God has stated the history of the Great Feud in 83 verses across 8 suras in the Quran and has blessed us even to confirm it with mathematical proof. The elements addressed in the history of the feud in order to sharpen our vision on our mission on earth are:
1. The Satan and his allies are the most ardent enemies of the human race.
2. Though the angels and jinns are invisible to us but they does exist.
3. The Day of Resurrection and Judgment must occur.
4. The Heaven (Paradise) does exist but the Hell will be brought into existence on the Day of Judgment.
5. The destination of the believers is the Heaven while the destination of the disbelievers is the Hell followed by equitable judgment.
God warned Adam and Eve NOT to get closer to the accursed tree but they ignored His warning and tasted the tree as they were not able to protect the Satan and eventually, they accepted his advice to be a good advice. This event clearly indicates that just our belief in God, no matter how strong it is, is not enough for us to protect us from the Satan. Hence, God being merciful, has given us the religious rites to practice on earth to seek His forgiveness as well as to remember Him to strengthen our souls so we can protect Satan and his allies. It is an evidence to us that why the religious rites are Gifts of God and why we need to just uphold God’s guidance. Hence, we must always remember that God’s guidance is the true guidance.
[2:38-39] We said, “Go down therefrom, all of you. When guidance comes to you from Me, those who follow My guidance will have no fear, nor will they grieve. As for those who disbelieve and reject our revelations, they will be dwellers of Hell, wherein they abide forever.”
[15:49] Inform My servants that I am the Forgiver, the Merciful.
[15:99] And worship your Lord, in order to attain certainty.
Salat is the most important one of all the rites given by God as it is an opportunity for us to make direct contact with Him several times a day at specific times. The importance of Salat is stated in many verses of the Quran but the gist is found in the following verses:
[20:14] Indeed Me, I am God; there is no god except I. So, you (Moses) shall worship Me and shall establish the salat prayer for My remembrance.
[29:45] You shall recite what has been revealed to you of the scripture, and shall establish the salat prayer. Indeed, the salat prayer prevents from the evil behaviors and the evil deeds. But surely, remembering God is the greatest, while God knows what you all do.
We are blessed to have both literary (logical) and mathematical proofs of the method of observing Salat along with what we must recite during the salat prayer. Now it is our responsibility to reflect on each and every word that we recite to observe the prayer so it must be observed being reverent to God as He has made it required to be responded by Him as the Salat is the primary source of nourishment of our souls. Hence, the Salat must be observed as designed by God what He has taught us through His prophet Ibrahim who had implored Him to teach us these rites of region so we can fulfill our obligations as designed and given.
[23:1-2] Certainly, has succeeded the believers are those – they are humbles during their salat prayers.
[2:128] “Our Lord, make us submitters to You, and from our descendants let there be a community of submitters to You. Teach us the rites of our religion, and redeem us. You are the Redeemer, the Merciful.
What we recite during Salat is composed of 7 components, 50 words and 228 letters. Let us consider all these elements so we can realize the relationship of the 7 components and can observe Salat reflecting on each and every element:
1. Starting the prayer at standing – Allahu Akbar
A 2-word Arabic phrase consisting of 8 letters establishes connection with God and keeps the connection alive between God and the Salat observer by intermittent utterance of the phrase realizing that He is God, the One and none equals Him.
[112:1] Say, “He is God, the One.
[112:2] God, the Absolute.
[112:3] He does not beget, nor is He begotten.
[112:4] None equals Him.”
2. Reciting specific words – al-Faatihah
God gave the specific words to Adam and Eve for their redemption and He has also given us the similar words in surah al-Faatihah consisting of 28 words and 139 letters in 7 verses for our redemption as His system never changes.
[7:23] They (Adam and Eve) said, “Our Lord, we have wronged our souls, and if You do not forgive for us and have mercy on us, we will be with the losers.”
[2:37] Then Adam had received words from his Lord, so He turned to him. Indeed, He is the Redeemer, the Merciful.
[48:23] God’s system has certainly passed from before, and you will not find any change in God’s system.
a. Honoring God (1:1)
[1:1] Bismi Allah al-Rahmaan al-Raheem
A 4-word verse consisting of 19 letters is recited at the beginning of our specific words in honor of God who has given us the scripture and rites being kind and merciful on us to become righteous.
