Foreword

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

All praise is for You, O Allah, and blessings and peace be upon you, and upon your family and your Companions, O Messenger of Allah ﷺ

Among the great favours of Allah Most High is that He guided us to faith; and among His very great kindnesses and honours is that He granted us a treasure such as Salah, so that we may fulfil the courtesies of servanthood and worship and be blessed with great perfections. Yet as necessary and beneficial as Salah was for His servants, so great is the neglect of it today. Matters have reached the point that not only the common people but even the elite suffer from all kinds of shortcomings in it. Many do not pray at all; some, when they are caught in a situation, pray out of compulsion; some offer one or two of the prayers; and many offer it at home and do not pray in congregation in the mosque. They are heedless of the completing elements of Salah (those matters which bring Salah to its fullness and perfection), and they have no concern for humility and devotion (khushu' and khudu'). Then their recitation too is very brief, the result of which is that they are deprived of the lights, the divine manifestations (tajalliyat) and the nearness to Allah that ought to be attained through Salah.

This shortcoming of ours, while it is the cause of our own deprivation, is also causing great harm to Islam and to the Sunni way. People are drifting away from us; those who abandon Salah are using us as their proof; and others, pointing to us as sleeping, are turning people away from the Sunni way. What is astonishing is that the Quran and the Sunnah have stressed it again and again, have informed us of its benefits and perfections, and have pronounced the severest warnings against abandoning it, which we read, teach and also mention in our speeches, and then it is we ourselves who openly, in front of people, abandon

it as well.

Many of our ignorant pirs say all sorts of things about Salah, because of which Salah no longer holds any worth in the eyes of their disciples (murids).

I have discussed Salah to some extent in the book 'Dhikr-o-Fikr'. Then I thought that I should gather into one treatise the perfections of Salah which Hazrat Mujaddid (may his secret be sanctified) has described through spiritual unveiling (kashf). Perhaps in this way people may come to know the reality of Salah and become regular in it; perhaps love for the saints itself may fill them with zeal for Salah, and they may become regular in their prayers for success in the Hereafter. It was my intention to gather on this subject the incidents, states and sayings of the saints of the various Sufi orders (silsilas), and also to describe their state in Salah, but the press of work and concerns prevented it, and I contented myself with this brief writing.

I give a solemn charge to my friends, associates, disciples and all those affiliated with me: as long as you have consciousness and life, do not abandon Salah under any circumstances.

And our duty is only to convey the message.

Afaque Ahmad Mujaddidi

Some Verses Concerning Salah

(۱)ہُدًی لِّلْمُتَّقِیۡنَ الَّذِیۡنَ یُؤْمِنُوۡنَ بِالْغَیۡبِ وَیُقِیۡمُوۡنَ الصَّلٰوۃَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنٰہُمۡ یُنۡفِقُوۡنَ ( )

(1) A guidance for the God-fearing, who believe in the Unseen, establish the prayer, and spend out of what We have provided them.

In it is guidance for those who fear, who believe without seeing, establish the prayer, and spend in Our way from the provision We have given them.

(۲) وَاَقِیۡمُوا الصَّلٰوۃَ وَاٰتُوا الزَّکٰوۃَ وَارْکَعُوۡا مَعَ الرّٰکِعِیۡنَ ( )

(2) And establish the prayer, and give the zakat, and bow with those who bow.

And establish the prayer, and give zakat, and bow along with those who bow.

(۳)حٰفِظُوۡا عَلَی الصَّلَوٰتِ وَالصَّلٰوۃِ الْوُسْطٰی وَقُوۡمُوۡا لِلہِ قٰنِتِیۡنَ ( )

(3) Guard the prayers, and the middle prayer, and stand before Allah in devout obedience.

Guard all the prayers and the middle prayer, and stand before Allah with reverence.

(۴) وَ اِنَّہَا لَکَبِیۡرَۃٌ اِلَّا عَلَی الْخٰشِعِیۡنَ ( )

(4) And truly it is hard, except for the humble.

And indeed the prayer is certainly heavy, except for those who incline towards Me with their hearts.

(5) Hazrat Ibrahim (upon our Prophet and upon him be blessings and peace) prays to Allah Most High for the establishment of prayer for himself and for his offspring in these words:

رَبِّ اجْعَلْنِیۡ مُقِیۡمَ الصَّلٰوۃِ وَمِنۡ ذُرِّیَّتِیۡ رَبَّنَا وَتَقَبَّلْ دُعَآءِ ( )

My Lord, make me one who establishes the prayer, and from my offspring too. Our Lord, and accept my supplication.

