[2] Servitude and the Prayer

A series of discussions on the teachings of Imam Sadiq (sixth Imam of the Muslims), from the book Misbah ash-Sharia (The Lantern of the Path)

In His Name, the Most High

This is part two of an ongoing series of discussions on the book by Imam as-Sadiq titled ‘Misbah ash-Sharia’ (the Lantern of the Path).

It is strongly recommended that the previous part is read, before proceeding with this one; to avoid any confusion or misunderstanding within the subject matter.

The nature of the subject matter, and the style of discourse requires that each part build upon those that came before it, so once more, I strongly recommend that the reader, read the previous part, then continue with this one.

The previous part, the first part, can be found here:

The Lantern of the Path - Index

Video of the Majlis (Sermon/Lecture)

This write up is a companion to the video majlis (sermon/lecture) found below:

Contents

• Majlis - Misbah ash-Sharia - Servitude - Part 2

• Nasheed - Salaam Farmandeh (Bahasa and Farsi with English Titles)

• Ziyarah: Ziyarah of Lady Zahra

Recap

In the last part - which was the first of this series - we started to look at the Conduct with God; and we looked at the Rights of God against us, we went through and discussed the Greatest Right of God, as explained by Imam as-Sajjad in his Treatise on Rights.

The Conduct with God - Giving Him His due

In the previous part we discussed the Greatest Right of God, and we had enumerated, an entire list - as presented by Imam as-Sajjad - of rights that God has against us. Here we will discuss those; and proceed to move ever forwards in our understanding of both God, as well as how we can move forwards on our journey towards attaining the state of true servitude of God.

These are the rights that Imam as-Sajjad mentions:

• The Greatest Right of God

• The Right of God against your self (nafs)

• The Right of God against our tongue

• The Right of God against our hearing

• The Right of God against our sight

• The Right of God against our hand

• The Right of God against our legs

• The Right of God against our stomach

• The Right of God against our private parts

We covered, as I’ve said the Greatest Right of God in the previous session, so now we must examine the remaining eight rights, so that we can understand them.

Now, there are a number of ways we can discuss these rights; we can either go through them individually; and that is a valid pathway; or we can look at them in a more holistic manner.

In fact if we examine how the Right of God against yourself, against ourselves, against our soul - our nafs; is described by Imam as-Sajjad, then this in fact covers all the remaining rights:

The right of God against your self is that you employ it in obeying God; then you deliver to your tongue its right, to your hearing its right, to your sight its right, to your hand its right, to your leg its right, to your stomach its right, to your private part its right, and you seek help from God in all that.

The first and foremost component in the right of God against ourselves, is that we employ ourselves, our nafs, our soul in His obedience, His worship; we had discussed in the previous session, how we could understand what worship actually is.

The importance of this; this idea of becoming intimate with God; with loving Him, as He deserves to be loved; of feeling His presence everywhere we go, and with everything we do; this is something truly profound.

Indeed, there are many ways that we can commune with, and be intimate with God, and the best way of doing that - as we are taught by the Prophet Muhammad and his pure family, is that of prayer, the daily prayer; that all Muslims, no matter their school of thought, perform five times a day.

Within this prayer, a prayer that can be explained as a simple act of service, there is a monumental benefit; and indeed according to the many senior scholars of Islamic thought and especially ethics, spirituality, gnosis and mysticism; this prayer is by far the most important, and the most beneficial action that any believer can perform.

More so, in the act of praying; we can see that all of the various parts of the body are united, operating in unison, to give God that which is His due, and this is why it can be thought, that in this discussion, by examining the prayer, we will work together to understand, what exactly it means to give God, that which is His due.

Now having said that; and since we have an initial understanding of what the idea of worship is - it is essentially loving God, becoming cognisant of Him, to be aware of Him, to know what He likes, to know what He dislikes, to ask Him for our needs, to talk to Him when we are happy; to go to Him when we are sad; but to always have total Trust in Him.

So, let us examine this daily prayer; the simple two unit daily prayer - such as the morning prayer that a believer starts his or her day with.

What does that mean?

How is this a dialogue, a conference, a meeting, with the Lord Sustainer of the Universes?

How does this benefit the performer - the one praying?

What is the mindset, that one should enter the prayer with?

We will try to walk through, to understand, each aspect, and to - with His grace - understand the prayer, such that, the next time we go and perform our prayer; it will be a far more intimate meeting, a meeting of two lovers, one who is infinitely powerful, the other who is needy, weak, sinful, broken; but who has complete certainty that his Beloved will always embrace him, will hold him, and listen to his needs, and indeed, will provide such comfort, as a child finds in the open arms of its mother; that all the tears stop; and a feeling of great contentment descends upon him.

The Most Sublime Act of Love - Praying to God

Now, let us consider the simple two unit prayer. On the surface; it is very straightforward, mundane one might even say.

Also, and this is an important point. I am not going into the explicit protocols required for the ablution, the place of prayer, the direction of prayer; or the mechanisms that make up the prayer.

Rather, the entire purpose of this is to explain the essence of what the prayer is, what it should be, what it can be when approached with the correct understanding.

Also, when during the course of this paper, the word ‘his’ is used to describe the subject, the one praying, this should not be understood in a ‘gendered’ manner; rather this ‘his’ could just as easily be a ‘her’. It is about the person that is engaged in this devotion; and their gender is not relevant in this discussion. This is an important point to bear in mind, so as to avoid confusion and the potential for misunderstandings.

In the interests of brevity, and to avoid repetition; we will go through two units; but will treat them as a single unit - while that might sound counter intuitive, what I mean will be made clear as we proceed.

