Holy Prophet (saw)'s Love of Salat

Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim

Asalamo Alaikum,

I will now try to do more frequent and shorter posts on this topic. In this post I will just cover the Sunnah of Salat to motivate us to aim towards this Salat, which is the true Salat. I am taking parts directly from a speech called Iqamatus Salat by Imam of Al-Fazl Mosque in London, UK. May we all benefit from this example, InshAllah.

Holy Prophet (saw)'s Love of Allah confessed by his enemies:

The Holy Prophet(saw) fulfilled the right of Iqamatus Salat so beautifully that Allah testified that his prayers, his worship, his living and dying, were all for His sake, the Lord of all the worlds, and even the enemies of the Holy Prophet(saw) publicly announced ‘Ashiqa Muhammadun Rabbahu, that Muhammad(saw) has fallen in love with his Lord! The Holy Prophet(saw) has stated, “O People! I like three things from this world, but I tell you that Qurratu ‘aini fis-salat that the delight and pleasure of my eyes is in the observance of prayer.”

Observing the beauty and length of Holy Prophet (saw)'s prayers:

Someone asked Hadhrat ‘A’ishah(ra), the blessed wife of the Holy Prophet(saw), to narrate the state of the Holy Prophet(saw)’s prayer. She responded:

“Where shall I find the words to describe the beauty and length of those prayers?” (Bukhari, Kitabus Saum)

The Holy Prophet(saw) would stand in prayer for so long that his blessed feet would become swollen. When someone suggested that he take rest, he responded saying, “Shall I not be a thankful servant to my Lord?” The state of his prostrations to Allah were also something to behold. The narrator relates that the state of the Holy Prophet(saw) in prostration was like a pot fervently boiling upon the stove, or like two millstones in a grinder hitting each other. To think of this causes the body to tremble and the following supplication comes from the heart:

“The emotion that existed in the supplications of Muhammad(saw), if only a glitter of it were granted to my prostrations as well.”

Holy Prophet (saw) lost in Prayers:

Hadhrat ‘A’ishah(ra) was the dearest and most beloved wife of the Holy Prophet(saw). She narrates: One night, when I woke up, I noticed the Holy Prophet(saw) was not in bed. I thought, perhaps he had gone to the house of another wife. As I looked here and there, I found the Holy Prophet(saw) had left his comfort and bed, and was on the ground, prostrating at some distance and was engaged in supplications. Hadhrat ‘A’ishah(ra) states: When I saw this, I was very disappointed at myself and I said to myself, O ‘A’ishah(ra), what thoughts are you preoccupied with, whereas look at the state in which the Messenger of Allah is in (Al-Nisa’i). In another narration it is mentioned that she found the Prophet(saw) prostrating in a nearby graveyard in the darkness of the night.

The Holy Prophet (saw) observed his Salat with such dedication throughout his life, even in times of the greatest hardships, bitter persectution, and battles in the face of enemies. I sincerely pray that we all take the example of Holy Prophet (saw) and attach it to our hearts and that Allah may grant us all the grace of prayer.

InshAllah, I will cover tips on how to establish concentration in Salat in my next post. I will be taking it from another speech that has now been translated into English called Rememberance of Allah.

Salam