The unfailing remedy for all burdensome, distressing care is Salah. The place where Allah is the closest is Salah. There His Presence and Power is always found, and there He is at hand to bless, to deliver and to help.
When I did my first Umrah, the temperature at Makkah was over +40• Celsius. At the haram around 9 am it was scorching. The sun blazed down from a cloudless sky. My lips were parched from dryness and dust. There was no cool solace anywhere. I was doing Tawaaf sluggishly through the stifling crowd. As my back began to bake under the heat and sweat tarred my abaya, I called out to Allah for rain. For a complete one circuit around the Ka'bah, I just raised my hands and begged for rain.
There is no sorrow, Allah, too light.
To bring in prayer to thee;
There is no anxious care too slight
To beseech Your sympathy.
There is no secret sigh we breathe,
But it changes Your Divine Decree,
Before I could reach the Black Stone, a sudden frenzied rush of panic-stricken people started crushing me from every direction. Alhamdulillah Muhammad Sajid Aga grabbed my wrist and pulled me out before I fell into the stampede. We ran into a fleet of police officers in dark shades and Saudi dignitaries carrying life-size swords in gold sheathes, making their way into the courtyard. A camera crew was quick on their heels filming their entrance. Guns and swords in the haram? What was going on?
I dashed upstairs to the second floor to get a better look from the gallery. Imaam Sudais was being escorted by the security to lead Salah al Istisqa!!! All this time when I was praying for rain, at the back of my head I was thinking, come'on what are the odds, it can't rain in Saudi Arabia, it never rains here ... Moments later Allah sent Imaam Sudias himself to make Salah for rain.
I couldn't control my tears. This was so epic subhanAllah! For years in Canada, I had made duaa for Imaam Sudais to return and lead Salah when I visit the Haram. This was another unlikely possibility yet Allah made it happen for me today. Not only Imaam Sudias was here but he came to supplicate my duaa to Allah and everyone on the haram said ameen! Ya Salam!
Alhamdulillah this made me realize that Allah loves to be asked. He wants His servants to desire Him, to ask Him, to invoke Him and show their need of Him. He loves those who are earnest and persistent in supplication. For this reason Allah has given us a special Salah for all our needs, so we are assured that whatever affects us concerns Him. There is Salah for everything: to offer gratitude (salah al shukr), seek forgiveness (salah al tawbah), to satisfy a need (salah albhaajah), to overcome fear (salah al khowf), to praise and sanctify Allah (salah al tasbeeh), to request for rain (salah al istisqa), commorate Allah's Majesty during eclipse (salah al Khusuuf), to celebrate ( salah al Eid). For everything, there is a Salah.
There is no distinction here between temporal and spiritual things. Such a distinction is against faith, wisdom and reverence. Allah rules everything in nature and in Deen. We are affected by things secular as well as by things spiritual. Our Hereafter hangs on our communal lives (our careers, our spendings, interaction with our families and society) as well as our Salah. Our communal life hangs on our Salah just as it hangs on our diligence.
So in everything which comes to us and which concerns us, in everything which we want to come to us, and in everything which we do not want to come to us, Salah is to be made for all. Salah blesses all things, brings all things, relieves all things, and prevents all things. Everything as well as every place and every hour is to be ordered by Salah. Salah has in it the possibility to affect everything which affects us.
The bitter of life sweetened by Salah! The feeble made strong by Salah! Sickness flees before asking Allah for health in Salah. Doubts, misgivings, and trembling fears retire before Salah. Wisdom, knowledge, holiness, and heaven are at the command of Salah. Nothing is outside of Salah. It has the power to gain all things from the provisions of Allah. All departments and the entire field of human concern, conditions, and happenings are covered by Salah.
ps. Don't wait till you reach the Haram to take Salah seriosuly. InshaAllah pray as much Salah as you can from anywhere in the world and don't limit yourself to just the obligatory Salah, go the extra mile for Allah and pray Sunnah and nawaafil regularly as well. I am confident InshaAllah Allah remove all distances between you and Him; He will invite you to His House because of the excess and beauty of prayers (Salah).