I ask only that the reader, place themselves into a reflective state of mind; where they think deeply of what is being said.

In the name of our Beloved, we proceed.

Ablution - the Cleansing

The one praying first performs the ablution; cleanses themselves; however what is the meaning of this ablution? Is it just to remove dirt that has accumulated over the day or the last few hours?

Is it to splash water on their faces so as to wake them up?

Or is it, the preparation that the lover would do, to visit his Beloved; to make himself handsome and beautiful; clean, smelling beautiful, well groomed; so that when he goes to visit his Beloved; he is well presented; smells wonderful, is clean; and is wearing good clean clothes, looking smart and as it is said, looking very presentable.

Consider, when a person goes for a business meeting; when they go to speak to their manager or boss; they will make sure they are well groomed; that their clothes are well presented, ironed, looking smart - the term ‘prim and proper’ is sometimes used. Others say ‘they look the part’ - they are presentable.

Why is this? Have you ever considered why we do this?

When a young man is preparing for a job interview, for example, no doubt his parents or guardians will tell him to make sure his shirt is well ironed, his hair is well groomed; his beard and moustache are smartly trimmed; that his shoes are polished; that his suit is crisp and looking perfect.

If it is a young lady who is preparing for an interview, the same also applies, she will wear good decent and proper clothing, she will make sure her hair is well groomed; as a believing, free and modest lady; she will ensure her hijab, her headscarf and veil are properly worn; that nothing is out of place. That everything is perfect.

Why is this?

Well, on reflection; firstly; being clean, well groomed and smartly dressed, this has psychological benefits on the person, indeed according to some scientific studies the act of being well groomed, smartly dressed and clean, these help to calm a person down; they reduce stress levels.

When we go and perform our ablutions for the prayer; this is also to calm us down, reduce anxiety and stress.

Perhaps a person has had a particularly difficult day, maybe things haven’t been going well, or they have become extremely busy, life - as we’ve discussed in our series on patience - can become difficult and challenging; so the act of washing our faces, our hands and arms; all of the components of the ablution; can, and indeed, do; have a calming effect.

Further more; when performing the ablution - known in Islamic terminology as the wudhu - there is a need to be focused; to be mindful of what you are doing; to go through the process methodically.

As with any action that a believer undertakes; there is first and foremost the intention; where they consciously acknowledge that they are cleaning and preparing themselves, as a means to become closer, and for the pleasure of their Beloved.

In Islamic thought, the notion of the intention is extremely important, and this will be covered further in this paper, but, for now it suffices to say, that a believer, should always make a conscious intent before commencing any task; irrespective of how mediocre or irrelevant it might seem.

Consider a person going to the shop to buy some milk, for example; such a person, such a believer; should make a conscious intention as they start this task; that they are going to the shop, to buy milk, which will give them energy - or please their loved one or child - and will be a means to become closer to their Beloved, to God.

Even something as simple as this, can bring about great spiritual blessings for such a simple act, and further more even from a psychological perspective; it can provide additional focus; and can act as a means to prevent procrastination, or becoming distracted.

There is the gargling, this has positive effects on oral hygiene, it removes any remnants of food that may have gotten stuck. When the nostrils are washed, this too has a calming effect, and cleanses the airways, it allows for built up mucus to be removed, and also clears the mind.

Washing the face, from where the hairline starts; to the bottom of the face, this has positive effects on the circulation; and while washing the eyes, they are also cleansed of any rheum, or eye crust (essentially mucus and dead skins cells that can accumulate through the night as a person sleeps) that might have built up; mucus that might cause eye infections and other problems if not cleansed.

For the believer; there is a great recommendation to always remain in a pure state; that is to keep their Wudhu intact; to renew it after visiting the water closet (toilet) and at all times.

So, a person prior to going to pray; will want to ensure they are well groomed; clean; well dressed; indeed it is recommended in Islamic thought and ethics that a person comb their hair and beard - and this applies to the women also, that they make themselves beautiful; prior to donning their clean clothes for the prayer, prior to coming to the place of prayer.

The entire act of ablution, also cleanses the mind; as mentioned; and putting on clean clothes also plays an important part in calming a person; bringing about a state of tranquility.

After all, when a person wants to visit their beloved; even if they’ve had a particularly difficult day; they will want to still look their best; because there is nothing quite like the smile of the beloved when seen by the lover.

What is Beauty?

Further more there is a beautiful hadeeth by Imam as-Sadiq which reads:

الإمامُ الصّادقُ عليه السلام : البَسْ وتَجَمّلْ ، فإنَّ اللَّهَ جميلٌ‏يُحِبُّ الجَمالَ ، وليَكُن مِن حَلالٍ

Dress up and beautify yourself, for God is beautiful and He loves beauty; and make sure it is righteous [beautification]

- Wasa'il al-Shia, Volume 3, Page 34, Hadeeth #4

This also leads us to the notion of righteous beautification.

Sadly, in the world we live in, the word beauty has been corrupted - like many other words. It is now deemed ‘beautiful’ if, for example, a lady reduces her covering; and parades herself in a somewhat naked manner.

This is not this pure beauty that we are speaking of.

In fact, there have been discussions amongst thinkers, and also some events during the horrific wars of the 20th and 21st Century, where a man who was strong and resistant to the tortures inflicted on him by the enemies, who could not be broken by the worst of tortures, was rendered impotent and broken by the manipulation of the women he cared about.

Such a man was forced to see his wife, sister, mother, his loved one, have her clothing removed, and thereby, he was forced, since his honour as a man was being directly attacked and beaten, to capitulate, and to do what was required by the enemy; as a means to try to protect the honour of his loved one.

