THE PILLARS OF ISLAM (continued...)
The philosophy of five daily prayers
What are the five daily prayer services? They are pictures of your different conditions during the course of the day. You pass through five conditions at a time of trial and your nature demands that you must pass through them. The first of these is when you are warned that you are about to be afflicted with a calamity. For instance, imagine that a warrant has been issued for your presence in court. This is the first condition which disturbs your serenity and contentment. This condition resembles the time when the sun begins to decline, as on the receipt of the court warrant. Corresponding to this condition the noon prayer service has been prescribed, the time of which begins with the decline of the sun.
You experience the second condition when you are drawn close to the place of the calamity. For instance, when having been taken into custody under the warrant you are produced before the magistrate. At that time you are in terror and the light of security seems as if it were about to depart from you. This condition resembles the time when the light of the sun diminishes and the human eye can fix itself upon the sun and it becomes obvious that the time of its setting is near. Corresponding to this spiritual condition the afternoon prayer service has been prescribed.
The third condition sets in when you lose all hope of deliverance from the calamity. For instance, when after the recording of the prosecution evidence which is designed to bring about your ruin, you are charged with an offense and a charge-sheet is prepared. At this time you almost lose your senses and you begin to think of yourself as a prisoner. That condition resembles the time when the sun sets and hope of daylight comes to an end. The sunset prayer service is prescribed corresponding to this spiritual condition.
The fourth condition is when you are afflicted by the calamity and its deep darkness envelops you completely. For instance, when after the close of the evidence you are convicted and sentenced and are committed to the custody of the police. This condition resembles the time of nightfall, when everything falls into deep darkness. The evening prayer service is prescribed corresponding to this spiritual condition.
When you have spent a certain time in the darkness of the affliction, Divine mercy surges up and delivers you from the darkness, as the dawn succeeds the darkness of the night and daylight begins to appear. The dawn prayer service is prescribed corresponding to this spiritual condition. God Almighty in view of your five changing conditions has prescribed five prayer services for you. You can thus understand that these services have been prescribed for the benefit of your soul. If you desire security against these calamities you should not neglect the five daily services, as they are a reflection of your inner and spiritual conditions. The Salat is a remedy for the calamities that may threaten. You know not what type of circumstances the new day might confront you with. So before the beginning of the day supplicate your Divine Master earnestly that the day may prove to be a source of benefit and blessing for you {Kashti Nuh (Qadian, Ziaul Islam Press, 1902) Now printed in Ruhani Khazain, Vol.19, pp. 63-65}.
The Salat is an instrument for delivery from sin. It is a quality of the Salat that it makes a person secure against sin and vice. So seek a Salat of that type and try to make your Salat such. Salat is the soul of bounties. The grace of God Almighty is received through the Salat. Then observe it duly so that you might become heirs to the bounties of God Almighty (Malfoozat, Vol. V, p. I26).
What is the Salat? It is the submission of one's humility and one's weakness to God and to seek the fulfillment of one's needs from Him. In the course of the Salat the worshipper sometimes stands before God with folded arms signifying his consciousness of the glory of God and his eagerness to carry out His Commandments; at other times he falls into prostration in complete humility and devotion and seeks the fulfillment of his needs. Sometimes like a beggar he praises Him from Whom he begs and proclaiming His greatness and His glory seeks to move His mercy and supplicates. Him. A faith that has nothing comparable to the Salat is altogether empty.... Salat means the love and fear of God and the preoccupation of the heart with His remembrance. That is faith. He who seeks escape from Prayer is no better than an animal. To eat and drink and sleep away the hours like an animal is not faith. This is the practice of the disbelievers...For him who desires to meet God and is anxious to reach Him the Salat is a conveyance by climbing into which he can arrive at his goal speedily. He who gives up the Salat, how shall he arrive?
