect of our environment, and particularly the
environment that makes us sin. So our sinfulness leads to that.
Then we start having doubts, we start having anxieties, we start
having stresses, all kinds of things. Salah
clear that it's like a mirror that's been smeared and you can
see the reflection till you clear it till you clean it. And then you
have unveilings. You see what the reality is you can look at your
own image in the mirror when it's clear and see what my blemishes
are. What my and my blemishes I don't mean physical blemishes I'm
talking about what my weaknesses are, what my character flaws are,
and so on and so forth.
So,
Allah subhanaw taala tells us about the benefit of the Salah,
and I'm not going to the verses about salah are hundreds, and we
can cover those. So I've just chosen a few. Allah subhanaw taala
says what lumen OCEA Illyricum and Kitab Akima Salat in a salata,
Tana And in fascia you will Moon curry. Well addicted Allahu Akbar,
Allahu Allah Meritus. Now, Allah subhanaw taala says, recite
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam to them what has been
revealed of the book and aptamers salata and establish performs
salah, because certainly Salah prevents and guards from
immorality and evil, all forms, that is the effect of Salah.
And he says and the remembering of you by Allah subhanaw taala is
even greater than your remembrance of Allah. In other words, Allah
smart Allah says in the Quran with Kuru five Qurani at corkum You
remember me I will remember you.
Just imagine you want Allah to remember you
and you
you glorify Allah, Allah will mention you with in a positive way
to the angels that are around him. So that that's a special status.
So,
life without Salah proper Salah is not really a life it is a
stressful, constricting existence
because Salah is what gives life to the heart.
And we hope that we will start to perform Salah and to worship
Allah, out of love for him out of gratitude for him and reverence
for him.
Salah as Rasulullah Salallahu Salam protests is a conversation
between you and the Lord of the Worlds.
When you recite Surah Fatiha Allah smart Allah responds to everything
you say.
Can in the end, when you've praised him?
hamdu Lillahi Rabbil Alameen. You say Allah says Hamadani Abdi, my
servant has done my hand
or Rahmani Raheem
that my servant has done my thunar by glorification, Maliki yo
Medina, Majid Ania RBD that he has described my magnificent then
ear canal Abu Dhabi a year kind of Stein, you alone, we worship and
You alone, we ask for help. Allah subhanaw taala says, Now the
matter is between me and my servant and says you ask and you
will be given and that's when we said it. No. Serratos Yeah, Allah
guide me to the right. So it's a conversation we should feel this
conversation. When we're reciting 14, it's not just words.
So, first, we all are familiar with the outer states of the
seller, the external 50 aspects. And it all starts with
and it has to be perfected. It's not like it's only internal and
not external, the external has to be perfect and the internal has to
be as good as possible. So perfecting all of that means doing
the whoodle as an act of worship with perfection, taking your time
thinking what you're going to be doing,
then standing looking at your outfit, how do I appear in front
of Allah subhanaw taala I have an audience with him.
Do I fulfill all the requirements how I'm standing how I prostrate
how I bow down? How am I recitation is because Allah is
listening to his words through my mouth. How do I recite them? And
Salah has its shrewd its condition, external conditions and
its organic internal condition all of which have to be fulfilled
otherwise the salah becomes invalid
what are the shadows the conditions outside of Salah that
unnecessary?
Tell me
you have to be in a state of
purification rudo, what else
you're out, you're certain parts of your body have to be covered,
what else
face the Qibla you have to be standing, these are external
showrooms, some of them an internal, that beta hang first UK
be reciting Surah Fatiha, the proper will do the proper I mean,
the proper ruku, the proper Sajida all of those, the last Tasha hood
that asleep
these are all our can. In other words, if you miss some of that,
then your salah or that record becomes invalid. So those have to
be fulfilled.
And I'm not going to go into details of that because I believe
every one of you know that. And that's what we are always taught.
We want to talk about what is the internal the internal states and
how to attain them.
And this is what brings life to the salah. The external is like a
body and the internal is like the soul that breathes into that body
and makes it alive
Excuse me.
The first of these is called Fedora calm, which means presence
of the heart insulin.
Your heart has to be present. It's not like just a body standing
there. The heart is elsewhere. The mind is elsewhere that is not
proper Salah.
So we have to exclusively focus on the man
direct hand, I am standing in Salah, the greatest event of my
most important event of my day in front of my Lord.
So we have to focus on who I am standing in front of who am I
addressing, just imagine you are addressing Allah subhanaw taala,
you are having a conversation with Allah subhanaw taala.
And then we need to know what we are saying to him.
And doing every action that we do,
that our heart doesn't get distracted. So we have to empty
our heart of all
concerns or thoughts other than the one we are facing, who we are
worshipping. Because this is a dedication I'm taking time out
to face Allah. Okay, so it has to be that way. Sometimes our
physical bodies may be standing in front of him, but our hearts are
elsewhere.
Which means we because we are where our hearts and our minds
are, we are essentially absent from Salah
even though physically we are there.
And that is an experience that we have anywhere many times you're
sitting with someone and you're talking with them and you do this
you know, because there's somewhere else bodily there there.
Okay.
Happens in class all the time, right?
If I see some of you, I'll wave to tell you that not Please be here.
So we have to work to ensure that the mind is undistracted and our
hearts are constantly aware that we are in Salah in front of him.
Now imagine those of you who have gone for Hajj or Umrah that you go
around the Kaaba, right? How many have you done on our hands, raise
your hand 12345678 hamdulillah some of you.
So
you you're going around the Kaaba, you're going from Safar to Marwa
all of these are meant for you to remember and glorify Allah.
So you should be in that same frame of mind.
However, as human beings we have
conversations going on in our minds thoughts that come
right, do they or do they not come in Salah?
Okay, so what do we have to do about those thoughts? We have to
learn to control them till such time that Allah smarter gets to a
stage that those thoughts stop coming in Salah. But that doesn't
happen to most of us, okay?
Because we get distracted and this was not this not a unique problem
with us. Even the Sahaba of Rasulullah Salallahu Salam used to
struggle with this.
Rasool allah sallallahu alayhi wa salam himself.
Our mother, Aisha Radi Allahu anha
had put a certain type of a curtain on the window. Rasul allah
sallallahu Sallam prayed and said yeah, I shall remove this because
it distracted me in Santa
Fe rasool Allah.
One time somebody brought him a very nice over garment and you
wore and prayed and in Salah after he finished it took it off. He
said, Bring me my old one back, because It distracted me in salah.