[41:2] A revelation from the Gracious, the Merciful.
[2:2] That is the scripture, there is no doubt in it, is a guidance for the righteous.
b. Appreciating God (1:2-4)
We are to appreciate and thank God for everything what has been given us here as well as what will be given us in the Hereafter realizing that the Satan and his allies try their best to make us unappreciative:
[2:152] You shall remember Me, that I may remember you, and be thankful to Me; do not be unappreciative.
[7:17] “I (Satan) will come to them from before them, and from behind them, and from their right, and from their left, and You will find that most of them are unappreciative.”
[31:26] To God belongs what in the heavens and the earth. Indeed God, He is the Rich, the Praiseworthy.
[1:2] al-Hamdu Lillahi Rabbi al-`Aalameen
A 4-word verse consisting of 17 letters is recited to begin the praise of God who is our Lord of both worlds.
[1:3] al-Rahmaan al-Raheem
A 2-word verse consisting of 12 letters is recited realizing that God is the Possessor of Infinite Grace.
[1:4] Malik Yawm al-Deen
A 3-word verse consisting of 11 letters is recited reflecting that we must face judgment and will be paid for everything we had done on earth and everyone will be judged equitably, without least injustice which also means that judgment will take place based on His established laws.
c. Total submitting to God (1:5)
[1:5] Iyyaka Na’budu wa-Iyyaka Nas’ta-een
A 4-word verse consisting of 19 letters confirms our total submission to God alone before asking His guidance to lead us in the straight path realizing that He is One who is sought to get help and none can give us except He what we need as everything in the heavens and the earth belong to Him and He is the Rich, the Praiseworthy, and He can only give us what we need.
[20:14] Indeed Me, I am God; there is no god except I. So, you (Moses) shall worship Me and shall establish the salat prayer for My remembrance.
[21:112] He (prophet) said, “My Lord, judge with the truth. And our Lord is the Gracious, the One who is sought to get help against what you attribute.”
[22:64] To Him belongs what is in the heavens and what is in the earth. And indeed God; surely, He is the Rich, the Praiseworthy.
d. Expecting guidance from God (1:6-7)
[1:6] Ih’dinaa al-Sirata al-Mustaqeem;
[1:7] Siraata Alladheena An’amta `Alayhim; Ghayri al-Maghduubi ‘Alayhim wa-laa-al-Daalleen.
A 3-word verse consisting of 18 letters is recited to ask God to guide us in the straight path while the 8-word verse consisting of 43 letters is uttered to clarify the straight path for us. We may reflect on the following verses when we ask Him for a straight path that God may help us to fulfill our expectation.
[2:120] … “God’s guidance is the true guidance.” (6:71).
[22:54] … And indeed, God is a Guide of those who have believed to a straight path.
[6:126] And this (Quran) a path of your Lord is straight. Certainly, we have detailed the verses for a people to take heed.
[6:127] For them is an abode of the Peace at their Lord, and He is their Protector for what they have done to accomplish.
[17:9] Indeed, this – the Quran guides to that which is exact straight, and brings good news to the believers those who do the righteous deeds that for them there is a great reward.
3. Glorifying the greatness of God at bowing – Subhaana Rabbee al-Azeem
When we recite this 3-word Arabic phrase consisting 14 letters to glorify the greatness of God at this humble position, we may reflect on the following verses to realize His greatness.
[39:67] And they (idol worshipers) have not appraised God truth of His appraisal; and the whole earth will be at His Grip on a Day of the Resurrection, and the heavens will be folded at His Right Hand. Glory to His and He has exalted so High from what they associate.
[45:37] And to Him is the Greatness in the heavens and the earth, and He is the Almighty, the Wise.
4. Expecting response from God during returning to standing – Samee-`a Allah Liman Hamidah
A 4-word Arabic phrase consisting of 15 letters is recited during returning from bowing to standing expecting response from God for the prayer, which reminds us that the prayer must be observed to meet criteria required by God to be responded by Him.
