Part 20 - The secrets of peace, pleasure and relaxation

The secrets for reaching the levels of peace, pleasure and relaxation does not only lie in better focus and concentration, but in depths far greater:


1. Ensure the Presence of Heart: Your heart must be in it if you want to feel the effects. This is not at all difficult to achieve. All you need is 10 minutes to focus on the love you hold for Allah. Forget this world for now… there’s more than 23 hours for that! Devote these 10 minutes now to Allah and to the peace and pleasure that comes from being with Him.

2. Comprehend the Words and Actions of Salah: When you are aware of what you are saying and doing then you remain focused. Since Allah ordained Salah for us then this is achievable. Did you know, that you are only rewarded for the parts of Salah that you are aware and cognizant of? So if we can stay focused throughout a 2-hour movie or an exam, for sure we can stay focused now. Everything in this world worships Allah around the clock, surely we can do 10 minutes. Just seek Allah’s help and you will reach a point where you’d wish Salah never ended!

3. Come to Salah with a feeling of Hope (Rajaa’): Hope is a deeper emotion that must be present when you pray. The more you know about Allah, the more your heart can feel this hope- hope for His Mercy, for His forgiveness, His acceptance, His love, His closeness. Note that “hope” is different from “wish”. Hope is coupled with action- where you work for what you hope for. So hope for Allah’s Mercy and ask Him for it, “Call upon Me; I will answer you.”(40:60)

“O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, despair not of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah forgives all sins: For He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.”(39:53)

4. Feel Allah’s Hayba: A sense of fear and awe paired with a deep reverence and veneration that one feels when standing in His hands. Hayba is the highest level of fear. Recall the duaas the Prophet sallallahu alaihe wassallam taught us which arouses in us this Hayba: “There is no salvation from You except through You.” And “I seek refuge in You, from You.” The Prophet sallallahu alaihe wassallam described the Hayba of angel Jibreel felt before His Lord on the night of Israa and Miraaj- He said, “Jibreel was like a worn-out camel’s cloth from the fear of Allah!”

5. Enter Salah with Great Love for Allah: For his beauty, for his kindness in dealing with you and for His favors and blessings upon you.

6. Feel a shyness and a shame: We commit much wrong but He continues to be so patient with us and he continues to cover and protect us despite all our transgressions.

Allah says, “Certainly will the believers have succeeded: They who during their prayer are humbly submissive.”(23:1-2)

The above secrets will help you attain that “Khushu’”, that feeling of genuine humbleness and submissiveness that must be reached in Salah for you to benefit and succeed in this world and the next and for you to magnify the rewards of your prayer.

Best wishes to see you reaching the uppermost heights in your eman


Wassalam

Zakia Usmani



PS: This series is a compilation of the Ramadan 2008 e-mail series, “Taste It!” by Mona Hubbi, which summarized the popular lectures “How to Taste the True Beauty of Salah” presented by Mishari Al Kharraz at the Grand Mosque of Kuwait- Summer 2008.