Because you look at it, you're distracted.
You're looking at like this. I have a new watch. What is this?
What is that and we are distracted by many other things and we're
going to talk about those. But the idea is to
learn to control those inner speeches, thoughts and
conversation what are called karate and stop interacting with
them we just ignore them till they go away because there are
Shayateen there is a special Chapin called Hands Up whose only
job is to come to distract you in Salah and how does it do that? But
a little idea, think about this nothing that you are thinking of
suddenly it comes to you from where an introduction so that you
would be distracted the quality of your Salah goes down
and we do that by having what is called him in Salah. hemma means
to have a high spiritual aspiration means I take this Salah
seriously I want to do something about it. Okay, it's not just good
enough. I want to change my salah.
How determined Am I just like somebody who's trying to get a 4.0
average or higher is determined this is my goal. Our goal should
be I want my salary to be as close to perfect as it can be. And I'm
going to work and work and work dilla achieve it
And that's the hammer, the the
spiritual aspiration.
So
that aspiration has to be focused on the salah that I want to make
this
the most important and the best thing that I can offer Allah
subhanaw taala okay
so Allah subhanaw taala loves lofty manners. So we have to have
those lofty manners in Salah. Now if you are with someone and you're
talking to them half the time you're distracted, you're talking
to them, you're going on your phone, that's lack of manners.
Similarly when we get distracted in Salah
from Allah subhanaw taala that's lack of other actually there is a
narration that Allah subhanaw taala and a hadith could see he
says, when he when a person starts in Salah Allah Samantha love looks
at him, here's my servant standing to pray me, to me. And Allah
subhanaw taala is looking of course in the hearts not just the
external body and the moment the heart turns away from Allah the
body is facing the Qibla but the heart is not facing the rub of the
cave light goes off.
So when the heart turns from Allah's remembrance, inshallah
Allah subhanaw taala in his own divine way says, Isla Aina Abdi
Oh my son were to
in another nation is Isla Aina of the Isla Katie Mini, are you
turning to something better than me? That thought is considered now
that thought is competing with my presence with Allah.
Allah subhanaw taala reminds the believer three times if he doesn't
turn back, and ALLAH turns away from I don't need it Allah. Allah
doesn't need the salah anyway, but I don't need to be attentive to
him.
So just remember where our hearts are. That's where everything else
follows.
So with this him man this determination, we will determine
how much energy we will channel into achieving this goal
so Amazon he says that our aspirations are him minor concern
which is hum comes from the same root, our concern about fixing our
Salah said should be so exclusive, it should be like that of a
drowning man.
person who's drowning is desperate. That's how desperate we
should be to fix our salah.
Because he said, just like a drowning man, we are drowning in
the trials and tribulations of this dunya.
So we should feel that and the only rescue is
Salah and connection with Allah subhanaw taala.
And for this, we have to have certainty Yaqeen in our hearts
that the agora, which this Salah will the Salah,
fixes problems of the dunya. But mostly, it's the Accra, that what
is coming in the Hereafter is better and everlasting. And that
is determined by my salah. And that is dependent on my salah. And
therefore with that certainty, and also the certainty of knowing that
this world is temporary. And one second, as we've talked about
before, everything can change. We saw that recently in the
earthquake. We see that all the time every day so on So pastor, so
and so pastor, we just buried a dear beloved brother of one of
your students on Sunday, this past Sunday in Springfield,
who just graduated from here his father passed away.
So we are going the world is temporary. The permanent, the
board looks permanent. That's a deception.
It's a deception
do we love the world when you first do is it enticing? Yes.
Allah said I have made it enticing.
The Yen Allah said I have decorated it I've made it appear
beautiful as a test for you. Do you fall for it?
The world will come in the most beautiful form and flirt with you
Come fall in love with me.
And Allah saying be careful.
So you're gonna lay it out the Allah Han Karim Allah which used
to stand and gamble for hours, crying, his beard would get wet.
And he would pull his beard and say, because thoughts would come
from he would say, or dunya, or word lowly word.
Stay away from me, I have given you three divorces stay away from.
And he led his life like that owning nothing, so that he
wouldn't be distracted away from the main purpose, which is to
please Allah subhanaw taala. So
if we can disconnect from the world to some degree, we have to
live here anyway. But it's a test. And if we really desire the
hereafter, then it will help as we hear, as Allah subhanaw taala
talks about it about the Accra Abacha it is better and
everlasting, which will be bappy.
So weakness in that faith weakness in Yaqeen uncertainty is the root
cause of distraction.
Some of our masters tell us that it takes 10,000 hours to become
proficient in anything that practice makes perfect and
practice makes permanent. So we need to put in a lot of no awful
extra sellers are hours and hours
with focus trying to keep our heart there so that it becomes
natural to us.
So that is the presence of the heart of political culture. The
second thing is what is called de facto understanding. So we have to
force ourselves to understand and be aware of every word that we
recite if you're having a conversation, how can you have a
conversation in a foreign language that you don't understand.
Therefore, you have to learn like we learn everything else, you I
can guarantee you none of you came out of your mother's womb speaking
English or do or Arabic or Persian or Arabic, Bengali or anything
else. It's all learned.
You can learn some of this too, because this is what has an impact
for the eternal life. So
you cannot focus on Salah if you don't know what you are saying.
Therefore, invest time to learn at least those portions every word
that you say in salah or the concise sutras that you frequently
recite, learn every word so that you know what you are saying to
Allah.
And again, understanding is of a different degree for everybody.
And as we struggle with this, Allah subhanaw taala opens up new
avenues of understanding of the same Iots of greater depth because
there are layers and layers within depths of understanding that you
never knew before.
What is the proof that we need to understand what we are saying or
what? No what we are saying? Allah subhanaw taala gives an example a
commandment he says yeah, you will ladina Eminem and we've told you
that before whenever you hear that, or you believe there's a
command coming. This focused at me, what does he say? Lotta
caribou salata, Anton Sakara don't approach Salah Don't come near
Salah and you're intoxicated. So Hamdulillah we are not
intoxicated, because we don't drink but intoxicated.
Why had that dialer mu ma Taku till you know what you are saying?
So if you just take that means it is intended Inshallah, that you
know what you are saying
that I was specifically for, before the prohibition of alcohol.
People used to sometime drink and come for Salah because it hadn't
been for. Allah says don't come for Salah.