Indeed, we saw in Kerbala, that the forces of the tyrant Yazid, following the murder of Imam Husayn and his companions in the Epic of Ashura; immediately went to remove the veil and coverings of the ladies of his household; as a means to humiliate them; to abuse them.

Of course, such disgusting behaviour failed to achieve the desired effect, the tyrant was destroyed by Lady Zaynab and Imam as-Sajjad’s words and their reliance on God; but the effort, nevertheless, was made.

If we look at modern society; we can see the prevailing current is for women to wear less - especially in summer, that they are told that being paraded in the streets in a scantily clad manner, or being used to advertise products, again with very little clothing, to appear in movies and television programs at times, tragically, without any clothing, is considered a means of being ‘beautiful’.

Yet what type of beauty is this?

This is not beauty; this is abuse; this is manipulation; this is objectification, and indeed; it is a means to silence the resistive spirit of the human; to break the notion of the family; to encourage debauched behaviour, and indeed is - in the opinion of many scholars of Islamic thought- a monumental abuse of not just the women, but of humanity as a whole.

So, returning back to our subject; God, as we know is beautiful, and He loves beauty; so to beautify oneself - in a decent, respectful and honourable way - is what is done before a person goes to start their prayers, before they do anything, as this is ensuring one of the rights of God - one that we will cover later (in the next post of this series), and that is the right of keeping His limits, and, thereby helps us to ensure that we are giving Him, His due.

So now, we have the person; they have beautified themselves by completing their ablution; they have put on clean and decent clothing; and they have readied themselves to meet their beloved; to commune with their beloved.

Now before we proceed; there is an important point that must be understood.

Talking to, calling to God, doesn’t require that a person be in a state of ritual purity (i.e. having just completed their ablutions, for example); necessarily. Rather; a person can talk to God at anytime, and in any condition.

God in the Quran, has clearly said:

وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِي سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَاخِرِينَ

And your Lord says, ‘Call upon Me; I will respond to you.’ Indeed, those who disdain My worship will enter Hell [rendered] contemptible.

- Quran, Surah al-Ghafir (the Chapter of the Forgiver) #40, Verse 60

So, it is completely acceptable for a person to call God, to talk to God, at anytime and place, be they in a state of ritual purity or not.

And this is nothing strange.

When a person is in an intimate and close relationship; they can go and speak to, they can go and talk to their beloved in any condition; their beloved knows them, accepts them for how they are.

The beloved is there for their lover in any condition.

To suggest that the only time a person can talk to their beloved, is in a state of ritual purity, and excellent grooming and being perfectly dressed, no, this is not valid.

Having said that; even for the lovers; there are times; when they prepare themselves, clean themselves, wear nice and clean clothes, groom themselves, and indeed beautify themselves before they meet.

Perhaps they are going on a date, perhaps they are going to sit for a nice meal, or a deep conversation, whatever the case; there are times when things can be informal so to speak; and times when there is more effort put into how a person looks, when there is a certain formality and protocol (written or unwritten is for another discussion) that should be followed.

This is something normal, and something that is not complicated or difficult to understand.

The Meeting Room and Place - The Musallah

Now, after having groomed him or herself, having put on good, clean, decent and respectable clothing, the lover is now ready to enter the room, to meet with, to use a more colloquial expression, to have a ‘date’ with their beloved.

They enter the room, it is customary, and indeed recommended, to have some perfume on the prayer mat, the meeting location, so that everything smells beautiful - the staleness of the world can be forgotten - if but for a short while; so that they can bask in the glory of their beloved, and speak their heart to the one who understands their heart better than they do themselves.

Speak to someone who they might have upset, someone who they have reason to beg for forgiveness, speak to the One who has all power and authority over them, to the One who is the source of, and the reason for their very existence.

To someone in love with another, someone who has a pure, clean and deep love for another, they are always conscious of their actions, of what they have done that may have upset that who they love, who is their very reason for existing, who is their very reason for living, and who they would never want to see upset, let alone be the one who upsets them.

When they enter into a meeting with the object of their love, they feel a degree of shyness, of awe, their heart will flutter perhaps.

Perhaps their beloved will look towards them, will smile at them.

As mentioned in the previous session - the relationship is that of a lover and beloved, and there is an unwritten protocol between lovers, where the lover is in such awe of their beloved, and this is amplified as they meet. The lover can feel the open arms of their beloved, welcoming them to the meeting place.

The mere thought that their behaviour, their negligence, their mistakes and errors might result in their beloved turning away from them, causes the tears to start building up, for their voice to start to tremble, and for a great pain, a great feeling of dread overcoming their hearts.

But as they enter the meeting place, the musallah, they can see their beloved waiting for them, the most beautiful smile on their face, welcoming them, to come and sit, to come and talk, to spill out all the pain in their heart, to take comfort, to cry out of regret for mistakes, for sins, for the state of the world, or even out of sheer joy at being with their Beloved.

Once on the musallah, the lover, prepares themselves further; to begin their discussion.

The Intention

Now, with all the preliminary preparations complete; the lover is ready to begin his devotion, his adoration, to submit himself fully, to fall into the open embrace of his Beloved.

The first thing, is the intention; and intention is a very important notion - that we had briefly touched upon earlier.

An intention is a thing, a state of mind, even, that can change a good action into a bad, and morph a potentially bad act into the most beautiful of things.

The intention of the lover is to become closer to, ever closer to, to become absorbed in the loving arms of their Beloved.