When I did my first Umrah, the temperature at Makkah was over +40• Celsius. At the haram around 9 am it was scorching. The sun blazed down from a cloudless sky. My lips were parched from dryness and dust. There was no cool solace anywhere. I was doing Tawaaf sluggishly through the stifling crowd. As my back began to bake under the heat and sweat tarred my abaya, I called out to Allah for rain. For a complete one circuit around the Ka'bah, I just raised my hands and begged for rain.
There is no sorrow, Allah, too light.
To bring in prayer to thee;
There is no anxious care too slight
To beseech Your sympathy.
There is no secret sigh we breathe,
But it changes Your Divine Decree,
Before I could reach the Black Stone, a sudden frenzied rush of panic-stricken people started crushing me from every direction. Alhamdulillah Muhammad Sajid Aga grabbed my wrist and pulled me out before I fell into the stampede. We ran into a fleet of police officers in dark shades and Saudi dignitaries carrying life-size swords in gold sheathes, making their way into the courtyard. A camera crew was quick on their heels filming their entrance. Guns and swords in the haram? What was going on?
I dashed upstairs to the second floor to get a better look from the gallery. Imaam Sudais was being escorted by the security to lead Salah al Istisqa!!! All this time when I was praying for rain, at the back of my head I was thinking, come'on what are the odds, it can't rain in Saudi Arabia, it never rains here ... Moments later Allah sent Imaam Sudias himself to make Salah for rain.
I couldn't control my tears. This was so epic subhanAllah! For years in Canada, I had made duaa for Imaam Sudais to return and lead Salah when I visit the Haram. This was another unlikely possibility yet Allah made it happen for me today. Not only Imaam Sudias was here but he came to supplicate my duaa to Allah and everyone on the haram said ameen! Ya Salam!
Alhamdulillah this made me realize that Allah loves to be asked. He wants His servants to desire Him, to ask Him, to invoke Him and show their need of Him. He loves those who are earnest and persistent in supplication. For this reason Allah has given us a special Salah for all our needs, so we are assured that whatever affects us concerns Him. There is Salah for everything: to offer gratitude (salah al shukr), seek forgiveness (salah al tawbah), to satisfy a need (salah albhaajah), to overcome fear (salah al khowf), to praise and sanctify Allah (salah al tasbeeh), to request for rain (salah al istisqa), commorate Allah's Majesty during eclipse (salah al Khusuuf), to celebrate ( salah al Eid). For everything, there is a Salah.
There is no distinction here between temporal and spiritual things. Such a distinction is against faith, wisdom and reverence. Allah rules everything in nature and in Deen. We are affected by things secular as well as by things spiritual. Our Hereafter hangs on our communal lives (our careers, our spendings, interaction with our families and society) as well as our Salah. Our communal life hangs on our Salah just as it hangs on our diligence.
So in everything which comes to us and which concerns us, in everything which we want to come to us, and in everything which we do not want to come to us, Salah is to be made for all. Salah blesses all things, brings all things, relieves all things, and prevents all things. Everything as well as every place and every hour is to be ordered by Salah. Salah has in it the possibility to affect everything which affects us.
The bitter of life sweetened by Salah! The feeble made strong by Salah! Sickness flees before asking Allah for health in Salah. Doubts, misgivings, and trembling fears retire before Salah. Wisdom, knowledge, holiness, and heaven are at the command of Salah. Nothing is outside of Salah. It has the power to gain all things from the provisions of Allah. All departments and the entire field of human concern, conditions, and happenings are covered by Salah.
ps. Don't wait till you reach the Haram to take Salah seriosuly. InshaAllah pray as much Salah as you can from anywhere in the world and don't limit yourself to just the obligatory Salah, go the extra mile for Allah and pray Sunnah and nawaafil regularly as well. I am confident InshaAllah Allah remove all distances between you and Him; He will invite you to His House because of the excess and beauty of prayers (Salah).
No comments:
Post a Comment