Till that wears off. And you know what you're saying? Otherwise,
you'd be saying and so that teaches us but is that the only
kind of intoxication there is?
What does intoxication do? It clouds covers your intellect and
your thinking and your awareness of Allah subhanaw taala we are
intoxicated by the dunya by the worldly desires and attractions,
if that's overwhelming you and you can think and you can't don't know
what you're saying, then you shouldn't be playing in that
state. So you've got the cloud, you know, clearly you're thinking
and the second part of this is called it Marmol Faker, which is
reflection with focus you reflect on what is being said. When you
are saying it then a Serato. Mr. Payne, guide me to the right path.
What does it mean? Reflecting on that? Now in Salah Yuan, it's you
can but you can reflect on it after
Words,
sit with one eye on one part of Salah and reflect on it. What am I
saying to Allah afterwards learn it properly. So you have some
depth behind it
and that will help to repel distracting thoughts. Okay, and
always be on guard that
thoughts will come they are going to come. I stand like like a guard
standing there. That's called maraca means inner watchfulness
that I don't want anything to come to me. That's going to distract me
from my salah
and we start the Salah, how many times we repeat, we start the
Salah with what
Allahu Akbar, what does that mean?
I am declared, either I'm a liar, or I'm telling the truth. If I'm
telling the truth, Allah is greater than anything else. Then
why does anything else creep into my salah?
So every time you say Allahu Akbar, in that, you should use it
as a reset button.
Every Allahu Akbar, reset, I gotta focus. Allah is greater than
anything else. Allahu Akbar. I've thrown everything behind me.
Only Allah. Okay. So remember, every time you say Allah was not
just a word, Allahu Akbar is a reminder, Allah is greater focus
here. Remove your thoughts from everything else.
Because what is greater than my relationship with Allah subhanaw
taala. There's nothing.
So that's why some of the scholars have said it's symbolic that we
raise our hands we are throwing everything else behind. Only Allah
in front of us.
And every time a distraction comes, don't get annoyed about it.
Why is this happening by you know,
refocus, refocus.
There is always a means of distraction or a root of
distraction. And at some point, when we come to how to do it, you
have to cut off the roots of those. Without it, it will never
work. Because whoever love something remembers it often if
you're in love with something other than Allah, those thoughts
will keep coming. That's the nature of the human being.
So, the scholar said, the root of distractions is love for other
than Allah, some of them may be valid and halal, but they are
in competition with the love of Allah subhanaw taala, where it
should be contingent to the love of Allah subhanaw taala not in
competition.
The third quality that is required is state in our state is Talim of
veneration reverence, exalting,
that can only come by having knowledge of Allah subhanaw taala
His Majesty his granddaughter, who are you talking to? Okay, knowing
his attributes of his might, and majesty what's called the Jellal
of Allah.
That Allah is the majestic keys the powerful his, his greatness.
Jabbar, the one who compels on our theme, the supreme alcohol, and
maintain the powerful Moontak kawaii the strong. These are sort
of,
you know, where they put fear and oil into a person. These are the
Jalali the Jalon of Allah subhanaw taala.
Think of the universe reflect when you're outside of Salah, look at
this and you see the Universe and Everything you see within as a
reflection of his is
the ability to create, okay,
so, knowing the greatness of Allah and then knowing the loneliness of
myself.
Instead of forget about Allah heedless, but I think I am the
best thing that happened to humanity. Greatness about me.
Consider your loneliness starting with your origin. Where did I come
from? Well, originally from dirt and dust and clay, and then from a
despicable drop of fluid, which makes you unclean. That's my
origin. That's who I am.
No matter how I dress up, and then look at my
actions, look at my characters, look at my flaws, look at my
sinfulness, look at my helplessness.
You know, I have nothing so once we start to understand our
loneliness and insignificance in the universe. I mean, if you look
at the the university
Earth itself is a speck of dust. And we are what are we in the
earth nothing. So, having in Kisara, as it's called, which is,
produces humility, and loneliness and and feeling needy of Allah
subhanaw taala in a state of fucka, or destitution, and that
knowing how low I am and how high allies that produces that thought
of him now I've venerate Allah as to who he is. So the more we know
Allah, the more we are in
veneration of him. And that generates what's called haber or,
or, or is not fear, like you have a fear of a scorpion or a snake,
or comes from perceiving His Majesty, knowing his power, that
Allah is in control of everything, he can do whatever he wants,
whenever you want, as he wants. And reflecting, as I said, on our
weaknesses and significance, so this will produce a greater Oh,
and just remember that if Allah subhanaw taala, destroyed all the
universe, all of humanity, the first and the last, it does not
diminish him in any way.
He does not need anything, he didn't need anything. He was there
alone before all of this.
And Allah subhanaw taala works in his own way. Look at the trials
and tribulations that Ambia the Prophets and Messengers went
through, then the saints went through all kinds of difficulties.
Allah the one with all the power did not help them out for that.
That's his wisdom. To show you set an example that Allah does what he
wants.
Sometimes he did, he went the Bani Israel the people of Moses
suffered for many many years. And then the help cam that he opened
the see for them, okay.
When he decides how he decides. And then there are two other
things that we need to have is one is the inner feeling is Raja Raja
means hope.
That we should always be hopeful in our Salah for acceptance that
Allah will accept my salah and not only accepted, but he will reward
me all that has been promised as rewards of the Salah.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi salam said to Raka is done
perfectly will enter you into paradise to raka in your whole
life.
Obviously, somebody who does to recap perfectly in their life is
doing all the other salads, otherwise, they're not going to
reach that perfection.
That's what Salah gets.
And here with this hope, instead of the general the might of Allah
we need, we know the attributes of his Jamal, which are his
benevolence, his generosity, his forgiveness, his kindness, his
grace. So when you think of those attributes, or man or Haman, fo
one Kareem, then you have hope, that no matter how faulty my
salad, maybe Allah will accept so you have that. And you have
hope that what Allah has promised me will be given to me, regardless
of how poorly I'm doing, because His rewards are true. And the last
of the inner states that we need to have is called Higher which is
in a form of healthy shame. For what knowing being aware of my own
shortcomings, and my sinfulness and my foolishness, and the poor
quality of Salah that i i offer and that gives me a sense of shame
that your luck, I have all of these deficiencies and flaws, and
I lack sincerity.
I have impure, you know, inner, outer, I have attachments to the
dunya. And I give it preference sometimes and you know all my
innermost secrets, you know, everything.
