Some days I travel near, some days I travel far. I'm not talking about travelling to my workplace but rather, 'travelling spiritually' during my prayers. And most unfortunately, not even anywhere near God but everywhere that my thoughts would bring me. That's actually not something to be proud of though.
I really hope I can improve the state of humility and awareness during my Prayer. So I kept on finding the most suitable book that, insya allah will help me in achieving my goals. This excerpt that i'm highlighting here is from the book: The Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship by Imam Ghazali. (you can get it from Wardah Bookshop)
Internal Prerequisites of Prayer: Actions of the Heart
Many Quranic Verses and traditions could be cited in evidence of this, including the words of God, Exalted is He:
'And perform the Prayer to remember Me.' (Surah Ta Ha, 20:14)
The obvious force of the imperative is to make something obligatory. Since heedlessness is the opposite of remembrance, how can someone who is heedless throughout his Prayer be performing it in remembrance of God? The Exalted One said:
'Do not be one of those who are neglectful.' (Surah al-A'raf, 7:205)
Here we have a negative imperative, with the obvious foce of a prohibition. God, Great and Glorious is He, also says:
'... until you know what you are saying.' (surah al-Nisa, 4:43)
This explains the reason for debarring those who are intoxicated(from the Mosque), but the term 'intoxicated' applies by extension to those who are wholly preoccupied with temptations and worldly thoughts.
When the Prophet saw, said: 'The prayer is nothing but submissiveness and humility....' he used a particularly definite and emphatic construction in Arabic. He also said: 'If a man's Prayer does not deter him from indecency and mischief, he gains nothing from God but remoteness.' Heedless Prayer does nothing to deter a man from these vices. The heedless are alluded to in the Tradition: ' Many of those who pray derive nothing from their prayers except weariness and strain. The Prophet saw said: 'A man gets credit only for that part of his Prayer of which he is conscious.' This is confirmed by the Tradition: 'When performing the Prayer, one is conversing intimately with one's Lord. Speaking in a state of heedlessness is certainly not what is meant by intimate conversation with the Lord.
What is the point of praying: 'Show us the Straight Path,' if one is in a state of absent-mindedness?If it is not intended as a humble entreaty and supplication, why bother with the idle mouthing of the words, especially if it has become a habit?
The purpose of Quranic recitation and expressions of remembrance (at various stages in the ritual Payer) is undoubtedly praises and glorifications, supplications and entreaties, addressed to God, Great and Glorious is He. But the veil of heedlessness screens the heart from Him. Far from seeing or witnessing Him, the heedless worshipper is not even aware of Whom he is addressing, as his tongue moves purely from force of habit. How remote this is from the purpose of ritual Prayer, which was prescribed for the refinement of the heart, the renewal of Divine remembrance, and to secure the knot of faith!
Ritual Prayer has been made the chief pillar of religion, the criterion for distinguishing between unbelief and Islam. It takes precedence over the Pilgrimage and other forms of worship. It is unique in having capital punishment as the penalty for its abandonment. I (writer) do not believe that ritual Prayer enjoys all this special dignity by virtue of its external motions, unless these are linked to the purpose of intimate communion with God. That is what has priority over Fasting, Zakat, Prilgrimage and so on; indeed over sacrifices and offerings which entail self denial through financial outlay. As God, Exalted is He says:
'It is not their flesh nor their blood that reaches Him. It is your devotion that reaches Him.' (surah al-Hajj 22:37)
What is meant here by 'devotion' (taqwa), is a quality that gains control over the heart, disposing it to comply with the commands it is required to obey.
What, then, of the ritual Prayer, if its actions are without purpose?
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That marks the end of the excerpt.
Well, this acts as a warning for myself. To remind myself the importance of gathering all my humility and awareness for the One Lord, Most Majestic, Most High, the all-Knowing.
Disclaimer: I am only a lowly servant who wants to seek solace and obedience with my Lord. I am in no position to judge anyone or to pass comments on anyone.
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