The intention is telling their Beloved, that this action that I am now doing, this prayer, this, my action, my everything, all this cleansing and beautification I have done, is for no reason, except that I want to become close to You, to become intimate with You.

Again, here I must emphasise, that this notion of intimacy; is not the perversion of the word that is in the common lexicon understood by most people, especially in the collective West, or parts of the world that have been corrupted by the machinations of the likes of ‘Hollywood’ and ‘Bollywood’.

Perhaps, one can argue, the type of intimacy that we are speaking of is the emotional intimacy as per the common definition, but it is so much more, so much more than just emotional intimacy.

Perhaps it is spiritual intimacy, but in reality, such qualified intimacies are insufficient to describe the type of intimacy that we are trying to understand here.

It is an intimacy of the entire existence of one into that which is the source of said existence.

Indeed, the best way that I can describe it, the best analog that I can find, is that pure, clean, and most beautiful intimacy shared by a child and their mother

As the child is completely helpless, weak, pathetic, they know nothing; and they cry out of their own ineptitude at doing anything. But, when they look into the loving face of their mother; everything is immediately fine, all the problems disappear and they feel safe, they feel, no they know, that nothing can harm them.

It is a truly profound, beautiful, amazing thing, and the believer is so blessed that they can experience this not just five times a day as they perform their prayers; but at every moment, if they could but see that beautiful Face of God looking upon them, and know they are always in the security of His most perfect embrace.

Even this description is lacking, but it is the simplest and easiest to understand explanation, that this small student can craft in order to try to explain this.

It is the notion of going to someone who loves you entirely, unconditionally; someone you can rely on, someone who will listen to you, who will console you, who will share in your happiness, and be a shoulder in your difficulties and sadnesses. It is a means of being enveloped in a feeling of complete safety, of security.

So, the lover makes his or her intention; that I want to seek closeness to my Beloved, as per the prayer of Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim), the Friend of God, as quoted in the Quran:

قُلْ إِنَّ صَلَاتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ ۖ وَبِذَٰلِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَا أَوَّلُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ

Say, “My prayer and my worship, and my life and my death, are devoted to God, the Lord of the Worlds.
No associate has He. Thus I am commanded, and I am the first of those who submit.

- Quran, Surah al-Ana’am (the Chapter of the Cattle) #6, Verses 162 to 163

That everything the lover has, is entirely devoted to his Beloved. What a most beautiful situation, where the lover devotes their entire being to their Beloved, that they submit their entire will, that everything they do is for their Beloved.

How fortunate is someone who has a Beloved that they can feel about in such a way; that they are entirely absorbed in their Beloved!

The lover then makes his intention, that - in this case, as we are going through a simple two unit prayer, a short meeting, a short liaison; they would make their intention such that:

“I am performing this prayer, which is devoted to my Master, my Beloved, that I desire to become ever closer to Him”

The Initial Glorification

At the point of completing their intention; the lover is fully focused, is entirely engrossed in their Beloved; all they see is their Beloved, nothing else matters, to quote Mansour al-Hallaj who said:

The beloved does not drink a single drop of water without seeing His Face in the cup.

The lover sees only the Face of his Beloved; and almost in an involuntary manner; the lover raises their hands; and testifies that:

‘Allahu Akbar’ (God is the Greatest, God is the Most Profound, the Most Sublime)

The raising of his hands, is as if to say, nothing of this world has any consequence at this time, only He, only His Face is of import; and so everything else is pushed aside, deemed irrelevant.

With the testimony of “God is the Greatest”, the lover sees the compassion and love, the profound mercy and the sheer magnanimity of his Beloved; and again; one might say in an involuntary manner; but while fully cognisant of their actions; they move to singing their Beloved’s praise in the most perfect manner; the manner that is most beloved by the Beloved, that indeed, was taught by the Beloved, the way that the Beloved loves to be praised.

The Opening (al-Fateha)

The lover begins his adoration of his Beloved, by singing His praises:

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ

In the name of God, the Gracious, the Merciful
Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds.
The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Master of the Day of Judgment.

- Quran, Surah al-Fateha (the Chapter of the Opening) #1, Verses 1 to 4

As the lover contemplates the profundity of the words; the tears well in his eyes; he cannot contain what he is saying. Imagine, this lowly person, this lover, is engaged in dialogue - yes, dialogue - with the Master of the Day of Judgement, with the Lord of the Worlds.

The lover pauses; to collect himself; and continues, determined to ensure that he tell his Beloved that:

إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ

It is You we worship, and upon You we call for help.

- Quran, Surah al-Fateha (the Chapter of the Opening) #1, Verse 5

He pauses again, he is again overcome with a great joy; that he is having a discourse, a direct conversation with the one that he truly loves, truly worships, and the only One that he dare to call out for when needing help; the only One that can help him; and he affirms that this is what he truly does.

The lover, then checks himself, does he really only love - only worship Him? Does he really only call out to Him for help? Or is he just paying lip-service to his Beloved?

He knows he cannot fool his Beloved; for his Beloved knows everything; and is fully aware of even his most hidden, his most darkest of thoughts.

He collects himself; feels the tears welling in his eyes; and feels his legs trembling in awe; and vows to himself, and to his Beloved; that, yes! a million times yes! I only call out to You, I only love You, I only worship You, I only seek assistance from You!

With tears flowing, with a great desire to become better, to be worthy of being the lover of his most amazing Beloved; the lover continues:

اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ

Guide us to the straight path.

- Quran, Surah al-Fateha (the Chapter of the Opening) #1, Verse 6

He collects himself; and begs his Beloved to help him, almost as if to confirm that he only asks Him for help; he asks that his most perfect Beloved, guide him, keep him, on the straight path; the path of righteousness; to never let him fall by the wayside.