So, those are some of the interstates that we need to
inculcate into our character.
Now, let's talk about the Salah itself of certain things that Imam
Ghazali talks about starting with a man everybody knows the call to
prayer.
And that was Allah tells us that when you hear the alarm,
it should remind you of the Summon, because anon is a summon
to come for Salah. Okay, your calling people come to Salah in
front of Allah, that it should remind you of the sermon of the
Day of Judgment. When the trumpet is blown and you're summoned to
come in front of Allah. Every advance should be a preview. I
have to stand in front of Allah.
Because essentially that's what Iran is called.
When you come and stand in front of Allah one day you will stand in
front of Allah physically there.
Therefore, when you hear the other man that should it should put some
fear in or who am I being someone towards Allah.
So the least we can do stop talking. What happens normally
done is being called conversations going on, everything goes on. What
did the Prophet salallahu Alaihe Salam teachers, when the anon is
called respond, listen to it and respond to the caller okay.
Because
this is the time to start preparing, I am going to be
standing in front of Allah subhanaw taala it should suddenly
change the phase of my life when I hear the alarm. And this used to
happen with Rasulullah sallallahu Lucilla or my mother Omona Aisha
Radi Allahu Ana said the Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi salam
would be without with the family and doing things that you know,
taking care of the needs this that conversation normal. The Athan is
called suddenly is faced with change as if we were strangers.
Nobody else existed. Because why? I have to stand in front of Allah
subhanaw taala This is how he was.
Say then Ali Radi Allahu Karim Allah, which I then would call,
they would see that his face would become paid, and he would become a
little tremulous. And earlier the Alon is one of the strongest and
bravest and most valiant of the sahaba.
And you have his, you know, things in battle and this and that, alone
is gone and he would be shaking, trembling, pale. So somebody asked
him,
what happens to you and you hear the
he said, The time of the trust has or has arrived means I have to
fulfill this trust of Allah. So I have taken on this trust, that is
talking about the trust that Allah offered of Obadiah to the
mountains and the angels, they all declined, except man said I will
take this challenge that I have to fulfill that and this is the most
important moment of my life.
Really,
does that feel like that to me that it is really
all of the practice all of what we are studying and all of what we
will try and strive and do in our salon Shala we hope is for that
moment.
The Tura car for a car that we stand for
his grandson, so you had an alumina Hussein there Zenn la
Aberdeen, he when he used to do although he used to become paid,
then somebody asked him
what's happening to you? He said, Do you know before whom I have to
stand?
So we have to feel that sanctity of art is being called I am coming
to Allah.
And the Prophet salallahu Alaihe Salam used to find peace in Salah.
That's why he used to tell Siena Bilal, his Mohsen, who's one of
his
callers of the dawn he used to say, Iraqi Nabil be HYAH Bilal or
Bilal, give our hearts rest means call the anon because we would
find rest with Allah in Allah inshallah.
So when you hear the Sudan
from now on, please stop talking. Please think that I'm being called
like the Day of Judgment. I'm going to stand in front of Allah
I'm going to respond to this and quickly it's not like two hours
later I'm going to pray and feel that and respond to the by
repeating what the modern says, except when it comes to higher
Allah Salah al Falah, then you say La hawla wala Quwata illa Allah,
which says that, we are being called for for success and for
Salah, that I have no power to respond except by the mighty and
powerful luxury.
Similarly,
when we learn about when we are, we are doing for HANA or woowoo,
before salah, purifying our clothes, purifying the place we
are going to pray, we should also not just physical think of
purifying our hearts
because my body is going to be in front of Allah my heart is going
to be in front of Allah subhanaw taala how do we purify our hearts
by Toba? By remorse by asking for forgiveness the Allah I have
sinned. Please forgive me I want to come to you in a state of
purity of my heart.
The hadith talk about accidental who will do done with perfection
as Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihe Salam taught us with
done meticulously with details and everything done perfectly taking
your time
Being conscious that this is the work work of EBA.
And then that external widow has as Rasulullah sallallahu lism
teaches us, if done that way, washes away our sins. It's like
physical dirty sins are being washed away through widow.
And so when you're doing well do not just physically gaze inside
your heart. What is it that I need to also
purify in this window?
Like there is a dog the Prophet salallahu Alaihe Salam protest
that when you take a whistle if you need full purification, after
that, what do you say? You say you say the shahada, and then you say
Allah ma liminal. The well being was an imminent Hatha hearing,
because among the people who turn to you and repentance and those
who are purified
in repentance, mean inner purity, the other pairing with external
purity both need to be focused on because Allah subhanaw taala
considers sins and vices and disease of the heart as nightjars
impurity.
It's like your, if our hearts are sinful and they're standing in
front of Allah, it's like the cupboard with vomitus, repulsive
spiritual vomitus
so we ask Allah subhanaw taala to clear us clean us by Toba. Then
again,
the next requirement is Citral our to cover those parts of the body
that we are required to cover which is pretty much everything
other than the face and hands for our sisters. And for the brothers
minimum. This is the minimum is from
below the knees.
Just the other day in last Juma the young man wearing those
fashionable not so fashionable the old now torn jeans right in the
middle of the thigh there was a chair and two inches by three
inches of his tie was showing and I was right behind him. And I'm
looking at that I said that means is our eyes not covered his Salah
has jamas invalid and the poor guy doesn't even know and he's come
with his father and the father doesn't have the sense to correct
that.
We don't have to imitate everybody
want to imitate somebody imitate Rasul allah sallallahu alayhi wa
make sure you're properly covered. Another problem I just saw the
other day. Some of the brothers wear jeans that are low sisters
maybe but they have and when they go and Rocco part of the aura on
the back is exposed. Your Salah is invalid, please don't wear if you
wear those jeans, we had long sweaters that cover
very, very important.
Similarly
part of standing in front of Allah subhanaw taala is to be regretful
for the wrongs that we have done. And when we stand in Salah, we
don't stand with arrogance like
we stand *
with the head down.
Looking at our place of frustration, in a state of
humility, as opposed to a place of arrogance.
These are symbolic facing the people eyes the next thing when
you face the people are outwardly that is not enough. It is a
requirement and you must you don't turn your face here and there if
you do. If you change the Qibla direction in your Salah, your
Salah becomes invalid similarly my inward my heart should be facing
Allah and not move away as we have just mentioned before.
Because heart cannot go anywhere else massive Allahu bottleless
does everything other than Allah is defective.
