WHAT DO YOU RECITE IN 'SALAH'

Brethren-in-Islam!

I have explained to you in my last lecture how Salah prepares a man for Allah's ' lbadat, i.e. servitude and obedience. Whatever I said in this connection should have helped you to comprehend that if one offers Salah regularly considering it his duty according to the Divine injunction, it keeps alive in his mind the fear of God, the belief in His Omniscience and Omnipresence and the conviction that he is accountable before Him, even though he may not understand the meaning of what he is reciting. By this continuous practice the belief that he is slave of none but God and that God alone is his real Sovereign and Ruler, becomes a living consciousness in his mind. The habit of being dutiful and ready to carry out God's commandment is developed. All those qualities are automatically developed in him which are necessary to transform the entire life of a man into one of servitude and worship of God.

Now I want to stress the fact that if a man were to observe this very Salah with a full understanding of its contents and consciousness of what he is reciting, imagine what a tremendous effect will it produce on his thoughts, habits and natural qualities nd to what great extent his power of faith will develop and how his life will be refashioned.

'Adhan' and its effects

Let us first take the case of Adhan. You are summoned by it five times a day with the following words:

Allahu Akbar, (repeated four times)

Allah is the Greatest of all,

Ash-hadu al-la Ilaha ill-Allah (repeated twice)

I testify that there is no god but Allah.

Ash-hadu anna Muhammad-ar-Rasulullah (repeated twice)

I testify that Muhammad (peace he on him) is the Messenger of Allah.

Hayya ala-a-salah (repeated twice)

Come for prayer.

Hayya ‘ala-a-falah (repeated twice)

Come for well being.

Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar.

Allah is the Greatest of all, Allah is the Greatest of all.

La Ilaha ill-Allah,

 There is no god but Allah.

See how forceful call it is! How this voice reverberates live times a day and reminds you that. "All the big entities on the earth whom you sec laying claim to divinity are liars, In the earth and the heavens these is only one !icing Who possesses the attribute of greatness and I k alone is worthy of worship. Come and worship I Inn_ In His worship alone lies your well-being of this world and that of the Hereafter". Who is there who will not he moved on hearing this voice? How is it possible for anyone who !US faith in his heart to hear such a great testimony and so powerful a call, and yet • it heedlessly mid not run to how his head before his Mask., '?

Wudu. (Ablution)

On hearing the above voice you rise from your seat and first of all see whether your body is clean or not, whether you have done Mull'' or not? This shows (hat you are conscious of the fact that the matter of attending the court of the Lord of all the worlds is different from all the other affairs of the world. Other works can be done in every condition but here it is highly disrespectful to attend without cleanliness of body and dress and, over and above it, without further purity, i.e. Wudu'. With this feeling you first satisfy yourself about your being clean and then begin doing Wudu'. If in the course of Mau', while washing your limbs, you remember Allah and after finishing it recite the prayer taught by the Messenger of Allah (peace be on Him) not only your limbs but along with these your heart also will be washed clean. The words of this prayer are :

Ash-hadu al la Ilaha ill-Allahu Wandahula Sharika lahu Wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan 'abdu-hu wa rashuluhu Allah-umma j'alni min-attawwa bina waj’alni minalmuta-tahirin.

"I testify there is no god save one single God, Who has no associate and I testify that Muhammad is Allah's slave and messenger. O God! include me among the penitents and make me keep pure."

Beginning

After this, you stand up for Salah with your face toward Qibla. Neat and clean you are attending the court of the Sovereign of the universe. First and foremost, you utter the words:

Allahu Akbar

"Allah is the Greatest of all ".

Admitting this superb reality, you raise your hands to your ears as if you have relieved yourself of the world and whatever there is in it. Then you clasp your hands around yourself so that you are now standing reverently before your Sovereign with folded hands. After this you make the following submission:

'Tasbih'

Subhanak-Allahumma wa bi-harndika wa tabarakasmuka wa ta ala jadduka wa la-Ilaha ghairuk.

"O Allah, I affirm Thine purity and that too with Your praise. Highly blessed is Thy name. Sublime is Thine greatness and there is no god save Thou".

 'Ta'awwudh' (Seeking refuge with Allah)

A 'uzu billahi min-ash-shaitan-ir-rajim

"I seek refuge in God from the intenneddling and mischief of cursed statan",

'Bismillah' (In the name of Allah)

Bismilla hir-Rahman-ir-Rahim

"I begin with the name of Allah Who is most Beneficent and Merciful."

'Hamd' (Praise of Allah)

Al-hamdu lillahi Rabbil-alamin

" Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds".

Ar-Rahman-ir-Rahim

" The Beneficent, the Most Merciful".

Maliki Yaum-id-din

"Master of the Day of Judgement".

lyyaka na'budu wa iyyaka nasta'in

"Thee alone do we worship and Thee alone we ask for help".

Ihdi-na-a-sirat-al-mustaqiina

" Shows us the straight path".

Sirat-allazina an’amta  'alaihim

"The path of those whom Thou !last favoured".

Ghair-il-maghdubi ‘alaihim wa la-ddallin

"Not ( the path) of those who earn Thine anger nor of those who go astray"

Amen (Surah Al-Fatiha)

"Amen! O God ! let it be so. O Lord ! grant this our prayer." After this you recite some verses of the Qur'an each of which is wisdom and beauty. There are instructions, admonitions and lessons as also directions to guide you to the same straight path for which you have prayed in Surah Al-Fatiha.