To never let him fall, to always keep him within His embrace; within His safety. He shudders again; and feels he needs to carry on; to explain further what this ‘straight path’ is, that he begs his Beloved to keep him on. He, with a voice trembling in awe speaks:

صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ

The path of those You have blessed, not of those against whom there is anger, nor of those who are misguided.

- Quran, Surah al-Fateha (the Chapter of the Opening) #1, Verse 7

He shivers, his legs tremble as he recites this line; he fears angering his beloved, he fears finding himself on a path that doesn’t go to Him, that takes him away from Him.

The tears flow, the lover with great fear; but filled with great hope; begs that his Beloved keep him upon, guide him towards, the path of those beautiful souls that are also from the greatest lovers of the Beloved, those who are from the most blessed, those who the Beloved loves and who love Him.

He shakes; his legs tremble; he collects himself; the mere thought of being those who become deserving of his Beloved’s wrath, he becomes terrified; the fear of becoming lost starts to engulf him, that terror of falling to misguidance; of leaving the path of Truth, and falling into darkness.

The tears are now flowing freely from his eyes; as he reflects on his own wretched self; but then, as if miraculously, as he completes these words, crying and terrified, like a lost child, he feels the most beautiful of embraces.

He is filled with a profound serenity; his Beloved smiles upon him, looks at him lovingly; as if to comfort this wretched soul, this weak lover, this broken hearted lover.

It is almost as if he can hear his Beloved saying to him:

“My dear, I promise to help you if you come to me, I will run towards you, you take one step, and see that I have taken ten, that I will never misguide you, that if you love me, I will open for you the doors of the most profound of blessings.”

Overcome, the lover, feels that he cannot but praise his Beloved once more; this monumental kindness, this amazing grace, everything, that even while knowing how wretched he is, his Beloved still treats him with such compassion. Oh what joy.

He feels overwhelmed with joy; that his Beloved has not turned away; that his Beloved is at his side, and will always be at his side, that he is compelled to once more sing the praises of his most beautiful, most lovely, most wonderful Beloved:

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds.

Indeed, within the prayer, it is a very praised act, that in the prayer, after the completion of the Chapter of the Opening; that the person praying say this, and when reflecting on the entire Chapter of the Opening; truly; to the wayfarer, to the lover; this is something that is almost reflexive; they are compelled by this most profound of Love, to sing his praises.

As he recites these words; a serenity envelopes him; he feels the warm embrace of his Beloved; he feels safe; and feels a need to further recite from the words of his Beloved.

Now, here the lover, can recite any other chapter of the Quran; but in normal convention; the smaller chapters are recited - but there is no issue, even if the lover wishes to recite the longest chapter of the Quran; this is his choice.

In our case, we will go through the Chapter of Abundance.

The lover; now recites another chapter from the Quran; where he feels his Beloved is talking to him directly; as the Quran is the direct word of God:

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ الْكَوْثَرَ
فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَانْحَرْ
‏ إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الْأَبْتَرُ

In the name of God, the Gracious, the Merciful
Indeed We have given you abundance.
So pray to your Lord and sacrifice.
He who hates you is the loser.

- Quran, Surah al-Kawthar (the Chapter of Abundance) #108, Verses 1 to 3

While he recites this; he can feel the profound love of his Beloved; he feels entirely absorbed; enveloped and safe; the words of the chapter fill his heart with joy; for he knows that his Beloved never lies; and if his Beloved is saying, those who hate you, are from the losers; he knows that this is the case.

The Bowing (Ruku’)

He feels closer to his Beloved; he feels ever closer; and again, as his cup overflows with great love; he raises his hands once more; to throw the world to the side; and says:

Allahu Akbar (God is the Greatest)

This overpowers him; he feels he has to bow to the Majesty of his Beloved; be moves into a bowing position; and feels he must glorify, must sanctify, must say in profound obeisance:

“All praise, all glory, is to God, the Entirely Incomparable”

In saying this; he is reminded of the beloved Prophet Muhammad; who is the one who conveyed these teachings to all of humanity; including this lowly lover; and he immediately asks his Beloved to:

“Oh God, shower your praise and blessings upon Muhammad, and the pure family of Muhammad”

As he completes this; again; he is filled with a profound certainty; a great joy; the tears flow from his eyes as he understands that his Beloved hears him; and he gets up, again saying with every facet of his being:

Allahu Akbar (God is the Greatest)

And then, he feels he has to tell the world; tell everyone; how amazing his Beloved is; how his Beloved listens to the one who praises Him; and so he says:

“God hears, and listens, to the one who praises Him”

A joy once more envelopes him, as he once more feels held, feels protected, feels safe; feels loved; and once more he says; almost instinctively; as a lover would applaud his beloved and tell them how amazing they are; just if they look at them with a beautiful smile.

Allahu Akbar (God is the Greatest)

The words leave his lips; but originate at the very core of his being; and the lover is compelled; to prostrate entirely; not just to bow; but to prostrate on the ground; in front of his Beloved.

The Prostration (Sajdah)

The lover; feels that bowing is not enough, to praise, to acknowledge, to testify to the greatness, to the awesomeness of his Beloved; and feels compelled to fall to the ground; to fall prostrate.

To fall to the ground, in complete awe of his Beloved. What a most beautiful station, to be on the floor, at the feet of your Beloved.

His forehead, placed on a tablet of earth, earth that is from the most blessed of places, where the purest of blood was shed by the worst of the worst; blood that was shed, to ensure that the name of the Beloved, his Beloved, be always raised, be always the Most High. Oh the joy! He feels again that he is overwhelmed; that the love of his Beloved races through his entire being.