Do you know what is inside the Kaaba?
The one that you are facing
with your body
empty
so what does that tell you?
That you should also empty your heart so that the heart can face
Allah subhanaw taala otherwise, all of those things will distract
you.
And how do you empty your heart? It is called Zewde
leaving
things that you don't really need, they're just embellishments. I
need this I need somebody says you need this. No, you don't need
this. It's a convenience. It's a challenge.
So the less you attach yourself to, of anything of this world, the
easier it will be to focus. Next comes after that and all you've
done, you're facing comes the karma.
Okay, which is the short, rapid form of announcement, which is
telling you the imminence. It's starting now. Now, it should bring
you this is your final quick reminder, immediate reminder, you
know, you have you have a class in two hours, you get a notification,
then it comes Okay, start now economize that you have to treat
it like that. Now, you're going to start standing. So you must
respond immediately fix everything clear your mind before that. And
you start you stand
in that, you should have that maraca, that inner watchfulness,
that again, awareness when you stand, it's not just okay, I stand
shoulder to shoulder we're aware of everybody my shoulders, okay,
my feet are okay, my direction is okay. But I'm not aware that Allah
is in front of
stand like feel that I'm standing in front of the Lord of the
heavens and the earth. I've said that many times, just as a
reminder,
lower your head in humility.
Some of them,
of our scholars suggested a few things like one of them
used to sit for a few minutes before Salah to compose himself,
okay, these are practical things, compose himself by slowly removing
thoughts and concerns, taking a few deep breaths,
to relax doing a shorter space of Han Allah handling
law a few times few times just to get into that mode of Allah's
being in front of Allah subhanaw taala. And he said that he
imagines when he's praying that the Kaaba is in front of him.
The Paradise is on his right. Hellfire is on his left, the Angel
of Death is behind them.
Okay, and he would pray like it was his last prayer.
So when we stand, take care of that tech bit if you are not aware
of Allah and you are not aware of what you are doing, which Salah
how many regard where you are facing, and Allah is in front at
that first Takbeer even at that is just automatic, then the Salah is
invalid
even though everything even though you did it, Allahu Akbar, but you
were unaware, even the Judas the people of external Faker said that
you have to have presence at that moment. If you don't have it. It's
nothing.
So don't be in a rush to you can quickly
compose yourself what am I doing? After that if your heart goes here
and there there is still some hope. But if you miss even that,
then then it's done.
And we are taught over and over about intention.
I am praying out of love out of gratitude, out of obedience to my
Rob who has ordered this this is what he loves from me. That's what
I'm going to be doing. This is such and such salah. This is
sunnah This is fourth, I'm behind an Imam, all of that.
Allah is Seeing me
and I am here intending to fulfill my obligation to offer a gift to
Allah subhanaw taala and Allah needs no gift.
So that Takbeer Harima that first Allahu Akbar should be very clear
on a harsh nothing is greater. In other words, there is no concern.
But I haven't examined 15 minutes there is no whether I have to do
anything else. What do more doesn't matter? Allahu Akbar,
Akbar than what? than anything you can think of.
Nothing compares. Nothing is more important at this moment. Nothing
is worthy of my attention
than this act, which I'm starting right now.
And I cast behind me everything which is other than Allah.
So make sure that your heart and mind are fully engaged, fully
present at that moment of the first appear. Otherwise, it's
invalid. That's what gives, it's like the breath of the Salah. If
that if it's not breathing as dead after that.
Then we do the first starting on da of a stiff time, which is the
opening door. Just remember, don't rush through this. This is your
introductory greeting and praise of Allah SWANA this is how you're
starting.
You know, whenever you start something you have to start well,
in any race. If you have a bad start, you're not going to win.
Okay,
If this is the beginning, it has to be beautiful. I have to be
engaged fully know the meaning and there are 678 10 different types
of opening doors that the Prophet Salla lesson taught us they are
available in in many of the books and you know PDFs of ADKAR of
Salah. Learn them word by word and mean them otherwise we are liars
you are addressing Allah subhanaw taala and this is your starting
address.
After that comes the recitation of the Quran Alhamdulillah and Surah
ayah that again in that you should be in that state of inner
watchfulness. I have whose words am I reciting Allah's words? Who
am I reciting them to, to him?
Just think of this. These are the words of my Lord, I am quoting him
his words. Am I misquoting him, what he said. Therefore, it has to
be correct, it has to be properly pronounced. I have to know the
meaning. Because he is witnessing what I am doing. Witnessing I have
to be witnessing those words that I believe in these words of yours,
my Rob and my heart accepts these and my heart thrives and lives on
this, your words, and you are the witness for me.
And your mom Jaffa Sadhak
are the hola Juan from the third generation of Rasulullah
sallallahu Sallam his family from Imam Hussain. He said that Allah
has manifested His attributes
through the Quran that when you recite the Quran there are many
things for example Surah Fatiha many attributes we
are Rahman r Rahim, Maliki Ahmed Deen right there.
Three attributes of all now you can just sit and you can do not on
Earth man there are books volumes written on a Rahmani Raheem.
Volumes
because you can reflect on that. It's
infinite mercy of Allah subhanaw taala.
So, give each Ayah every verse if you want to call it of the Quran
that you recite, it's right if it's a verse of command, ALLAH is
commanding you immediately think do I fulfill this command or not?
If I don't ask Allah is forgiveness the Allah been lacks
in this if it's a prohibition, have I stayed away from that? If
not, I ask Allah's forgiveness. If it's a promise Allah is promising
you this such a reward of paradise Your heart should have that Raja
that hope and that JOY Yeah Allah. I am looking for this if there is
a warning than it should give me fear. If it's a admonition if it's
a story of the of the prophets, previous messengers, what is the
lesson I'm supposed to learn? When we hear is of Jana, my heart I
should ask you Allah grant me this Jana when I hear about the
punishment of the grave or the punishment of the day of judgment
of the Hellfire I shot ya Allah protect me from this so I should
interact it's not just you know, I said it
so we have to interact with the Quran in real time live with the
words of ALLAH
and then we go into next comes what
next thing on the Salah is what have to recite the Quran regrets
all sleeping.
The record
you know what records everybody?
Yeah.
I think you've gotten lethargic. Should we quit? Yeah, at this
point or continue? I'm seeing people looking.