Since the Muslims have abandoned the Salat or have given up observing it with the serenity and comfort and love of the heart, being neglectful of its true reality, Islam has begun to decline. The time when the Salat was observed properly was a great time for Islam, when it had become dominant in the whole world. Since the Muslims have given up the proper performance of the Salat they themselves have been abandoned. It is the Salat performed with heartfelt earnestness that delivers a person from all difficulties. It is my repeated experience that I pray for the resolving of some difficulty and while I am still occupied with the Salat God resolves the difficulty.
What happens in the Salat? One raises one's hands in supplication and the Other listens to him well. Then a time comes when He Who listens speaks and responds to the supplicator. This is the situation in the Salat. The worshipper falls into prostration before God Almighty and submits his difficulties and his needs to Him. The result of true and real Salat is that soon the time comes when God Almighty responds to the supplicant and comforts him with His words. Such an experience is not possible without the true observance of Salat (Malfoozat, Vol V, pp. 253-255).
The Salat is truly so called when a sincere and holy relationship is established with God and the worshipper becomes so devoted to the pleasure of God Almighty and His obedience and so upholds his faith above all worldly values that he is ever ready to lay down his life in the cause of God. It is only then that it can be said that his Salat is worthy to be called by that name. So long as this condition is not established and the worshipper does not become a model of sincerity and faithfulness his prayers and other actions are without effect (Malfoozat, Vol. VI, p. 240).
Do not perform the Salat as a mere ceremony, but observe it with the burning and the melting of the heart and supplicate continuously in the Salat. It is the key to the resolving of all difficulties. In addition to the prescribed prayers and glorification supplicate much in your vernacular so that your heart should melt, and continue this effort till you arrive at that condition for that is the means of the achieving of all true objectives. All physical postures during the Salat should represent the condition of the heart also. When the worshipper stands in the Salat his heart should also be standing erect for God's obedience; when he bows down the heart should also bow down; and when he goes into prostration the heart should also prostrate itself, which means that the heart should not let go of God at any time. When he reaches that condition he will begin to get rid of sins (Malfoozat, Vol. VI, pp. 367-368) .
Salat means relationship between man's servitude and God's providence
The Holy Quran mentions two gardens; one of these is the garden that is bestowed in this life and that is the delight of the Salat. The Salat is not a burdensome tax but is a permanent relationship between man's condition of servitude and God's Providence. God Almighty has prescribed the Salat for the establishment of that relationship and has charged it with delight which serves to maintain the relationship. For instance, if married couple do not find delight in their relationship, the relationship is likely to be disrupted. In the same way if there is no delight in Salat the relationship between the servent and the Master is disrupted. Supplicate behind closed doors that that relationship may be continued and may become a source of delight. The relationship between man's servitude and God's Providence is very deep and is full of light, the realitly of which cannot be expressed in words. Till that delight is experienced man continues in a state which resembles animals. Even if that delight is felt only two or three times the worshipper experiences a taste of it, but he who has not even that much experience continues blind as is said: He who is blind in this world will continue blind in the hereafter (17:73), (Malfoozat, Vol. VI, p. 371).
Istighfar means that the light has been obtained from God Almighty may be safeguarded and may be fostered. The Salat is prescribed for this purpose so that five times daily this light may be repeatedly sough from God. He who possesses insight knows that the Salat is a spiritual exaltion and that the only way of deliverance from spiritual ills is repeated supplication in Salat which is charged with earnestness and melting of the heart (Malfoozat, Vol, VII, p. 124-125).
If a worshipper finds that he has lost the eagerness and delight that he used to experience in the Salat he should not become weary, nor be discouraged. He should seek to recover with great eagerness that which has been lost; the appropriate means for which are repentance, Istighfar and earnestness. Salat should not be neglected because of lack of delight init, but should be on that account multiplied and intensified, as an alcoholic does not give up drinking because he cannot get drunk but goes on drinking till he begins to feel the effect and delight that he desires in liquor. Thus a worshipper who finds the Salat insipid should multiply the Salat and should not become weary of it. In the end his insipidity will be turned into delight. A person who starts digging a well in his search for water has to continue digging till he reaches water. Those who give up digging before water is reached deprive themselves altogether, but those who persist and do not become weary reach water in the end. To find delight in Salat what is needed is Istighfar, eagerness, steadfastness and multiplication of Salat and Prayer (Malfoozat, Vol. V, p. 432).