Reflecting on this, feeling this, experiencing this; the lover; closes his eyes; and says, with a smile on his face, filled from the inside with the most amazing joy:

“All praise, all glory is only for God, who is the Most High, the Most Sublime”

He realises that in the position he is in, he feels that his Beloved is the Most High; both in relation to him physically, but always. And his Beloved is without a doubt, the Most Sublime, the Most Amazing.

Tears, once more start to well in his eyes; as he remembers the Master of the Martyrs; who in the Epic of Ashura; continued even in the most difficult of times to ensure that he never missed this divine meeting.

Even as arrows rained down all around; as the heroes defended the ones in commune with God, as the heroes held their own commune, with God witnessing their more beautiful love and sacrifice, both for their Imam, their beloved Leader, but also for His sake, that He chose to immortalise those blessed souls.

Overcome with emotion, he feels compelled to ask his Beloved to once more, shower Prophet Muhammad and his pure family with infinite blessings and praise; and to ever raise their position:

“Oh God, shower your praise and blessings upon Muhammad, and the pure family of Muhammad”

He gets up, reflecting at the sheer Majesty of his Beloved; that the entire universe bows to Him, yet He asked the angels to bow to his grandfather, Adam!

This thought again fills him with profound joy and increases his love for his Beloved; as he comes up from being prostrated; he feels compelled to say once more, while raising his hands as a means to once more cast aside the temptations of the world, the whispers of Satan and his minions:

Allahu Akbar (God is the Greatest)

Suddenly, he remembers the negligence that at times engulfs him; the mistakes, the sins, the crimes that he makes during the moments when he forgets his Beloved.

He shudders; he lurches forward, his throat tightens; he feels he needs to atone; to beg for forgiveness.

He looks down, filled with shame and guilt. He sits quietly for a moment, and meekly, acknowledges his manifest faults and failures, but with certainty and infinite hope in the magnanimity and limitless mercy of his Beloved.

He says, with full remorse, with yearning for forgiveness, with pain at his shortcomings and failures; knowing his sins and mistakes; solemnly vowing to never repeat them, with a trembling voice:

“I seek forgiveness from God, from my Lord, and I repent to Him”

On saying this, he is filled with a transformative joy; a feeling that his Beloved is once again smiling at him; knowing the sincerity of his repentance, and comforting him, telling him that I will forgive you.

He remembers the words from the supplication of Kumayl:

يَا إِلٰهِي وَسَيِّدِي وَمَوْلايَ وَرَبِّي، أَتُسَلِّطُ النَّارَ عَلَى وُجُوهٍ خَرَّتْ لِعَظَمَتِكَ سَاجِدَةً، وَعَلَى أَلْسُنٍ نَطَقَتْ بِتَوْحِيدِكَ صَادِقَةً، وَبِشُكْرِكَ مَادِحَةً، وَعَلَى قُلُوبٍ اعْتَرَفَتْ بِإِلٰهِيَّتِكَ مُحَقِّقَةً، وَعَلَى ضَمَائِرَ حَوَتْ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ بِكَ حَتَّى صَارَتْ خَاشِعَةً، وَعَلَى جَوَارِحَ سَعَتْ إِلَى أَوْطَانِ تَعَبُّدِكَ طَائِعَةً، وَأَشَارَتْ بِاسْتِغْفَارِكَ مُذْعِنَةً.

“O my God, my Master, my Protector, and my Lord!

Will You cause the Fire to overtake faces which have prostrated in adoration to Your greatness;
Tongues that have sincerely professed Your Oneness and given thanks to You in praise;
Hearts that have acknowledged Your Divinity through verification;
Minds that have acquired knowledge of You until they became humble;
Bodily members that have eagerly hastened to the places of Your worship in obedience and implored Your forgiveness in submission?”

- Dua Kumayl

He freezes, he becomes scared, terrified even.

What if his Beloved, would punish such a person for his crimes, for his negligence, for his plethora of sins and crimes, for his arrogance, for his self love, for the countless vices that he succumbs to when he ignorantly thinks, his Beloved cannot see!?

Once more as the lover recalls his behaviour, his actions, the tears well up, he jolts, fear courses through him, his face becomes ashen, and looks downward in shame.

But then he remembers, that Dua Kumayl continues:

مَّا هَكَذَا الظَّنُّ بِكَ وَلا أُخْبِرْنَا بِفَضْلِكَ عَنكَ
يَا كَرِيمُ يَا رَبِّ

No such opinion is held of You! Nor has such been reported - thanks to Your bounty, Oh the most Generous master!

- Dua Kumayl

He again is filled with such a profound, and deep, complete love for his Beloved, a certainty that the mercy, compassion and profound love of his Beloved encompasses everything; that he feels he has to once more, glorify his Beloved; and say:

Allahu Akbar (God is the Greatest)

This causes, every cell in his body, every part of his soul to go back into prostration; to prostrate to this loving, merciful, kind, caring Beloved One; and once more he goes through the process of prostration.

Once he completes the prostration; he sits back up; and now wishes to repeat the cycle once more; but how to get up?

How to stand up when in front of such Greatness, such Love, such an amazing Beloved Lord?

How to even dare to look up, let alone stand up when faced with such an Awesome Master?

He reaches down to the ground; and says:

“By the Might and Power of God, do I rise and do I sit”

He finds that the strength returns to his legs; to his arms; and he is able to stand once more. He can feel the might and power of his Beloved energise him, strengthen him, and he can then continue; and repeat his cycle of adoration.