Okay, no, yeah, Morocco is when you bend down like this with your
back straight, you bend in front of Allah subhanaw taala. This is
symbolic of showing reverence. Who do you bow in front of someone
that you revere? Now you're born Muslims don't bow in front of
anybody except Allah. Okay.
When we bow in front of Allah, we should, when we're going in Roku,
make sure my heart is also on Roku because of humbling itself in
front of the greatness of Allah subhanaw taala and I confirm my
submission to you Allah I submit my ruku is a symbolic of my
submission Your commandments on top of me.
I submit I will obey.
Okay, submission
Should and then we say, you know Subhana Biella leaves so 100 Obey
Allah names
realize that he is the greatest and his glory deserves this
and then Allah subhanaw taala
asks you Okay, get up and you stand up after that record.
The answer that Allah says
Samia Allahu Lemmon, Hamadan, Allah listens to who those who
praise him, it gives you an opportunity to be heard. So we
praise him Benalla can hummed and any other forms of that,
indicating that Allah is Hearing and accepting and is merciful to
His servants. So it should be proper, yeah, Allah, you have
permitted me to bow in front of you. It's an honor. And you as you
have allowed me to stand. If I spent my whole life and request
didn't get up, I wouldn't fulfill your rights.
Then Allah says, Oh, my servant, you've done this. Now come even
closer to me. How do you come closer? The closest a servant to
is to Allah is when? Well, who was Sergeant when he isn't soldier.
And that's the beauty of it. That when we are in the lowest
position, our most prized possession our faces are in the
dirt in the ground.
humbling.
So reminder that you were created from here from the earth. When you
humble yourself there. Then Allah makes you closest to him.
Was Jude work? Talib? Allah says in the opening
revelation of Accra, it ends with what's Jude victory. Fallin says
Don't come close. Now he won my take logically. Allah is above, if
I'm going down, I'm going away from Allah saying no, when you're
going down, you're coming closer to me.
Okay? Because you have humbled yourself. So, feel that. And
Sajida is the position in which we have no protection from anything.
You don't see what's going on your heads down. The body is in a
certain position where you can protect yourself, you understand
of helplessness, right?
Why? Because the one who is your protector and helper is in front
of you. So that we should feel like that you're Allah I have no
protection. I have no one to care for me except you. And here I am.
I've surrendered. Whatever happens is your responsibility. But I am
here and I recognize who you are. And I'm saying Subhana PL Allah.
Glory be to my Lord, my Sustainer the Most High, and here I am.
And we repeat that three times, five times seven times up to 11
times why?
Repetition, confirmation, Subhan Allah, may Allah Allah subhana,
Allah, Allah, Allah Subhana Allah Allah till it sits inside my
heart. Okay?
That's your first session. That's my show of my utmost humility. And
that is my station of greatest nearness to him as a virgin, that
is my marriage to a to Allah Samantha I like the physical
mirage of Rasulullah sallallahu.
Please get up and stretch for a few minutes
while I try and get this thing back somewhere
then we sit back between the first and second semester and this is
the time to present our needs. We ask Allah Subhana Allah for
forgiveness, we ask for, for guidance and protection and for
elevation. And then we go again for emphasis into a second such
that which is my true state of submission, that I love to be an
abbot of Allah to be his slave and here I am submitting.
There was a saintly
young man
in the early days in Basra, which was a great bastion of
spirituality by the name of Silas Soheila study
at the age of his parents had raised him that he used to be
doing chiamo Lel at the age of three and four years old. Just
imagine
getting up at night to pray. When pray
There is not even further at that time.
So one day he was in a group of people and he was at that time at
the age of 13.
And the scholars were talking about saija prostration you know,
and we know all know prostration
so one of them asked, Can the heart prostrate?
We're doing physical, can the heart prostate go and such that
and there was silence? Nobody answered.
So then some and they knew his word. He was 13 years old. So they
said, All son
can descend prostrate, can the heart prostrate?
So he said,
Yes.
I'm gonna then you said what?
Said he said and once this, what can the heart prostrate? He said
yes. And he said, Then he continued to said once the heart
prostrates goes into such that, it never comes out to such that
this is something you should reflect on. That means the heart
is completely surrendered to Allah under all so it will never come
out of that such that this is the wisdom of a 13 year old, of how he
saw things.
Because he had been taught from he used to always have this as a
little child, Allah Almighty Allah Now the Allah Shahidi always Allah
is with me. Allah is watching me. And Allah is my witness is
witnessing. He used to have that awareness at all times.
After the size that comes the shahada, we sit down with the
viewer. Now Allah has given you he said, Okay, now you sit. And
therefore you sit in front of you have been given the privilege of
sitting in front of Allah, you sit with Adam with proper manners.
And you proclaim that all prayer or to hear to the law, he was
Salewa two or three about all prayer and goodness and purity is
with Allah. And then you visualize in your heart that rasool Allah
salAllahu Alaihe Salam is there and he's in front of you or you're
in front of his his Rhoda and you are sending Salam wa salam alayka
it's in second person.
A said like we greet each other You're greeting Rasulillah Salam,
alayka, jasola
salam, O Allah, and then we do the Shahada. Remember that this is my
witness that will get this is my passport, this my visa into
paradise I shall do Allah Allah, Allah Allah. Remember that this is
not given to everybody. There are 6 billion people on the earth we
are not given this. I have been given this. I am of the 1.21 point
4 billion who are given this, do I value it.
And when you give salam to Rasulullah sallallahu still
remember that Allah has disputed even though you are far away.
Allah has disputed angels who will carry that salam to rasool Allah
salAllahu Alaihe Salam in that Barak in his grave, and he will
know even though he has never seen you who you are, and he will
respond
your deeds are shown to him another narration so he will
respond to you remember, he is the one and that Salam should reflect
your your love for him because he's the one who brought this gift
of Salah to you.
He was the means
and then we end the Salah with BA and DA should always never be just
tape recording, you know, narration it should be with
humility it should be with fucker with brokenness with lies we said
before like a person who's an absolute dire need like person
who's drowning and exalting Allah and that I'm only dependent on you
and there is urgency and have hope that it will be answered. And then
you come to the last rochen of the Salah which is what
the sling A salaam Aleykum
that is requirement otherwise.
So when you turn your head and you're saying salaam to home
if you are alone there's nobody here here who are saying salaam to
to your angels who are recording everything or Salawa hope you've
recorded a good one was salam alaikum I hope you were idle your
pending move during my salah
but if you're praying together that's a lamp also is the people
right and left.
