Lesson One
The definition of prayer
(Communication with God)
God has made the prayer as an obligation to all His worshipers so that they earn His favour and honor by standing before Him and facing Him. Through that they will be sympathetic, very kind to other creatures and have perfection.
What is Salat (Prayer)?
Prayer means: Communication with God that is to say, the link between the Spirit and its Provider and its close connection with the light of the Creator. This is prayer in reality. If it does not result in this link and connection; it will merely be movements and sayings with no sense, meaning and reality.
But how can we get this link with our Provider? How can we perform this communication with God in its essence and reality? Indeed, Allah has explained it in Fortress – Al-Fatiha supported by the prophet saying: "No communication with God is performed by that who doesn’t read the opening chapter of the Holy Book – Al- Fatiha" .
So, what is the greatest secret related to Al-Fatiha which makes the communication with God depending on it? Al-Fatiha shows you the perfection of God (glory to Him) and by seeing the perfection, love will be generated and the link will be achieved. That is the desired fruit in reciting it in each bow when performing the communication with God. The more the believer recites Al-Fatiha, the more he witnesses and knows the Godly perfection he maintains and the higher rank he gradually raises to loving God through this communication. The noble saying of the Prophet denotes: "Communication with God is the elevatorof the believer" . It is a ladder through which he ascends in loving and knowing state by state. It is a ladder through which a believer gradually advances in seeing a way of virtue; time after time because this link makes the Spirit illuminated by the divine light of God. And it becomes able to distinguish the right path from the evil one. God says: (Communication with Me prohibits man from doing fornication or evil, but remembering Allah is the greatest) Fortress 29, Ankabut (spider), verse 45.
The Almighty God has ordered us to seek refuge in Him from the cursed Satan when we want to recite the Qur’an. He says: (So, when you want to recite Qur’an, seek refuge in God from Satan the cursed).Fortress 16, Annahl (the Bees), verse 98.
What is the meaning of "seeking refuge" ?
What do we mean by saying ―in God" ?
Who is Satan?
What is the meaning of ―the cursed" ?
"Seeking refuge and might" : means, to seek a shelter, protection and power from the owner of the mighty and glory. So, ‘seek refuge’ means that I ask for might and take shelter and protection in the Owner of glory and might.
"In God" ;Means ―in the Obeyed" . The obeyed here is that whose control and command affect every creature without exception, whether he likes or not, for His control and command contain but good and mercy. Each creature moves according to his assigned function and performs the works he has been created for. For examples:
The Camel is directed and exploited for serving man it serves as a mean of transport and food. The Bee is steered for collecting sweet substances from flowers and all the like to make honey. The terrestrial globe is controlled and rotated by the Almighty commands. The moon is directed and rotated round the earth in a continual movement and circulation. The entire universe is subjected to God’s Will and it cannot get out of the control of this Obeyed. That is what we understand from the word "In God" .
"Satan" : In Arabic is called ―Shaitan" derived from the two verbs: ‘Shatana’ and ‘Shata’. The verb Shatana means avoided the right. The word Shata means burned, So Satan who is far from the Right exposed himself to burning and being perishable. He is stricken by burning and damnation because of his farness from the God.
"The cursed" : Means, also the one who is continually hit by affliction and misery as farness away of God and shunning are the reasons beyond each affliction and the source of each misery.
The whole statement (I seek refuge in God from the cursed Satan)means ‘I seek protection and might in the Obeyed whose command controls everything from Satan who became always tortured and deprived of every good out of his farness from the right.
If you spiritually resort to Allah (God), when reciting the Holy Qur’an and enter into the presence of the Obeyed who made all creatures submissive and yielding to His command, there you will be in fortified fort and inaccessible place where no devil can enter.
In this fort, the whispers of Satan will cease from reaching you, the deafness of the ears will disappear and the veil of the eyes will be uncovered.