..............

Al-Baqarah: 3

Al-Baqarah: 43

Al-Baqarah: 238

Al-Baqarah: 45

Surah Ibrahim: 40

O my Lord, keep me one who establishes the prayer, and some of my offspring too. O our Lord, and hear my supplication.

Benefit:

After Salah and the remembrances (adhkar), it is recommended to recite this very supplication (Rabbi-j'alni...).

(6) Sins are forgiven through Salah. Allah Most High says:

وَاَقِمِ الصَّلٰوۃَ طَرَفَیِ النَّہَارِ وَزُلَفًا مِّنَ الَّیۡلِ ؕ اِنَّ الْحَسَنٰتِ یُذْہِبْنَ السَّیِّاٰتِ ؕ ذٰلِکَ ذِکْرٰی لِلذّٰکِرِیۡنَ ( )

And establish the prayer at the two ends of the day and in some hours of the night. Surely good deeds remove evil deeds. That is a reminder for those who remember.

And establish the prayer at both ends of the day and in some portions of the night. Indeed good deeds wipe out evil deeds. This is advice for those who accept advice.

(7) Allah Most High commands:

اَقِمِ الصَّلٰوۃَ لِدُلُوۡکِ الشَّمْسِ اِلٰی غَسَقِ الَّیۡلِ وَ قُرْاٰنَ الْفَجْرِ ؕ اِنَّ قُرْاٰنَ الْفَجْرِ کَانَ مَشْہُوۡدًا ( )

Establish the prayer from the declining of the sun until the darkness of the night, and the recitation at dawn. Indeed the recitation at dawn is witnessed.

Establish the prayer from the declining of the sun until the darkness of the night, and the Quran of the dawn. Indeed the angels are present at the Quran of the dawn.

(8) The qualities of the believers:

قَدْ اَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُوۡنَ ۙ﴿۱﴾ الَّذِیۡنَ ہُمْ فِیۡ صَلَاتِہِمْ خٰشِعُوۡنَ ۙ﴿۲﴾ وَالَّذِیۡنَ ہُمْ عَنِ اللَّغْوِ مُعْرِضُوۡنَ ﴿ۙ۳﴾ وَالَّذِیۡنَ ہُمْ لِلزَّکٰوۃِ فٰعِلُوۡنَ ۙ﴿۴﴾ وَالَّذِیۡنَ ہُمْ لِفُرُوۡجِہِمْ حٰفِظُوۡنَ ۙ﴿۵﴾ اِلَّا عَلٰۤی اَزْوَاجِہِمْ اَوْ مَا مَلَکَتْ اَیۡمَانُہُمْ فَاِنَّہُمْ غَیۡرُ مَلُوۡمِیۡنَ ۚ﴿۶﴾

Successful indeed are the believers (1), who are humble in their prayers (2), and who turn away from idle talk (3), and who are active in giving zakat (4), and who guard their private parts (5), except from their wives or those whom their right hands possess, for then they are not to blame (6).

...........

Surah Hud, verse 114

Surah al-Isra', verse 78

فَمَنِ ابْتَغٰی وَرَآءَ ذٰلِکَ فَاُولٰٓئِکَ ہُمُ الْعٰدُوۡنَ ۚ﴿۷﴾ وَالَّذِیۡنَ ہُمْ لِاَمٰنٰتِہِمْ وَ عَہۡدِہِمْ رَاعُوۡنَ ۙ﴿۸﴾ وَالَّذِیۡنَ ہُمْ عَلٰی صَلَوٰتِہِمْ یُحَافِظُوۡنَ ۘ﴿۹﴾ اُولٰٓئِکَ ہُمُ الْوٰرِثُوۡنَ ﴿ۙ۱۰﴾ الَّذِیۡنَ یَرِثُوۡنَ الْفِرْدَوْسَ ؕ ہُمْ فِیۡہَا خٰلِدُوۡنَ ﴿۱۱﴾ ( )

But whoever seeks beyond that, it is they who are the transgressors (7); and who are faithful to their trusts and their covenants (8); and who guard their prayers (9). It is they who are the inheritors (10), who will inherit Paradise (al-Firdaws); they will abide therein forever (11).

