“A man came to Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, teach me but make it concise.’ He (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: ‘(1) When you stand to pray, pray like a man bidding farewell. (2) Do not say anything for which you will have to apologize. (3) And give up hope for what other people have.’” [Sunan Ibn Majah]
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In this two part discussion, Moulana Naeem Motala Saheb DB, expounds on “Three Golden Advices” mentioned in the above Hadith, narrated by Hazrat Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari RA
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The Three Golden Advices >
• Perfecting our Salaah
• Controlling our Tongue
• Turning ones gaze away from the possessions of people towards Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala
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The Perfection of Salaah
Salaah is a means of asking and drawing from Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala’s unlimited treasures! Although we perform our Salaah five times a day let us question ourselves as to how we perform our Salaah …
The ‘manner’ in which we perform our Salaah is something we should question ourselves about! The moment we say ‘Allah-hu-Akbar’, let us be honest to ourselves, we do so many things by means of our mind … We have planned out our holidays … We are busy offloading containers and marking goods in our shop … Sometimes we have sold so many goods and items … At times we are busy planning our meetings for the day … If we have had an argument at home, we are busy planning what subject matter we are going to present and how we are going to behave … We have not discarded and bid farewell to, everything and everybody, to our Dukaan (shop) and Makaan (house), to our leisures and pleasures … to every other thought except Allah!
Instead of focussing on Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala we become totally distracted and Ghaafil (unmindful) of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala …
From the beginning (Allah-hu-Akbar) to the end (Salaam), we should be mindful of the fact that we are not standing before any human being … We are standing before our Creator, Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala! The moment the Adhaan is given we should condition our minds and prepare for coming to Salaah. First and foremost with a proper and correct Whudu … Our thoughts should now be directed towards Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala … One should be completely intent and focussed to the fact that he is standing before Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala and is going to be absorbed and consumed in this communication with Allah … It is as though, he is watching Allah and that Allah is watching him!
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How to gain concentration in Salaah?
1. Bid farewell to everything besides Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala when commencing Salaah
2. Our hearts and minds (not only our limbs) should be consumed in focussing on Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala
3. Reflect and ponder over the meanings of the Surah’s we are reading and then we will find enjoyment in Salaah
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Let us try and perfect our Salaah!