Now for the sake of brevity, we will not repeat the entire unit once more; there can be differences; but they are optional; and fit into what we have discussed herein.

However, I would invite the respected reader to go back, and repeat the unit; to reflect on it deeply, to experience it themselves, to feel the Hand of God as it helps you to get up, to feel the warmth of the Face of God, and to feel enveloped in His infinite mercy.

Let us now, proceed by examining how we can conclude this liaison, this litany, this meeting of lovers.

Let us look at the ending of the prayer; with the testification, and then we can conclude with the salutation.

The Testification (Tashshahud)

Now, with the second prostration completed of the second unit; the lover sits, on his knees, looking down, contemplating his existence, his relationship with his Beloved, he feels he must testify - he must bear witness - to that which connects him to his Beloved, perchance, his many sins, crimes and mistakes can be atoned for with such a sincere and complete testimony:

“I bear witness, that there is nothing worthy of worship [of this profound and most beautiful Love], except God, the Unique, the Singular, the one who is without any partner”

He continues:

“I furthermore, testify, I bear witness, that Muhammad, is His servant and His messenger”

On mentioning the name of the best of his Beloved’s creation, Prophet Muhammad, the lover has no choice; and he needs to once more ask his Beloved to shower blessings upon the beloved Prophet Muhammad and his family:

“Oh God, shower your praise and blessings upon Muhammad, and the pure family of Muhammad”

The Salutations (Salaam)

He can feel the love of his Beloved for Prophet Muhammad, and those who love Prophet Muhammad and his family; and a warm feeling surrounds him; he feels as if the Prophet is himself there in front of him; and feels compelled to send his greetings; his salutations, directly to the most beloved of his Beloved, he looks down, feels shy at the awesomeness of his Beloved, and the best of his Beloved’s creation and says:

“Peace be upon You, Oh blessed Messenger of God, and may His mercy and blessings envelope you”

He listens, quietly. Did he just hear a reply?

Did the Prophet of God, reply to this sinful creature?

His eyes well up once more; his heart shakes; the Prophet answered my salutation! The most beloved of my Beloved, answered my salutation!

Oh what joy!

Oh what beauty!

Oh what truly amazing Grace, that a sinner such as me, can be worthy of such an honour!

All of a sudden, he can sense all of the sincere, righteous believers, alive or in the mercy of the Beloved, surround him; just as the blessed Saint Mary, the mother of Jesus, the Messiah, felt when she was told by God to:

يَا مَرْيَمُ اقْنُتِي لِرَبِّكِ وَاسْجُدِي وَارْكَعِي مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ

“O Mary, be devoted to your Lord, and bow down, and kneel with those who kneel.”

- Quran, Surah Aal-i-Imraan (the Chapter of the Family of Imraan) #3, Verse 43

Just like the blessed Saint Mary felt, that all the believers, the righteous were praying with her; he too feels such a sensation; and he feels he must send his greetings; his salutations to all the righteous servants of God, he says:

“Peace be upon us all, and upon all of God’s righteous and sincere servants”

He thinks; his eyes well up further; that somehow his Beloved inspired him to include himself within the righteous and sincere servants of God!?

He who is a lowly sinful wretch; the love of his Beloved overflows once more; and with his voice breaking out of awe and love he says:

“And peace be upon You, and the Mercy of God be upon You”

He stops for a second; wondering; what did he just say?

May the mercy of God be upon God?

But then he realises; he was talking to both God, to his Beloved, as well as the angels that are always in his Beloved’s direct presence; who oversee His creation; and who execute His every command without question.

He once more realises the greatness of God; the greatness of his Beloved.

Imagine, his Beloved; the one who wakes him in the morning with the chirping of the birds, even on the coldest winter day; and the one who puts him gently to sleep, as the night closes in.

The One to whom he speaks before being ushered to sleep by the loving lullaby of his Beloved, the One to whom he confesses the sins, crimes, mistakes and errors that he committed on the day that has just ended, the One who he begs to pardon him, to forgive him, and every time, on seeing his sincere tears of repentance, comforts him, sings him a lullaby, and rocks him kindly to sleep.

He can’t hold it in any longer; and he doesn’t want this meeting to end; he senses the two notaries; the two angels who are always at his right and left; he feels them; and wishes they only write that which is good; and ignore that which is bad from his actions and behaviours and such.

He raises his hands three times - the first time, he looks forward, the second to the right, and the third to the left - saying each time:

Allahu Akbar (God is the Greatest)

He feels that the angels will have no choice; but to write; that he - this lowly wretch - has testified to God’s greatness; that he has glorified his Beloved; and that must be noted.

As he completes this meeting; he feels an overpowering gratitude to the Prophet Muhammad and to his family; for teaching a wretch like him how to commune with the Lord of the Universes.

But wait, does he hear something, yes, he is reminded of the verse of Quran:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ۚ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا

God and His angels give blessings to the Prophet. O you who believe, call for blessings on him, and greet him with a prayer of peace.

- Quran, Surah al-Ahzaab (the Chapter of the Parties) #33, Verse 56

He now feels compelled to, as he completes his prayer, his dialogue; his meeting, his liaison, with his Beloved to send salutations on his beloved Prophet, the beloved of his Beloved, and says, with a heart filled with love, real love:

“Oh God, shower your praise and blessings upon Muhammad, and the pure family of Muhammad”

The Rosary of Joyous Love

As the lover completes his prayer; he is overcome with a profound joy, and a sense of contentment; he looks for his rosary; and starts to glorify, sanctify and praise God as the beads pass his fingers.