Translation: Indeed the believers have attained their goal, who humble themselves in their prayer; and who pay no attention to any idle thing; and who are active in giving zakat; and who guard their private parts, except with their wives or the lawful bondwomen whom their right hands possess, for upon them there is no blame; so whoever desires anything besides these two, it is they who transgress the limits; and who honour their trusts and their covenant; and who guard their prayers. It is these who are the heirs, who will receive Paradise (al-Firdaws) as their inheritance; they will remain in it forever.

Read this again and again, and then you can easily be certain for whom Paradise is. It is also learned that only the Salah that is offered with humility (khushu') enriches a person with the treasure of success. It is further learned that guarding (muhafazat) is one thing and humility (khushu') another. Guarding requires that Salah be offered regularly, and that after offering it one does no deed that would ruin the prayer already offered; whereas humility requires that Salah be offered with presence of heart (huzur-e-qalb), immersed in the remembrance of Allah.

(9) Abandoning Salah is in itself the cause of a very great punishment, but concerning those who delay it beyond its time (qaza), Allah Most High says:

Surah al-Mu'minun, verses 1 to 11

فَوَیۡلٌ لِّلْمُصَلِّیۡنَ ۙ﴿۴﴾ الَّذِیۡنَ ہُمْ عَنۡ صَلَاتِہِمْ سَاہُوۡنَ ۙ﴿۵﴾ ( )

So woe to those who pray (4), who are heedless of their prayer (5).

So ruin is for those worshippers who are forgetful of their prayer.

Benefit:

'Wayl' comes in the meaning of destruction, and Wayl is also such a terrifying valley of Hell that Hell itself seeks refuge from it. Those who deliberately abandon Salah deserve it.

(۱۰)فَخَلَفَ مِنۡۢ بَعْدِہِمْ خَلْفٌ اَضَاعُوا الصَّلٰوۃَ وَاتَّبَعُوا الشَّہَوٰتِ فَسَوْفَ یَلْقَوْنَ غَیًّا ﴿ۙ۵۹﴾ ( )

(10) Then there succeeded them a generation who neglected the prayer and followed their desires; so they will soon meet Ghayy (59).

Then after them came unworthy successors in their place, who wasted the prayers and followed their own desires; so soon they will find the wilderness of Ghayy in Hell.

Benefit:

'Ghayy' is a valley of Hell whose heat and depth are the greatest of all. In it is a well whose name is 'Habhab'. When the fire of Hell begins to die down, Allah Most High opens this well, so that it starts blazing as before, as Allah Most High says:

کُلَّمَا خَبَتْ زِدْنٰہُمْ سَعِیۡرًا

Whenever it abates, We increase for them the blaze.

That is, whenever (Hell) begins to die down, We shall make it blaze even more.

This well is for those who do not pray, for adulterers, for drunkards, for those who consume interest, and for those who cause distress to their parents. (Bahar-e-Shari'at, Part 3)

..............

Al-Ma'un, verses 4 and 5

Surah Maryam, verse 59

Al-Isra', verse 97

Some Hadiths Concerning Salah

(1) Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Islam is built upon five: bearing witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger, establishing the prayer, giving the zakat, the Hajj, and fasting in Ramadan.

That is, Hazrat Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: The foundation of Islam is upon five things: (first) bearing witness that there is no object of worship except Allah and that Muhammad ﷺ is the servant of Allah and His Messenger; (second) establishing the prayer; (third) giving zakat; (fourth) performing the Hajj; (fifth) fasting in Ramadan.

(2) It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr al-Ghifari (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet ﷺ went out in the winter season while the leaves of the trees were falling. He ﷺ took hold of the branch of a tree, and its leaves began to fall even more. He said: O Abu Dharr!

Indeed, when the Muslim servant prays the prayer, seeking by it the Countenance of Allah, his sins fall away just as these leaves fall from this tree.

That is, when a Muslim servant prays for the pleasure of Allah, his sins fall away just as the leaves of this tree are falling.

(3) Abu Hurayrah said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: Tell me, if there were a river at the door of one of you in which he bathed five times every day, would any of his dirt remain? They said: None of his dirt would remain. He said: Such is the example of the five prayers; by them Allah wipes away sins.

..........

Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 1, p. 11, hadith no. 8. Sahih Muslim, vol. 1, p. 45, hadith no. 16

Musnad Ahmad, hadith no. 21046

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: Tell me, if there were a river at the door of one of you in which he bathed five times daily, would any dirt remain on his body? The noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) said: No, nothing at all would remain. He said: The same is true of the five prayers; through them Allah Most High wipes away sins. (Bukhari and Muslim)

(4) 'Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Whenever a difficult matter befell the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, he would hasten to the prayer.' It is narrated from Hazrat Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) that whenever any hard matter befell the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, he would hasten towards Salah. (Ahmad and Abu Dawud)

(5) Hazrat Abu Muslim al-Taghlibi says: I came to Hazrat Abu Umamah while he was sitting in the mosque, and I said: O Abu Umamah! A man has narrated to me on your authority that you heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say:

'Whoever performs wudu and performs it thoroughly, washes his hands and his face, wipes over his head and his ears, and then stands for an obligatory prayer, Allah forgives him on that day whatever his feet walked towards, whatever his hands grasped, whatever his ears listened to, and whatever his eyes looked at.'

That is, whoever performs wudu well, washing his hands, washing his face, and wiping his ears, and then stands to offer an obligatory prayer, all those sins of that day which he committed with his feet, hands, ears and eyes are forgiven.

................

Al-Mu'jam al-Kabir of Tabarani, hadith no. 8032

The Perfections of Salah in the Words of Hazrat Mujaddid (may his secret be sanctified)

After reading the perfections of Salah written by Hazrat Mujaddid Alf-e-Sani, the diver in the ocean of gnosis (ma'rifat) and reality (haqiqat), one realises that Salah is among the special favours of the Most Holy Lord. We present a summary of the realities and gnostic insights he has described. He writes to Hazrat Khwaja Mir Muhammad Nu'man (may his secret be sanctified):

'Of the five pillars of Islam, the second pillar is Salah, which comprises all forms of worship. It is such a part that, because of its comprehensiveness, it has taken on the status of the whole. Of all the deeds that bring one near to Allah, Salah is the highest and most important of them. On the night of the Ascension (Mi'raj), the Master of the worlds ﷺ was granted the treasure of the vision of Allah in Paradise; after returning from there, in this world, that treasure was granted to him in Salah in the manner befitting this world. That is why he ﷺ said: "The closest a servant is to his Lord is in Salah," that is, the servant is nearest to Allah Most High in Salah.

For the perfect members of the community of the Master of both worlds ﷺ, there is in this world a complete share and an abundant portion of this treasure in Salah, although it is not the vision of Allah Most High itself, since this world cannot bear it. Had there been no command to offer Salah, who would have lifted the veil from the face of the Goal, and who would have guided the seeker to the Sought? It is Salah that gives delight to the grieving, and it is Salah that gives comfort to the sick. "Arihni ya Bilal!" (O Bilal, give me comfort!) points to this very matter, and "Qurratu 'ayni fi-s-salah" (the coolness of my eyes is in Salah) also points to it.

Spiritual tastes and ecstasies (adhwaq and mawajid), sciences and gnostic insights ('ulum and ma'arif), states and stations (ahwal and maqamat), lights and colours, variations and stability (talwinat and tamkinat), manifestations with quality and without quality, appearances with colouring and without colouring: whatever of these is attained outside Salah appears because of a lack of awareness of the reality of Salah. The source of all of them arises from shadows and likenesses, or rather from imagination and fancy.

The worshipper who is aware of the reality of Salah, at the time of performing Salah, as it were, comes out of this world and enters the world of the Hereafter. Inevitably, at that time he obtains a share of that treasure which is exclusive to the Hereafter, and receives a portion from the Origin (asl) without any trace of shadowiness (zilliyyat). For the abode of this world is confined to shadow perfections, and whatever lies beyond shadows is exclusive to the Hereafter. Therefore there must inevitably be an Ascension (Mi'raj), and for the believers that Ascension is Salah itself.

This treasure is exclusive to this community (ummah), which, by following its Prophet ﷺ, was honoured with this perfection and made fortunate with this felicity (just as their Prophet ﷺ), on the night of the Ascension, went from this world to the Hereafter, entered Paradise and was honoured with the treasure of the vision of Allah.' (Taken from Letter 261)

Hazrat Mujaddid (may his secret be sanctified), while explaining the difference between the nearness of the obligatory acts (qurb-e-fara'id) and the nearness of the voluntary acts (qurb-e-nawafil), says: 'That special time of the Prophet ﷺ which is expressed as "Li ma'a Allah waqt" (I have a time with Allah), in the view of this humble one (Mujaddid Alf-e-Sani) occurs in Salah itself. It is Salah that expiates sins; it is Salah that restrains from indecency and evil; it is Salah in which the Prophet ﷺ sought comfort and would say: "Arihni ya Bilal!" (O Bilal, give me comfort!); it is Salah that is the pillar of the religion; and it is Salah that is the distinction between Islam and disbelief.' (Letter 260)