There's another beautiful subtlety
normally you say salaam when you greet people and you say salaam
when you depart from so tooth you're saying salaam to the people
on your
right on your left, you're saying Salam to the angel on the right on
the left. You're also saying Salam to the salah that you have
finished, Salam. Now you've got
I'm saying farewell to the salah that I did and I'm never going to
see the salah again, except I will see you on the Day of Judgment and
I hope it will be of some weight and will be some worth. So you're
bidding the salah also Salaam and hoping that it's going to be
beautiful and weighty and meaningful and beneficial on the
day of judgment.
And after you finish this what do you sit you sit for a few minutes
and vicar
and we start our decree with what
stock federal laws which means asking Allah's forgiveness. Why?
Because we have full recognition and we are admitting our
shortcomings in the salon.
My mind wasn't there. I relapsed here. I lost focus
my sincerity
yeah Allah I could not give you your do.
So forgive me.
My Salah isn't worth being presented to you. Forgive me an
accept.
But we finished Salah with those stefarr with emotions of hope and
fear hope that Allah will accept fear that maybe it'll be rejected
and gratitude the Allah you gave me the privilege and opportunity
to pray to you to have an audience with you.
So, as we started, the higher spirit of Salah revolves around
horseshoe reverence the hadoar Club, the presence of the heart
submission humility
one time
cannot meet the score into something else briefly I'm going
to talk about has been
what are the different causes of deficiencies in our Salah and what
are their remedies so we have external distractions, visual
life, you've got pictures, patterns, decorations, this that
prayer rug including, if it's very, it may distract you, you
start focusing on that. Similarly, we have auditory distractions,
there's noise going on, there's somebody talking over there,
there's a TV running somewhere, there's music playing, those are
all distractions, which we should try and do without as much as
possible. If you can avoid therefore quiet place smells.
Sometimes it's food and I'm hungry. Go and eat something so
that you're not hungry before you come to sell. Sometimes it's
orders of people which may not be pleasant and you bring next to
them and it distracts you and that's real. And sometimes it's
perfumes that can be disturbing.
body needs can be distraction. I'm very hungry. I need to relieve
myself. Oh let me quickly do salah. That Salah is my guru
disliked, relieve yourself, take your time come back and do your
Salah. I'm very thirsty drink then come
distractions can be your clothes, you know, my hijab keeps slipping
every two minutes something you know, my shirt is too tight. Um,
every two minutes I'm doing this all distractions.
Okay, the environment if you know I'm dying of heat open the window
before you start. So make sure that these things are conducive to
that being in a rush there is so little time. Pray when there is
time don't have deadlines right on top of your head because your
Salah is not going to be meaningful. So those are the
obvious external distractions that we can address and those are easy.
Then there are internal distractions which is what we've
been talking about all along. And as we said, the source of the
internal distractions are our worldly concerns, attachments that
make the mind and thoughts and heart move from here to there and
lose focus. Those Shayateen put bringing in those passing thoughts
and drowning us with worries and worldly thoughts and responding to
some some of the
some of the scholars have said that before you start Salah recite
Collado bit of bananas.
Why?
Because it seeks protection of Allah from was rasilla nurse from
the devil and his suggestion that it will protect you in the Salah.
So it takes 30 seconds you stop. You say that and inshallah it will
help.
Because the Prophet salallahu Alaihe Salam said that there are
some those who pray and they get nothing out of the sun.
except weariness and distress. In other words, the Salah was nothing
other than a little exercise.
And the exercise wasn't enough to lose any way to eat. But it was
just wasted time.
Because salah is an intimate discourse with the Lord Most High,
mindless speech does not fit this. So we are saying something to
Allah, how can we do that if our mind and heart is are elsewhere,
because then it just becomes like a habit or like a playback of a
recording.
And we are told by Rasulullah salAllahu alayhi salam that we are
graded in our Salah said some will pray that 1/10 of the Salah is
accepted for some 1-921-816-1721 Quarter some half. In other words,
for you is only that you are credited for where you were
present your heart was present, not just your body was brought by
so we should create our own Salah what
was it a 440 person Salah was in a five person Salah was it a zero?
Was it a two person salah?
Was it 90 person Salah and then if you have 100% say Alhamdulillah
make every cell of mine like that. Okay?
So there are short term solutions went for these distractions that
you force yourself back into focusing on the meaning and
understanding that you prepare before Salah as we said properly
with wudu with focus and listening and responding to the Quran all of
that. Remind yourself that you're standing in front of Allah
subhanaw taala over and over again. Again, that the author is
what really the hereafter is what matters. And
as we said, dualistic far let's sit for a moment. Subhan Allah,
Allah, Allah, Allah, Allah Allahu Akbar, before you start, and try
and empty your hearts of pots will come you have to do that. No, I
don't want to be bothered with any of that right now. We'll deal with
it later.
So, keep telling yourself this is before you come, this is the
single most important moment of my day, and I'm not going to think of
anything else. And that's how you learn to ignore and repel unwanted
thoughts. And then afterwards, if those thoughts keep coming after
the Salah, analyze why are these thoughts coming? What is it that
I'm hooked on to that these things keep coming. And then
you have to learn that if they don't go away, I need to cut those
roots. whatever was causing this. Now longer term solutions are
harder to achieve require more dedication, more him
severing the attachments of the cult from the dunya anything that
distracts you from Allah, although Halal otherwise.
There was a companion Abu Tonhalle in Medina. He had a beautiful
garden
enclosed garden of dates. He was in Salah and a beautiful little
bird gotten trapped in that garden kept flitting around,
distracted him in his salah. I forgot which record he was in.
After the Salah, he came to Rasul allah sallallahu sallam, he said
your last will Allah my garden been hot?
Everyone knew about it and Medina.
I give to Allah subhanaw taala means I give it to you.
Why? Because It distracted me in Salah cottage. He gave it
Rasulullah sallallahu Sallam distributed it to his family he
said you know this this this is accepted and and distributed. He's
I want to get rid of it. Why? He didn't ask any money because It
distracted me from my salah.
And how is Allah accepted that warehouse is now within
master the Naboo is
structure. Everybody who prays there, our Salah gets the reward
of that
this is the kind of investment This is the kind of how they took
things seriously. That's the hammer. Anything that distracts me
from Sarah gone
so cutting down the tree of desire and slowly becoming a minimalist.
