Lesson Seventeen
Through Belief in God, Prayer
(Communication with God) is perfected
The holy Prophet explained that, Prayer is the base of the pillars of Islam. Thus he Said: "Islam is based on five pillars: There is no god except the Almighty God and Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) is His Messenger, performing the prayer(communication with God), giving Al-Zakat "Almsgiving" , Fast the month of Ramadan and go for pilgrimage if you have the physical, material and mental abilities" . It is agreed.
Joint me oh! My lovely friends for learning prayers (communication with Al’lah)..., that blessing time we stand before our Provider (glory to Him) is the main pillar of religion. Through which you get blessing and provision of all things. Let’s learn how to perform it rightly so as to earn its fruits and wisdom. God says: (Perform communication, give charity and obey the messenger (PBUH) so that you may receive mercy (from God)) Fortress 24, An-Nur (Light), verse 56. He says again: (Perform communication, give charity and whatever of good (deed that God loves) you send forth for yourselves before you, you shall find it with God. Certainly, God is All-Seer of what you do) Fortress 2, Al-Bakra, verse 110. He says: (When you have finished the Salat (congregational communication), verily, remember God standing, sitting down and lying down on your sides, but when you are free from danger, perform communication verily communication is enjoined on the believers at fixed hours) Fortress 4, An-Nisaa, verse 103.
Oh my lovely students, Qur’an has shown us the great position of communication and made it the base of all goods, provision and honour gained by a human being in this world from God (glory to Him). God has said it clearing that, He will never help, save and provide any person except those who have a communication with Him thro ugh performing their prayer. He shows us an example on the Jews as He said to them: (...God said: I am with you if you perform communication and give charity).Fortress 5, Al- Ma‟ida, verse 12.
So, the Almighty God helps and guides the believers through their connection with Him to good deeds which lead them to the Paradise. While those disbelievers who are not communicating with Allah are immerged in bad deeds due to their farness from God and so, can never be saved or guided. He commands us to pray to him five times a day in order to wholly turn to Him with our mind. He is our Provider who created us in the womb of our mothers and brought us to this world to do good deeds for the enjoyment of His favour, provision and honour.
My lovely one, who has given you the two eyes that help you seeing different things? Who have given you the mouth for nourishment?, the tongue for talking and tasting all tastes – sweet, bitter, sour etc?, the teeth that form the good shape of the mouth and for chewing foods? Who is the provider of all these?
Furthermore, who have created you in this organised way?, a head having beautiful face, eyes, ears for hearing, nose for smelling good smells and the hair to protect your head from danger giving it a beautiful shape.? What of your hands with flexible fingers used for writing, gripping things, eating your foods, playing games and all the like? Look at your legs that carry you from place to place and with many benefits. Who did create it?
Then around you, you have night for relaxation after over labour during the day and the day for many activities such as: Farming, studying, visiting others. This change of the hours of the days and nights are all for your favour. Also look at the beautiful moon in the sky how it appears in a crescent shape ―new moon" increasing gradually up to a full circular shape ―full moon" and start reducing back to the original crescent shape. And the Sun that gives you light and brightness that you see different objects around you and its heat gives more benefits to human’s health. Who has created all these?
The cloud formed by the water vapour from rivers, lakes, oceans, seas etc, carried by the wind, covers and beautifies the sky. It accumulates to form rain that falls down on earth and benefits all creatures, especially farmers who feed the whole world by the grace of the Almighty God. Isn’t God the Creator and Doer of all these?
He created: Eggs from the chickens, Milk from cattle, Honey from Bees, fruits of all kinds and other food as a favour for you to enjoy. And animals from which you derive many services such as: a means of transport, food etc. He made some of the animals lawful and others unlawful to you. God commands us to deeply think of all these and the universe in general so as to have increasing in loving and thanking Him.
Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH), used to think of all these during his childhood till he became a Prophet as mentioned in the holy Qur’an. The holy Prophet Mohammad (cpth) used to do so also before the revelation started descending to him. And he became the leader of the Prophets and Messengers, very kind and wiser in prayer (communication with God).
The Imam M. A. Sheikho, also followed the ways of the prophet as concern thought about the being around him, as you see in his background stories of his life where he used to solve all his problems through thinking which gave him the best successful result.
So, human is above all creatures by their brain that helps them in thinking and organizing. God the Creator loves us more than our parents and He is the most merciful and most gracious to His creatures, He commands us for prayers (communication with Him) so as to gain much from His favours.
In fact if we look at the Fortresses of the Am’ma part, which you memorize in this course some of them and study their interpretation very well, we will find them turning our hearts and minds to the universe and then to Almighty God. The main reason is for us to have strong faith so as to glorify our provider and communicate with Him.
The faith is the base of the prayer which makes it real and right. Without faith or seeking it continuously through thinking about these signs of the universe, we shall never gain anything from our prayers. Prayer does not only depend on actions ―movements" but on: - The essence of it which includes having the link between the heart and the Almighty Al’lah.
- The mastery of its actions and movement.
From this we say the fruit of the ordained prayers is achieved. In this sense, you are able to attain the aim of ordaining prayer.
At this point you can request for the solution of your problems patiently in communication with God, as a result safety ways will be opened to you. God says: (You alone we worship and You alone we ask for help)Thus God commands you to pray in order to become more respectful and nearer to Him (glory be to Him). So look at these signs and wonders in this Universe around you thinking about them, and then about the ir Great Creator Who has created them and you, so as your heart will submit to Him. At this point you can get the link with your Creator through your prayer.