The Completeness of Salah

Hazrat Mujaddid (may his secret be sanctified) says: 'The completeness (tamamiyyat, being made whole) of Salah and its perfection, in the view of this humble one (Hazrat Mujaddid, may his secret be sanctified), lies in carrying out (four things): the obligatory acts (fara'id), the necessary acts (wajibat), the Sunnah acts (sunan) and the recommended acts (mustahabbat) of Salah, the details of which are given in the books of fiqh; they are also given at the end of this book. Apart from these four matters there is no other matter that has any share in the completeness of Salah. Humility (khushu') in Salah is also included within these four matters, and the submissiveness (khudu') of the heart is also bound up with them. One group contented itself with knowledge of these matters and adopted laziness and sloth in practice, and therefore inevitably received only a small share of the perfections of Salah.

Another group considered (the completeness of Salah) to be confined to presence of heart with Allah, Glorified is He, and deemed that presence sufficient. They paid little attention to the recommended acts related to the outward limbs and restricted themselves to the obligatory and Sunnah acts. This group too did not become aware of the reality of Salah and sought the perfection of Salah in what is not Salah, because they did not count presence of heart among the rulings of Salah.

The Difference Between the Salah of the Beginner and the Advanced

From the above discussion it appears that there is no difference between the Salah of the beginner (mubtadi) and that of the one who has reached the end of the path (muntahi), since the four matters mentioned can be found in the Salah of both. The answer is that with respect to the act itself there is no difference between them; rather, the difference arises with respect to the doer. To the extent that the doer possesses nearness to Allah, to that extent he receives reward.

................

Rather, by confining Salah to presence of heart alone, they abandoned the necessary and recommended acts. (Taken from the footnote of the translated Maktubat of Imam Rabbani)

A single deed's reward differs according to the difference in the ranks of those who do it.

Hazrat Mujaddid (may his secret be sanctified) says that the deed which issues from a beloved and accepted doer carries a reward many times greater than the reward attached to the deed of a doer who is not beloved and accepted. For the greater the stature of the doer, the greater the reward of his deed. That is why it has been said that the deed of the gnostic ('arif) done for show is better than the deed of the disciple (murid) that is founded on sincerity. When such is the state of a deed done for show, what then of the deed of such a doer that issues from sincerity?

It has come in a narration from Hazrat Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him): 'Ya laytani kuntu sahwa Muhammad' (O, would that I were a forgetfulness of Muhammad al-Mustafa ﷺ). That is, he considered the forgetfulness of the Prophet ﷺ better than his own intention and action, and wished to make himself entirely a forgetfulness of the Master of both worlds ﷺ. Thus he regarded all his deeds and states as being of the Master's (peace be upon him) forgetfulness, and with complete longing he asked that all his good deeds and virtues be at the level of the Master's (peace be upon him) forgetfulness. The Master's (peace be upon him) act of forgetfulness is when, in a four-rak'ah prayer, he gave the salam after two, as has been narrated. So upon the Salah of the advanced one (muntahi), in addition to its worldly fruits and results, an abundant reward of the Hereafter will follow. In contrast, in the Salah of the beginner and the common person only a little of the distinctive features of the advanced one's Salah appears. Judge by this.

What relation has the dust to the pure world?

Among the distinctive features of the Salah of the advanced one is that very often, at the time of reciting the Quran in Salah and of uttering the glorifications (tasbihat) and the takbirs with his tongue, the advanced one becomes like the tree of Musa, and does not regard his faculties and limbs as anything more than instruments and means;

and at the time of performing Salah, his inner being and reality become entirely cut off from the outward and the form, and he joins the world of the Unseen, and acquires an affiliation (nisbat) with the Unseen whose modality is unknown; and when he finishes Salah, he returns again.

A second answer to this question can also be given: to carry out the four matters mentioned above completely and fully is the share of the advanced one; it is not within the capacity of the beginner and the common person to carry out these matters in their full completeness and perfection, although it is possible and permissible. (Taken from Letter 305)

Salah Is the Pillar of the Religion

Hazrat Mujaddid (may his secret be sanctified) says that just as correctness of beliefs is necessary for a person, so too is the performance of righteous deeds necessary.