Table of Contents
Introduction to Perfecting Prayer
This is the first part in a series of articles that discuss prayer in Islam, how it should be performed correctly, and how the pious predecessors (the righteous early Muslims) performed their prayers. You can click here to read the full series, ALLAH willing.
When you look at each of our daily relationships with ALLAH Almighty, you will find that it revolves around these four acts of worship: prayer, which is the greatest, most majestic, and most awe-inspiring; Quran; supplication (du’a); and remembrance (dhikr). Prayer encompasses supplication, Quran, and remembrance. If we focus on perfecting prayer, ALLAH willing, and excel in studying and improving it, our entire lives will change completely in all other acts of worship.
The Need to Perfect Our Worship
First, I ask ALLAH Almighty to make these articles beneficial, to accept them, and to grant them acceptance and impact among people. May ALLAH revive our hearts through them and restore the sweetness and joy of our relationship with HIM, Exalted and Glorified.
In these times of materialism, unfortunately, our relationship with ALLAH Almighty is targeted and under attack. The hypocrites, sinners, and the wicked aim to weaken our faith every day. Hardly a day passes without you being targeted, your heart being targeted, and your faith being targeted. The wicked want you to be like them; the hypocrites and those with deviated hearts want you to be like them; and the disbelievers do not want us to succeed, prosper, or attain salvation in this world or the Hereafter.
Therefore, perfecting prayer and our relationship with ALLAH and rethinking and renewing it is a matter of utmost importance. Our relationship with ALLAH Almighty, our religiosity, and commitment require performing these four acts of worship we mentioned earlier on a daily basis. No doubt, there are other obligatory acts of worship required of a person, and the purpose for which ALLAH created HIS servants is worship.
Quality Over Quantity in Worship
But in reality, the goal is not just worship itself; the goal is to perfect worship. ALLAH Almighty holds HIS servants accountable for who is best in deeds, not who does more deeds, but who is better in deeds. ALLAH Almighty says:
“[HE] who created death and life to test you [as to] which of you is best in deed“1
(Suurat ‘Al-Mulk, 67:2)
Wuhayb ibn al-Ward said: “It is not appropriate for one of you to focus solely on increasing deeds, but rather he should focus on perfecting and improving them“. That is, to perform the deed in the best form, in a manner befitting to present it to ALLAH Almighty, to stand before ALLAH with this deed, to stand with this prayer before ALLAH Almighty, to stand with this remembrance before ALLAH Almighty.
Because many of our acts of worship, unfortunately, are cold and dull—without spirit, taste, or sweetness.
Experiencing the Sweetness of Faith
In reality, faith that results from action has a sweetness and taste. Didn’t the Prophet (Peace be upon Him) say:
“There are three qualities for which anyone who is characterised by them will relish the sweetness of faith…“2
And also in Sahih Muslim, the Prophet (Peace be upon Him) said:
“He has found the taste of faith (iman) who is content with ALLAH as his LORD, with Islam as his religion (code of life) and with Muhammad (PbuH) as his Prophet“3
So, faith has a taste and sweetness. One of the greatest reasons a person continues in obedience and faith is that he tastes this sweetness and cannot leave it. Whoever tastes the sweetness of faith in prayer cannot abandon it or leave this pleasure for a long time.
Therefore, the pious predecessors (as we will discuss in upcoming articles) would sit waiting from one prayer to the next. They would enter the prayer and hardly leave it because of how well they perfected it—how they began the prayer, how they recited. The Messenger (Peace be upon Him) used to say:
“O Bilal, call iqamah for prayer: give us comfort by it“4
This indicates the extent of comfort and pleasure they found in prayer.
Becoming Proficient in Worship
The same applies to anyone. We need to perfect our worship and be, if the term is correct, “professionals” in worship. We need to worship in a way that we know how to approach ALLAH Almighty. Not every act of worship allows you to approach ALLAH Almighty; not every act of worship is accepted by ALLAH Almighty; not every act of worship can you stand and present before ALLAH Almighty. No, never.
“…ALLAH is Pure and, therefore, accepts only that which is pure…”5
So, what will you present?
When you read about the lives of the pious predecessors, these people knew how to perfect their worship. Unfortunately, we do not care about perfecting worship; we do not care about improving worship. We supplicate to ALLAH Almighty as if it is merely a “duty” and “obligation” we need to fulfill. So we hasten to finish it to go to work or university.
When we read the Quran, our concern is how much is left until the end of the Surah. We count how many pages are left in our daily portion. No doubt, we are rewarded for reading the Quran, and this is, ALLAH willing, the beginning of the path. But we need to elevate ourselves; we need a message that tells us:
“These acts of worship can be performed in a better way than this, and they can have a high impact and profound effect“
The problem is that we do not strive to attain it, to taste it, or to feel it. This prayer is a flood of emotions; the Quran is a flood of emotions; remembrance is a flood of emotions; supplication is a flood of emotions.
When we engage in acts of worship, we are dealing with The Greatest One anyone can deal with—we are dealing with ALLAH Almighty. So we must realize with whom we are dealing so that we become aware that we should not present just anything to the One we are dealing with. Rather, we should present the best thing, the finest thing, the greatest thing, and the most perfect and beautiful thing we can.
As Aisha, the Mother of the Believers (may ALLAH be pleased with her), used to do, she would perfume the coins before giving them to the poor, saying that they reach ALLAH Almighty before they reach their hands. The feeling that you are dealing with ALLAH Almighty, that you see ALLAH Almighty, that every day you have a state with ALLAH Almighty, necessitates that this state be the most beautiful and best state.
Conclusion
We are in dire need of perfecting prayer and our other acts of worship to rediscover the sweetness of faith. In the upcoming articles, we will delve deeper into how we can achieve this and learn from the examples of the pious predecessors.
Sources:
- Dr. Ahmed ElArabi. فاهم 36 | سلسلة تذوق العبادات – (1) الصلاة | مع د. أحمد العربي. YouTube Video.
