Allaah, the Sublime said: “Indeed
prayer restrains from the obscene and evil deeds.”
Soorah al-Ankaboot [(29:45)].
Allaah has explained in this aayah that a correct prayer, performed with
humility and submissiveness (khushoo’) undoubtedly prevents its performer from
obscene and evil deeds and leads him to goodness. Therefore, you will see that
the people of the mosque are the most superior of mankind and the best amongst
them.
The sins and shortcomings of others are many times more than the sins
and shortcomings of these people. If the prayer does not prevent us from obscene
and evil deeds then it is necessary to carefully scrutinise the deficiency
within it and to correct it. There is no escaping from correcting one’s prayer
and there is no fleeing from bringing about khushoo’ within it.
So let us look at the causes and let us strive to treat them with the
cure, just as we treat our bodies for their diseases. However, the treatment of
the souls is more appropriate and comes first, and this is what will help us to
understand the saying of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wa
sallam): The first thing for which a servant will be called
to account is his prayer.
If it is correct and sound, all the rest of his actions will be correct and sound, and if it is
corrupt then all the rest of his actions will be corrupt.
So in the correction of the prayer lies the correction of all the
other actions. The position of the prayer (relative to all the other actions) is
like that of the head to the body. This is because the servant is nearest to
his Lord during his prayer. He calls upon his Lord and seeks forgiveness from
Him. He returns to Allaah and cries to Him, the Sublime. The prayer cannot be
corrected except with the correction of the creed, being observant of Allaah,
having fear of Him, bringing oneself to account in front of Him, and trembling
out of fear of His Fire.
When he finishes his prayer and is put to trial with sins and disobedience,
he finds strength in his heart to repel them. This is because he looks at the
temporary and vanishing pleasures and then at the bliss and joy which never
ends and the happiness which is never cut off. So he puts the good which will
remain (and last forever) ahead of that which is only transitory and vanishes.
The prayer of the servant is corrupted due to lack of the careful
observance of Allaah and weakness in taqwaa. A person is, therefore, not able to produce
such awe as will come between him and his acts of disobedience. There also
occurs in the hadeeth, "Indeed,
there is in the body a morsel of flesh, if it is sound and wholesome, then the
whole body will be sound and wholesome and if it is corrupt, the whole body
will be corrupt. Indeed it is the heart."
In the correction and purification of the heart lies the correction of
the whole body and in the corruption of the heart lies the corruption of the
whole body. If the heart is corrected, the hand will be corrected so that it
does not steal or strike anyone or commit zina by touching what is unlawful.
The feet will also be corrected so that they do not walk towards what is
unlawful. The ears will be put straight so that they do not listen to musical
instruments, slander or backbiting. The situation of the tongue will improve so
that it does body becomes corrupt and the limbs will not depart except towards evil
conduct and mischief.
The matter of the heart is either set aright or corrupted by the
prayer. If the prayer is good it is an indication that the heart has benefited
and that it is sound and wholesome. If it is not good, it is an indication of
the heart receiving little benefit and of its corruption. Evil deeds then become
manifest and overtake the limbs.
Know that every prayer which is performed with awe and humility enlivens
the heart and stimulates it to do good deeds and also makes it adapt to good
deeds, just as every good action which is performed outside of the prayer
increases ones khushoo’ within the prayer. In a hadeeth there occurs, "Upon you is the Night Prayer (Tahajjud) as it was the
habit of the righteous people before you. It is a means of nearness to Allaah,
the Exalted, a prevention from evil deeds and an expiation for sins."
The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) has made it clear
that the Night Prayer is a prevention from sins in that it stops the one who
performs it from evil deeds and incites him to do good deeds. Therefore, it is necessary
for us to establish the prayer and to increase in it. Likewise we must perform
the Night Prayer, standing awestruck, humble and submissive to Allaah, the
Sublime; our hearts weeping over what we have neglected and fallen short of
while hoping for the mercy of our Lord. We seek nearness to him by calling Him
by His Names and Attributes, asking Him by them that he establishes us (upon
His path) and that He gives us benefit from our prayer and standing at night.
Reported by at-Tabaraanee in Al-Awsat and Ad-Diyaa
from Anas. It is also in Saheehul-Jaami no. 2570.
Source: As-Salaah wa Atharuhaa fee Ziyaadatil-Eemaan
wa Tahdheebin-Nafs, by Husain al-Awaa’ishah
