Dr. Muddassir Khan - Inner Secrets Of The Muslim Prayer: Spiritual Teachings of Quran, Sunnah, Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn al-Qayyim to Achieve Concentration in the Prayer

Contents

Inner Secrets

Of The

Muslim Prayer

Dr. Muddassir Khan

Copyright 2021

Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem .

In the Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Preface

All praise is due to Allah. We praise Him, seek His assistance and forgiveness and we seek refuge with Him from the evil of our souls and our misdeeds.

I testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone. He has no partner. I also testify that Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is His slave and Messenger.

This is a short book based on the teachings of Ibn al-Qayyim (Allah have mercy on him). It teaches us how to perform the prayer correctly.

This book was written for the person who is desirous of becoming a good Muslim. For the person who has sinned but wants to repent to his Lord. This book is for all Muslims - the newly converted and for those who have been Muslims since birth.

If you have been desiring to have a loving relationship with your Lord, then this book is written so that you can achieve this goal with ease.

This is not just a self-help book but is a manual of your journey towards becoming a good Muslim. This book will keep your heart from becoming hard and dark. It is a book of hope and forgiveness. You can heal your heart and improve yourself no matter where you have started this journey. Reading this book will serve as a source of your awakening and returning to the Islamic version of yourself.

By reading this compact but comprehensive book with a pure intention and attentive heart, you can cultivate your love for Allah and the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and live a life of gratitude and contentment.

Note:

A Muslim is encouraged to utter certain phrases at the mention of Allah, the Prophet, other Prophets, the angels, the companions of the Prophet, and righteous Muslims. Please say these phrases whenever you come across them in the book.

Allah : Say Subhaanahuu wa taaalaa which means Glorified and Exalted is He.

Prophet Muhammad : Say, Sallallaahu alayhi wa salam which means, May the peace and blessing of Allah be on him. Say this phrase always when you hear the beloved name of the Prophet or at any place where the Prophet is mentioned.

Other Prophets or an Angel : Say, Alayhis Salaam which means, Peace be on him.

A male companion of the Prophet : Say, Radiyallaahu anhum which means, May Allah be pleased with him.

A past scholar or righteous Muslim : Say, Rahimahullaah which means, May Allah have Mercy on him.

A female companion : Say Radiyallaahu anhaa which means, May Allah be pleased with her.

Hadeeth: Actions are but by Intentions

Actions are but by intentions,

and every man shall have only that which he intended.

Thus he whose migration (Hijrah to Madeenah from Makkah) was for Allah

and His Messenger,

his migration was for Allah and His Messenger,

and he whose migration was to achieve some worldly benefit,

or to take some woman in marriage,

his migration was for that for which he migrated.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

My greatest joy lies in prayer.

Chapter 1: Prayer is a joy to those who love Allah and it is a gift for believers

There is no doubt that prayer is a source of joy for those who love Allah and a pleasure for the souls of those who worship Allah alone. It is the garden of worshipers and a delight for the souls of those who contemplate.

It is through prayer that sincere beings evaluate their faith and it is the prayer that allows those who walk towards Allah to appreciate the path traveled. Prayer is a mercy that Allah has offered to His believing servants.

Allah led them there (to the condition of a servant where he prays with happiness), made it known to them, and offered them [this prayer] through His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). It is out of mercy for us and to honor us that he offered us prayer so that we would be worthy to deserve His paradise, and to inherit His proximity. Not that Allah needs His servants, but it is a favor that He does them and a privilege that He grants them.

The servant must fully orient himself towards Allah when he is in prayer.

By prayer, Allah causes His servants to worship Him both by heart and by the limbs of the body, but it is indeed the heart of the believer knowing his Lord that derives from it the greatest and the most immense of profits.

When he is in prayer, the believers heart is oriented towards his Lord. It rejoices and enjoys drawing near to Allah. It delights in His love. The heart marvels at the idea of finding itself in prayer before Him. It turns away from everything else during His worship and gives no importance to anyone other than Allah. The believer, therefore, strives to perfect his act of worship both in appearance and inwardly until it is performed in the way that satisfies his Lord.

The servant is tried by desires and other temptations

Allah has tested His servants through desires and other passions, internal or external. This is why - His mercy and His beneficence towards them being perfect - He has prepared a banquet (Salah - prayer) for them with various dishes, delicacies, and gifts. This helps them repel the desires and passions. He invites them there five times a day. Allah has made sure that each dish of this banquet gives the servant a different pleasure, interest, benefit, and appearance from one dish to another. Thus, the pleasure of the servant [in prayer] increases in each gesture of worship carried out until reaching perfection. Allah blesses him in every way possible.

Every act of prayer erases a sin

Each gesture of this act of worship (Salah - prayer) will in return make it possible to erase a sin hated by Allah. He will also give it a special light because prayer is a light and a strength for the heart and the limbs. Prayer also increases material goods and the share of ones provision in this life. It arouses the love of people for the one who performs it. The angels rejoice for him (for the one who is praying), as do the earth, the mountains, the trees, and the rivers. Finally, prayer will be a special light and reward for the one who performs it, on the day he meets Allah (the Day of Judgment).

The servant who took part in this banquet (Salah) will then be satisfied, watered, dressed in the finery of pleasure, and enriched. Indeed, before taking part in this banquet (performing salah - the prayer), the heart of the servant was touched by hunger, drought, thirst, nakedness, and sickness. By taking part in it (by praying), behold, Allah enriches his heart and offers him food, drink, clothing, and other gifts that will protect him from want.