Okay, less than less and less of the dunya now it's hard to tell
that to young people who are being bombarded with ads of everything
all the time by this by this Amazon whatever Etsy and whatever
else there is by you need this unit no you don't need it. Really
look do I need it?
Treat the Salah as a serious means and the best means of drawing near
to Allah subhanaw taala Remember, your Salah is you're offering a
gift to
One who needs no gift? Because he is Malakal milk. He is the owner
of everything.
Okay? And he is Maluku look the King of Kings
if the Salah is accepted
it is a beautiful Salah and it carries great rewards. If it is
otherwise it is returned to you, not worthy of being presented to
His Majesty.
Remember, most importantly, that Allah deserves to be worshipped
for who he is not just for what He has given you.
Even if you give you nothing he deserves to be worshipped and
praised.
So last few things
What can I do? Make salah the priority in my life?
My salah, my salah, micellar every day I have this
concern. Remember that? Some of the last words of Rasulullah
sallallahu Sallam What did you say? Or salah or Salah Asana
seller?
Guard your Salah guard your Salah, he's leaving the world and he
wants his Omar to be left. Sana Sana Sana so every morning I get
up to say, my center my salah, my salah, I need to work on this
Okay, make it a priority
Morata botol times inner watchfulness what thoughts come
not just in Salah if you can guide your thoughts and you can protect
yourself from sort of thoughts that are not worthy in front
forget about sinful but not even worthy in front of Allah subhanaw
taala if you can guide them outside of Salah you will be able
to guide them in Salah because you are in Salah what you are outside
of Salah is not a switch, everything else is going on and
suddenly a Switch comes and no it's going to continue. So protect
that through maraca
guarding those thoughts standing there. And spending time when you
are alone in silent decree just
thinking about La ilaha illallah to yourself focusing
and every day, like I said takes up one or two ideas of what you
reciting and reflect on it reflect on the on the names and attributes
of Allah subhanaw taala
and as we said, pause, reflect, vicar
before you start so don't be in a rush come quickly. stand for
Allah.
BA with cashew ask Allah subhanaw taala you're like me focus in my
salah. Ya Allah give me that presence of the heart in my salah
and do a lot of stick far at all times asking for forgiveness
because that clears the heart and therefore it helps with focus of
the heart.
And
the one man came to rasool Allah SallAllahu sallam, and he said, Ya
rasool Allah give me some advice, but make it concise. You look at
the web, he's just gonna make it short.
So Rasulullah sallallahu sallam said there's three or four parts
to this, but I'm only going to deal with this.
Sadly salata Mahwah in, in Kuntala, Tara, for in Iraq, pray
your prayers. This is the advice he gave this man pray your prayer
Sonata What the heck? Like a farewell salah. Treat every Salah
like this is the last Salah you're going to do
are you going to have a last ally in your life? Yes. And maybe you
don't know that that's going to so treat every salon is my last In
other words, I really need to do the best I can in the salon.
And when you are saying that say farewell to your ego to your lower
knifes to your desires. I am saying goodbye I am on a journey
to my Lord.
Okay, that's how I want to pray. I want to leave the world in this
after this beautiful Salah
because you will live after one Salah sha Allah with the beautiful
one.
And then those angels of death will come with their entourage
then molecule mode. And as Allah says in surah facilite they will
say to you new Alia oh come fill hieratic dunya era we were you're
protecting supporting friends in the dunya and in the hereafter.
Welcome fee Malatesta he unphysical Bala configure method
down and for you now this is the glad tidings they will give you if
you leave the world in that state. Everything that you asked for that
you
desire
is yours
minute afforded Rahim a welcoming gift of hospitality from a folder
on the Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
The Prophet sallallaahu Salam one day
was visited by Gibreel Allah salaam, the Archangel Gabriel used
to come all the time, but she came
and he said something strange she said, this has to be remembered.
He said, Yeah, Mohamed Salah Linus
Yesh. mashita for in a coma yet. Oh Mohamed Salah and he's teaching
us through that live ash mashita as you want
for in a coma yet, you will certainly die.
You're saying to Rasul Allah Salama, so I'm just imagine he's
telling that to you and me live
how you want one day you will die
means there's a certainty of this.
Then he says what am I mash it
for in Nikka mud zoobi
would
do whatever you want actions that you want one day you will be
compensated for them. If they are good, you will have a good
compensation if the bad
man Munchak shit, bid man shit and love who you will for Inaka fire
you will be separated you will be departed.
And he said so is telling you this. Don't let those love whoever
you want you will be separated. Make sure that you love Allah
because you will never be separated from that what Allah
know what that
in the shuffle movement
piano laid that the nobility of a believer is in the night prayer
and his honor
is to connect gonna and Innes is to be independent from mankind.
You don't need anybody. You don't ask anybody. You only deal with
Allah.
So this is a beautiful ending to remember. That reminds us we're
gonna die.
Everything we do, good or bad, we will be rewarded for
all attachments and love will be severed a death except the
attachment to Allah. Therefore lead the life be of nobility,
which is chiamo Lael, Salah,
extra salah. And don't
be spreading your hand and from desiring what people have been
asking people ask only Allah, that's still elite. And if we do
that, and if we work on our salah, then we can be assured of those
beautiful blessings at the time of our departure from the angels.
I ask Allah subhanaw taala to make this a reality for all of us that
we make this a top priority.
Not for 10 years from now not from next year not after final exam
from today, for me and for you.
And we ask Allah, smart Allah to grant us that after every Salah
one of the decrees Allahumma inni Allah decree COVID Shoukry
Kaufhaus Neva Walla helped me to remember you have to be grateful
to you and to worship you and this is the salah is the ultimate way
in the best way. And for that I need oral pulp. I need my heart to
be present. I need to know what I'm saying. I need to have the
theme of Allah subhanaw taala I need to have the hybrid of Allah I
need to have higher from him all of those requirements so that my
salah becomes something that's worthy of being presented to Allah
subhanaw taala Allah subhanaw taala help us to achieve this.
Anything
that has been said that correct and useful and you find that you
can act on it any benefit that comes is just purely the Grace of
Allah subhanaw taala if anything was misstated, that is my weakness
and ask Allah subhanaw taala is forgiveness for that and my lack
of understanding and my ignorance May Allah forgive. So inshallah we
will end the session on the Salah with the focus on it in our
dimensions and we hope that it has been beneficial for you and we
will open it up to questions and answers Subhanak Allahumma hem
deck Nisha de la ilaha Elana stock federal gov to go