Real-Life Stories on the Power of Istighfar (With Authentic References)

 

                        Hikmah of Salah

This section discusses why we pray in Islam. Prayer was made obligatory for worshipping Allah and many other great benefits. Prayer represents the connection of the servant with his Lord, as it is the means by which the servant communicates with his Lord to complain to him about his transmission. He speaks to Allah almighty about what is important to him, and pleads with his Lord, the Most High - so that his chest is opened, and his heart is reassured. Prayer is a light by which God guides His servants to righteousness and truth, and forbids them from indecency, immorality, and disobedience.

Allah says in the holy Qur’an;

“Perform the Salah, for the Salah restrains from shameful and unjust deeds; and remembrance of Allah is the greatest (thing in life) without doubt. And Allah knows the (deeds) that you do” [Qur’an 29:45]

Salah is a physical act of worship because it involves standing, kneeling, prostration, and other physical movements. In addition to that it is an act of worship of the heart. It is accomplished through glorifying the Allah almighty, the Most High, and revering Him, thanking Him, praising Him, and humiliating Him. Performing prayer is an exercise for the servant to submit his will to God - glory be to Him - and to carry out His commands.

Another reason we pray is that it is a great means of expiating sins. It is reported in the Hadith that the Prophet ﷺ says:

"Do you think that if there was a river by the door of any one of you, and he bathed in it five times each day, would there be any trace of dirt left on him?" They said: "No trace of dirt would be left on him." He said, "That is the likeness of the five daily prayers. In that way, Allah erases all kinds of sins." [Sunan Nasa’i]

Why Do We Need To Pray?

In Islam, prayer is one of the most important acts of worship at all. it has a distinct position that makes it unique from the rest of the kinds of worship. It is the pillar and foundation of the religion, which cannot be established without it. In the noble hadith, the Messenger ﷺ says: “The head of the entire matter is Islam, its pillar is Salah, and the peak of its hump is jihad” [Sunan Tirmidhi].

 Salah is the first act of worship that Allah has made obligatory upon His servants to rise, and the first to be asked about on the Day of Resurrection. According to this hadith on salah, the Prophet ﷺ said:

“The first thing one will have to be held accountable on the day of Resurrection is his Salah, if it is found to be perfect, he will be safe and successful; but if it is incomplete, he will be unfortunate and a loser” [Sunan Tirmidhi].

With regard to the ruling on abandoning Salah in Islam, one who neglects it and denies it is considered an infidel and outside the religion. 

The Messenger ﷺ says: 

“Between a man and disbelief and paganism is the abandonment of Salah” [Sahih Muslim]. 

It is worth mentioning that ‘denial’ here means denying something with knowledge of its validity.

At the same time, one who has left performing Salah, either because he is new to Islam or has not heard of it before, is excused for his ignorance. Allah emphasizes this point in the holy Qur’an, and He said to those who abandon its performance, “But after them there followed a posterity who missed prayers and followed lusts soon, then, they will face Destruction [Qur’an 19:59]. And this is a part of Allah’s mercy to them and he wants to deter them from what would destroy them in this world and the next.

Hikmah Behind Making Salah Five Times A Day

Why do Muslims pray besides the expiation of sins and a mere obligation? The origin of the acts of worship is endowment, that is, it is performed as it is legal in the Islamic religion without addition or subtraction, and the duty is to perform it. A Muslim must perform it without knowing the wisdom and reason for it. Among these acts of worship is the obligation to pray five times a day and night. Allah Almighty tests His servants whether they accept it without obstinacy, even if their minds are unable to comprehend the Hikmah behind it.

Imam Al-Ghazali (may God have mercy on him) mentioned in the book ‘Ihya Ulum al-Din’ that there are acts among the acts of worship and obligatory duties that make sense, and their reason is known. For example, the zakat, in which the wealth is taken from the rich and given to the poor, maintains the balance and solidarity of society. It improves the life of the poor, and the same is applicable to fasting, which breaks the lust, disciplines the soul, accustoms it to patience, abandons preoccupations, and increases obedience.

There are also acts of worship that do not make sense, and in many cases, a person may not be guided to know their causes. For example, the act of stoning the Jamarat and running between Safa and Marwa during the Hajj. This applies to all acts of worship whose wisdom is unknown. The only true motive behind these acts of worship is the love of complying with the command of God, which is the duty to be followed. These acts of worship show the worshiper's sincerity, commitment, and submission to the orders of the wise Sharia.

Hikmah Behind The Pillars And Forms Of Salah

Imam Al-Ghazali narrated in Al-Ihya that the Hikmah in bowing and prostrating is to show humility to God Almighty. It is also said that, the Hikmah regarding the number of Rukoo’(bowing) and Sujood (prostration) being one and two respectively is that bowing is a reference to monotheism and prostration bears witness to it.

Al-Bajirmi said in his footnote to Al-Khatib that scholars have different opinions on the Hikmah of repeating prostration and not repeating the rest of the pillars. This was said to force the nose of Satan, who refused to prostrate. It is also to show humility and thanks to God for answering the supplication in the first prostration, and it is one of the reasons why the servant is closest to his Lord while he is prostrating.

Also, prayer is a psychological necessity. No matter how powerful and glorious a person is and how much money and knowledge he obtains, he must contact his Great Creator and seek refuge in. Nothing is impossible for him, so he does not turn to any of the people and does not ask for help and assistance from others, but rather, he turns to his generous Lord.

The main psychological effect is tranquility for the human soul and a means of maintaining its balance. It heals from the knot of guilt by realizing that it erases sins, and God forgives sins through it. It relieves the believer's fear, protects him from psychological disturbances, and gives him strength and psychological resilience that no one who has lost faith in prayer can enjoy.