[2:186] When My servants ask you about Me, I am always near. I answer their prayers when they pray to Me. The people shall respond to Me and believe in Me, in order to be guided.
[11:61]…“You shall seek His forgiveness, then repent to Him. My Lord is always Near, Responsive.”
5. Glorifying the highness of God at prostration – Subhaana Rabbee al-A`alaa
When we recite this 3-word Arabic phrase consisting of 14 letters to glorify the highness of God at the most humble position, we may reflect on the following verses to realize His highness.
[53:7] And He is in the Horizon of the High.
[23:116] That God has exalted so High is the King, the Truth. There is no god except He, Lord of the Honorable Throne.
6. Dedicating the prayer to God at sitting – Ash-Hadu An Laa-Ilaaha Illaa Allah; Wahdahu; Laa-Shareeka Lah.
A 8-word Arabic phrase consisting of 30 letters Tashahhud is recited to reconfirm that we are striving to be submitters, truly devoting our worship to God alone.
[3:18] God has borne witness that there is no god except He, and so has done the angels and possessors of the knowledge established with the justice: there is no god except He – the Almighty, the Wise.
[47:19] So, you (Muhammad) shall know that there is no god except God, and shall ask forgiveness for your (Muhammad) sin and for the believing men and the believing women. And God knows all of your return and all of your reward.
7. Ending the prayer at sitting – As’salaamu `Alaykum
A 2-word Arabic phrase consisting of 8-letters is recited to end the prayer wishing the peace from God for all the true believers on earth realizing that He is the One who provides us with peace and security, which may also eliminates our natural stinginess.
[5:16] With it, God guides those who seek His approval. He guides them to the paths of peace, leads them out of darkness into the light by His leave, and guides them in a straight path.
[106:4] For He is the One who fed them after hunger, and provided them with security after fear.
[59:10] Those who became believers after them say, “Our Lord, forgive us and our brethren who preceded us to the faith, and keep our hearts from harboring any hatred towards those who believed. Our Lord, indeed, You are Compassionate, Merciful.”
Practicing religious rites as given by God are our opportunities and means of achieving success to ensure our safe return to Him. They are the essential components for the growth and development of our souls, and failure to feed the soul through these prescribed religious rites leads to spiritual starvation and eventual loss of the soul (7:9).
Salat is the most important one of all the rites given by God as it is an opportunity for us to make direct contact with Him several times a day at specific times. Many of us may think that Salat is just bowing and kneeling through recitation of a few Arabic words at certain times of the day to fulfill our obligation but it is more than that. Its sole objective is to achieve something that causes direct impact on our souls being the primary source to nourish our souls that has reflected in the crucial verse, 20:14 – “I am God; there is no god except I. So, you (Moses) shall worship Me and shall establish the salat prayer for My remembrance.” Thus. we can build our souls stronger through our regular practicing of Salat as we can become a muscle man through our regular exercise.
In its 7 components (distinct recitation) we recite 50 Arabic words consisting of 228 letters that are repeated to observe 17 units of Salat at 5 times on a regular day and 15 units on Friday following a straight forward method. Thus, Salat is simple, easy and short. There are many good reasons of it but universal comprehension, practicability, perfectness and continuance are worthy of mention. The words we recite are appropriate words at appropriate position, which are befitting to meet the requirements to be responded by God. However, it can also be supported by a simple mathematical confirmation to strengthen our heart. If we add the number of components, which is 7, and the number of words, which is 50 and the number of letters, which is 228 in the recitation of the prayer, the total is a multiple of 19 => 7 + 50 + 228 = 285 = 19x15 being a letter level confirmation conforming to the commandment of Salat in the Quran (20:14). However, we may shorten our Salat at certain situations (4:101) but we are to observe Salat at all circumstances being humbled to God (23:1-2):
[4:101] When you travel, you commit no error by shortening your the salat prayers if you fear that the disbelievers may attack you. Surely, the disbelievers are your ardent enemies.
[23:1-2] Certainly, has succeeded the believers those who are humbles during their Salat Prayers.
Peaceful Friday, salaam and God bless.
Tafazzal (12/12/2014)