The weapons for our achieving supremacy are istighfar, repentance, knowledge of the faith, the upholding of the majesty of God Almighty and observance of Salat five times a day. Salat is the key to the acceptance of prayer. Supplicate throughout Salat and do not be neglectful. Shun every vice whether it relates to the obligations due to God or to the obligations due to your fellow beings (Malfoozat, Vol. V, p 303)
In order to estimate the degree of a person's fear of God it is enough to observe his regularity in Salat. I am convinced that a person who observes Salat diligently and is not held back from it by fear or sickness or worldly trials undoubtedly believes truly in God Almighty. But this degree of faith is bestowed mainly upon the poor. Few of the wealthy partake of this bounty (Izalai Auhan (( Amritsar, Riyaz Hind Press 1308 A.H.) , Now published in Ruhani Khazain (London, 1984) vol. 3, p. 814).
Fasting and Salat are both forms of worship. The fast affects powerfully the body and Salat affects powerfully the soul. Salat generates a condition of burning and melting of the heart, and is, therefore, a higher form of worship than fasting. The latter fosters the capacity for visions. (Malfoozat, Vol. VII, p. 379).
Salat purifies the spirit and the fast illuminates the heart
The verse: The month of Ramadan is the month in which the Quran began to be revealed (2.186); indicates the greatness of the month of Ramadan. The Sufis have recorded that this is a good month for the illumination of the heart. One who observes the fast has frequent experience of visions in this month. The Salat purifies the spirit and the fast illumines the heart. The purification of the spirit means that one may be delivered from the passions of the self that incites to evil; and the illumination of the heart means that the gates of vision may be opened so that one may be able to behold God (Malfoozat, Vol. IV, p. 256-257).
On one occasion I began to reflect on the purpose of the prescribed expiation of missing a fast and I conceived that the expiation is prescribed so that one may be bestowed the capacity and the strength to observe the fast. God Almighty alone can bestow such strength and everything should be sought from God Almighty. He is the All-Powerful; if He so wills He can bestow the strength for observing the fast on one who is afflicted with tuberculosis. The purpose of the prescribed expiation is that one may be bestowed the strength for the observation of the fast, and this can be achieved only through the grace of God Almighty. One should supplicate: Lord this is Thy blessed month and I am being deprived of its blessings. I know not whether I shall be alive next year, or would find the opportunity of observing the fasts that I am missing. Do Thou bestow upon me, by Thy grace, the strength that should enable me to observe the fast. I am sure that one with such a heart would be bestowed the needed strength by God Almighty. If God Almighty so wished He would not have prescribed limitations for the Muslims as He had prescribed for earlier peoples; but the purpose of the limitations is the promotion of the welfare of the people concerned. According to me the principle is that when a person supplicate God Almighty with perfect sincerity that he should not be deprived of the blessings of the month of Ramadan, he is not so deprived, and if such a one should become ill during the month of Ramadan his illness becomes a source of mercy for him, inasmuch as the value of every action is determined by the motive that inspires it. It behoves a believer that he should prove himself brave in the cause of God Almighty. He who is heartily determined that he would observe the fast but is held back from doing so on account of illness while his heart yearns after the observation of the fast would not be deprived of the bounty resulting from the observation of the fast and angels would observe the fast in his place. This is a subtle matter. If a person finds the observation of the fast difficult on account of the slothfulness of his spirit and imagines that he is not in good health, and that if he misses a meal he would suffer from various types of disorders, such a one, who imagines that a Divine blessing would sit heavy on him, would not deserve any spiritual merit. On the other hand, a person who feels happy at the approach of the month of Ramadan and is eager to observe the fast, but is held back by illness from doing so, would not be deprived of the blessings of Ramadan. Many people merely seek excuses and imagine that as they can deceive their fellow beings they can also deceive God. Such people make their own interpretations and deem them correct, but they are not correct in the estimation of God Almighty. The field of such interpretations is vast and a person given to them might become accustomed to the performance of the Salat throughout his life in a sitting posture and may abstain altogether from observing the fast. But God is well aware of the motive and design of a person whose conduct is inspired by sincerity and devotion. God Almighty knows that his heart is eager and He bestows plentifully upon him, for the eagerness of the heart is valuable in the estimation of God.