He passes his fingers over the beads 34 times, saying at each passing:

Allahu Akbar (God is the Greatest)

With each bead passing his fingers, he can feel the greatness of His beloved; that now, even after he has finished his prayer; he still feels, he always feels, that truly his Beloved is the Greatest; the most amazing, the best of the best in all things.

He feels a slight smile form on his face, a gentle smile, that the lover has when contemplating his Beloved; he feels a warmth flow into him.

Could this be the embrace of my Beloved he wonders? Could this be the embrace of my Master?

As he completes his 34th bead; he feels he must declare to all, that All praise belongs to God, to his Beloved, that his Beloved is truly the most praiseworthy!

He then passes his fingers over the next 33 beads, saying with each passing bead:

al-7amdu lillah (All praise belongs to God)

Again, he feels a warmth; an embrace; he looks around, and everywhere he looks he sees the Face of his Beloved; everywhere, he sees pure beauty, he feels a smile once more rise from his very soul to his face; a smile of joy, of that pure joy, on thinking of, on feeling his Beloved.

He notices that he has completed the 33rd bead, and yet, his praise, his glorification of God is as yet incomplete. He wishes to praise and glorify his Beloved more. He realises that even if he spent every waking moment praising and glorifying his Beloved, it would still be but a tiny drop in the ocean of his Beloved.

But he doesn’t want to stop, with the remaining 33 beads, he caresses them softly, as if to stroke the cheek of his Beloved with each bead, saying:

Subhan Allah (All Glory belongs to God)

He feels calm, he feels his Beloved is with him, will always be with him, will never leave him, and this moves him greatly, with tears of joy in his eyes, coming from the very core of his being, he completes his rosary.

As the last of the final 33 beads pass his fingers; he can feel the caress that his Beloved gives him, he feels a joy that he cannot describe, he feels moved in a way he didn’t think possible.

He also remembers that this rosary, was taught to him by the daughter of his most beloved Prophet, the Lady Fatima az-Zahra, and he feels that he must, once more, beg his Beloved to send his praise and blessings upon Lady Zahra, her blessed father, and her children, he says:

“Oh God, shower your praise and blessings upon Muhammad, and the pure family of Muhammad”

The Prostration of Gratitude

He feels a huge compulsion to go into prostration; to thank his Beloved for the countless bounties that have been bestowed upon him.

To thank his Beloved for not turning away, despite his countless sins, his countless crimes, his oppression of his own self and indeed of others that he has tried to remedy, that he has tried to atone for, he wants to thank his Beloved for allowing him to have this communion, this liaison, this beautiful and oh so intimate dialog.

He falls into the Sajda position, prostrate; with his forehead on the earthen tablet, made from the purest earth of Kerbala; and begins to once more thank his Beloved:

All my thanks to you, my Lord, my Master

He repeats this multiple times; over and over; not wanting to get up; not wanting to ever get up; to stay prostrate to his Beloved; to always be at the feet of his Beloved, and yet somehow, from where he doesn’t quite understand, he begins to feel an overpowering love emanate from somewhere.

From his Beloved perhaps? He wants to love all that his Beloved loves; and he feels, he can sense, he can smell even, that beautiful perfume of the best of God’s creation, Prophet Muhammad, and his pure family.

Unable to stop himself, unable to show any restraint, feeling that everything is now outside his control, and with tears flowing like rivers from his eyes, he begs his Beloved:

“Oh God, shower your praise and blessings upon Muhammad, and the pure family of Muhammad”

He repeats this a number of times; as he feels overcome by a profound joy; as he completes his prostration of thanks, he feels a compulsion to plant a gentle kiss on the earthen tablet; as if to kiss - metaphorically - the very Face of God, and the earth where the pure Blood of God was shed.

And thus, this most beautiful of meetings, this adoration, this sanctification of the Most Beloved, concludes.

The lover, now has to proceed with his day, he feels sad, that he has to leave this place, this place of safety, of joy, the place where he communes with his Beloved, yet he realises; that his Beloved is always with him.

Be he on the musallah, be he on the road, be he going to work, be he going to school, be he anywhere; and he feels his strength return; he feels that as long as his Beloved is by his side; he can take on the world, take on any trial, and be safe in the knowledge, in the certainty, that he is never alone.

He smiles, he remembers that shortly he will be meeting once more with his Beloved; and that his Beloved will always and is always by his side.

And from Him alone is all ability and He has authority over all things.

To the lovers, to the broken hearted, to the ones who ache at the separation, to those who can feel the pain of Ya’qub (Jacob) at the absence of Yusuf (Joseph).

To the protecter of the Yusuf of Lady Zahra, to the orphans awaiting him, to his Lord, please return him to us, our world pains at the length of the absence, we promise to be his most loyal of servants; he has but to ask; and we would lay down our lives in his way.

To the lady of light, to the mother of Mahdi, oh our beloved mother; pray for us; the sinful servants of your and our Master; intercede for us; that perchance; we can one day gaze into your most beautiful of faces.

To the one with the most beautiful face, we beg you, never turn away from us, guide us, teach us, love us, protect us, never let us do anything to upset or anger you, keep us always in your favour, oh our Beloved, always let us be from your lovers!

To the Master of our Age, to the Yusuf of Zahra, Oh our master, we yearn for your face, we yearn to look into your eyes, to adhere to your command, we are trying, as best as we can, yet the Satanic forces keep their campaign against the righteous; Oh Mahdi, the world is in desperate need, the Wali in your absence, protect him, keep him safe, and let no harm come to him, that he place in your hand the flag that carries the most perfect and beautiful name of our Beloved.