Yes! I can do it! (Part 2)

Peace be onto you! :)

This is the second part of my article 'Yes! I can do it!' where we're to analyze the INTERNAL STROKE. 

But before I talk about them, let me make it clear that the whole purpose of Salah is to be ever conscious of Allah, the Creator and Sustainer of all things. Salah is indeed, one of the most comprehensive forms of Dhikr (Remembrance). 

There is a Hadith where Allah says, "Out of all the ways through which My servant gets closer to Me, Salah is the dearest to Me." 

(Authenticity : Saheeh Bukhari) 

It is unfortunate that we do not always take full advantage of this gift.

Moving on. In the first part we came across tips that we can put into action before starting our prayer and dealt with spiritual and physical techniques. Let's look into the methods that we can apply in our Salah and start experiencing the the effects of the greatest medicine.. ;)

1. Pray with HUMILITY both in your mental state and in your physical manner. Pray with hope and awe.

2. Remind yourself that you are talking to the most important 'One' in your life - your Creator, Sustainer, Protector, Provider and your Guardian! :D You are facing Him and are also involved in a DIALOGUE with Him! (Surah Fatiha)

3. Commence your Prayer by seeking Allah's help and PROTECTION from the influences of... (You know who..) Shaytan.

4. Lower your GAZE (sight at the place where you rest your forehead for Sujood) while praying and do not allow the physical environment to distract you. 

5. Adopt a WHISPERING TECHNIQUE in your recitation in order to remain focused on what you are saying, but at the same time make sure it isn't disturbing others praying near you.

6. As you recite from the Quran, translate it into your own LANGUAGE (in your mind) so that your attention is held. As you ponder upon the meaning and implications of the words, In sha Allah all worldly thoughts will disappear. :)

7. On each occasion that you recite the Sifat or ATTRIBUTES OF ALLAH in Ruku and Sujood, consider how indebted you are and how grateful you should be to Allah. The fact that we have a proper functioning body, with no ailment is itself a priceless gift from Allah! :)

8. Utilize the position of SUJOOD to make additional dua to Allah. The Prophet (SAWS) said: "A servant is nearest to his Lord when he is in Sujood, so increase your supplication when in Sujood." 

(Aunthenticity : Saheeh Muslim)

9. Give due regard to the proper performance of all the PHYSICAL POSTURES. Do not 'peck like a crow' when doing Ruku and Sujood as every posture in Salah is important.

10. Last but not the least (as the saying goes..) Pray as if it is your LAST PRAYER. The Prophet (SAWS) said: When you stand up to pray, perform your prayer as if it were your last...'

We need to start 'experiencing' Salah rather than just 'offering' Salah. Only then will we be able to unveil the unimaginable treasures.. It's obvious I don't mean diamonds and rubies! :P

But I can assure it'll be waaaaaaaayyy better than all the riches of this world. ;)

Last thing we need to remember is the saying of the Prophet (SAWS): "If a man performs two rakas of Salah without the distraction of any worldly thought, all his previous sins will be forgiven." 

(Aunthenticity : Saheeh Bukhari)

Subhanallah!! Are we to miss such great benefits..? Nah! I hope In sha Allah we all experiance that contentment in every Salah we pray. :D

See you all in my next article! ;)

As Salam Alykum.

The Most Beautiful Conversation

Peace be onto you! :)

The title probably gives an idea where one might have had an emotional, 'heart to heart' conversation with a best friend or maybe fantasize a conversation with your favourite superstar! 

But I'm talking here about a conversation that cannot be compared with the likes of any conversation in this world! This is a conversation with The King of the kings! Allah Himself! A personal talk with the One who created us! How blessed are we! Subhanallah! 

Wondering how..? Read on further.. ;)

The Prophet (SAWS) said: "Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, has said: 'I have divided the prayer between Myself and My slave, into two halves, and My slave shall have what he has asked for.'

When the slave says "Ar-Rahman nir Rahim" Allah says, "My slave has extolled me."

When the slave says, "Malikee Yawmid Din" Allah says, "My slave has glorified me" or "My servant has related all matters to Me."

When the slave says, "Iyaaka na' budu wa iyaka nasta'een" Allah says, "This is between Me and My slave, and My slave shall acquire what he sought."

When the slave says, "Ihdi naseeratal mustaqeem. Siratal lazeena an'amta 'alayhim ghayril maghdoobi 'alayhim wa la daleen" Allah says, "This is for My slave, and My slave shall have what he asked for."

(Authenticity : Saheeh Muslim)

This is the Most Beautiful Conversation.. Where Allah responds to you immediately when you mention His Name! 

If we just kept this in our minds while praying that we are indeed conversing with The King of the kings..He is responding to our call, we would definately attain that crucial element in our life... Peace..

So the next time you recite Surah Al- Fatiha in Salah, remember to take slight pauses between the ayats and also keep conscious that Allah is always watching and replying to your prayers. When you begin your Salah, pray with the best of intentions and with modesty and do not let your minds wander because Allah is closer than you think.  

By developing a focused, centered, and meaningful habit of maintaining the five daily prayers, a person will experience incredible benefits in this life and undoubtedly the next. In sha Allah.

Problem is we - the youth and many others fail to realize our closeness with Allah The Almighty. This is something that needs immediate remedy. 

Salah is an amazing exchange where you handover your worries to Allah and Allah hands over His Blessings to you! And He even takes control of our worries. Subhanallah! 

There is a beautiful quote of Shaykh Navaid Aziz. It says, "If you treat Salah as a chore, you will not enjoy it. Treat it like a conversation with Allah". 

But how do we keep a track of our prayers..? How can we make it more consistent..?

Stay tuned for my next article. ;)

As Salam Alykum.