Those who seek excuses rely on their interpretations, but such interpretations have no value in the estimation of God Almighty. On one occasion when I continued observation of the fast for six months I met a company of the Prophets in a vision who admonished me against imposing so much hardship on myself and directed me to desist. Thus when a person imposes hardship upon himself for the sake of God, He takes pity on him like the parents of a child and directs him to desist. (Malfoozat, Vol. IV, pp. 258-260).
The purpose of fasting is purification
I have already spoken of the Salat. Next in order is worship in the shape of the fast. It is a pity that some who call themselves Muslims at this time desire to modify these forms of worship. They are blind and are not aware of the perfect wisdom of God Almighty. These forms of worship are essential for the purification of the spirit. These people seek to intervene absurdly in a sphere of which they have no knowledge and devise false schemes for the improvement of a territory that they have not visited. Their lives are devoted to worldly affairs; of spiritual matters they have no notion. To be moderate in eating and drinking and to bear hunger and thirst are necessary for the purification of the spirit and promote the capacity for visions. Man does not live by bread alone. To discard all thought of eternal life is to invite Divine wrath. But it should be remembered that the fast does not mean merely that a person should abstain from food and drink over a certain period. During the fast one should be occupied greatly with the remembrance of God. The Holy Prophet, peace be on him, occupied himself greatly with worship during the month of Ramadan. During that month one should discard one's preoccupation with eating and drinking and cutting asunder from these needs should address oneself wholly towards God. Unfortunate is the person who is bestowed material bread and pays no attention to spiritual bread. Material bread strengthens the body, and spiritual bread sustains the soul and sharpens the spiritual faculties. Seek the grace of God, as all doors are opened by His grace.
Another form of worship is the Pilgrimage; which does not mean that a person should carry out the formality of the Pilgrimage by providing for his journey across the ocean with money lawfully or unlawfully acquired, and having repeated the prayers and formulas according to the directions of the servitors of the Kaaba, should come back and boast that he has performed the Pilgrimage. The purpose that God Almighty has appointed for the Pilgrimage is not achieved in this manner. The truth is that the last stage of the seeker's journey is that withdrawing himself altogether from the demands and desires of self he should be completely engulfed by the love of God and complete devotion to Him. A true lover sacrifices his soul and heart; and the circuit of the House of Allah is a visible sign of such a sacrifice. As there is a House of Allah here below on the earth, so there is one in heaven. Until a person performs the circuit of the House above, his circuit of the House below is not truly performed. One who performs the circuit of the House below puts aside all garments, retaining only one of them to cover his body, but he who performs the circuit of the House above discards all garments altogether and becomes naked for the sake of God. The circuit is a sign of the lovers of God. They go round the Kaaba as if they have no will of their own left and they are devoted wholly to Him.
Another form of worship is Zakat. Some people pay the Zakat but take no care whether that which they pay as Zakat was lawfully or was unlawfully acquired. If a dog is slaughtered and at the time of its slaughter the name of Allah is pronounced upon it, or a pig is slaughtered in the same way, would the eating of the flesh of the dog or the pig become lawful? That which is unlawful will remain unlawful in all circumstances. The root of the word Zakat means purification. When a person who acquires something lawfully and out of it spends in the cause of the faith, the rest of it is purified. Many people are involved in these errors and they do not recognize the reality. All this must be discarded. All the ordinances of Islam are means of salvation, but through their errors people go astray. One should not take pride in one'-s good actions, nor be pleased with them until such sincere faith is achieved that no one is associated in one's worship of God Almighty and one is enabled to worship righteousness all the time. (Speech at the Annual Conference, 1906 pp. 20-21)