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Contact Voice of Unity

Eear Brolhe rs and Sisters, Assalamu'alay<unt w:r r(rhmattJllah

E-Mail:

editor@ius.org.uk

Web: Tel:

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Unit 203

that w..l be experienced by those who have disobeyed Allah (SWT) and relected H,s gLricance.

In Surah al-Fajr (the Dawn), Allah (SWT) warns us of the regret that will be felt on that day: On that day, hell will be brought closer and the human being will come to his senses, but this will be of no avail to him. He will say, "Would that I had done some good deeds for this life". (89:23-24) This issue of Voice of tJnity will focus on the best of deeds in this life: Salat al-Layl (the Night Prayer). In order to emphasise the

great benefits of this prayer,

been significantly affected by it. We hope to therefore inspire those who are not familiar with the prayer to make it a habit, and to provide some useful insights and practical tips for lhose who are well acquainted with the Night Prayer, in order to enhance their overall spiritual experience.

Remembering the Day of Judgement and the Hereafter is central to Salat al-Layl, with the emphasis being on forgiveness of sins and strengthening one's connection with Allah (SWT). It is therefore appropriate to quote a verse from Surah al-Fajr (the Dawn):

And what will make you realise what the Day of Judgement is? Again, what will make you realise what the Day of Judgement is? The day on which no soul shall control anything for (another) soul; and the command on that day shall be entirely Allah's. (82:17-19)

The following excerpt from Du'a al-Hazeen, which is recited after completing the Night Prayer, illustrates this emphasis in the most beautiful way;

l.lave mercy on rng wken ! cornc lo You alone, my glance fixeri on Yo{:, nry aclieins carried on rny neck, wl"ten all af creatian vvill withdraw away from rrte, yes! even rtty fafher and rnefher and fhrrse far whom I worker! ;nd sfruggied. Ihen lf Y*u wilt ncf ,have mercf cn m*, wha wi{l have mercy cn me?

fditor 2

N414 5TP

Registered charity no.

Br Hussain Hamid

1066910

Sr Zainab Al-Hilli

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Editor:

Br Reza Moosavi

Br AliAl-Mawlawi

Graphics: Br Hamed Heshmati Br Gassan Ahmad

Voice of Unity is a publication of the lslamic Unity Society.

Muhammad

(SAWW). Rather than concentrating on how to perform Salat alLayl, which can be found in numerous books and on the internet, we would like to touch upon some of the secrets of this special prayer by drawing on the experience of people who's lives have

Ail t{t-t"tdvv rovvl

Manchester

Br Musa Naqvi Sr Motahare Yadegarlar Sr Noor Al-Safar Sr Farah Al-Safar Sr Sarah Al-Bachari Sr Noor Abbas

it is sufficient to remind you that

this prayer was made obligatory on Prophet

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The Floly Quran is ve ry clear in ils depietion ef the Day of Judgemenl. It conveys a stark warning to mankind aboul lhe torrne nt

Voice of Unity

Blood Donation Report

Frequently Asked Questions: Salat al-Layl Feature: The lslamic Multi-Vitamin

Poetry: As Sweet As Amber

Braln Puzzles

My Lord and l: Du'a al-Hazeen

Special: How to perform Salat al-Layl

Personal: Wishing and Wanting

IUS Camp Review: Summer

2007

Practical: Secrets to Success in Salah and Slumber Book Review: Soaring to the Only Beloved

20 22

Prayers Extra

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Volume12

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wide. Unfortunately, the snow storm

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At present only

of regular blood donors are from Asian, African and African Caribbean decent. Moreover, many members of these communities carry rare blood types which are essential for treating people with vari3o/o

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On Thursday Btn February, members of IUS and Muslim communities nationwide took paft in the Imam Hussain (AS) Blood Donation Campaign. The purpose of the event was twofold: to follow in the noble footsteps of Imam Hussain (AS) by becoming responsible and proactive members of society and to promote the practical applications of his blessed message. Donating blood is a selfless act and is one way of taking a positive stance towards community integration. The campaign was launched during the holy month of Muharram and was held at blood donation centres in Manchester, London, Glasgow and Birmingham.

In total IUS

received

90 registrations

which

swept the country on the very same day could not have been anticipated and this made it difficult for many people to attend. In total, just over 50 people were able to donate blood on the day.

nation-

blood-

related illnesses. This means that there is a great need for members of these communities to come forward and donate. Since the campaign began in 2006 the National Blood Service (NBS) has supported IUS extensively. Jayne Harman, spokeswoman for the NBS said, "We are delighted to be working with the Muslim community in promoting blood donation at this special time and thank them for their support." The NBS explains that a unit of blood can save up to three different lives. Allah (SWT) says in the 'g:,:::::,rl

Quran. 'And if *1i any one saved a life, it would be a5 rT ne saveo:

=I i[ I the life of all i I mankind'(5:32). d *The IUS plans to make this an on-

going

campaign. therefore like to encourage you all to visit your local blood *W donation centre and take the crucial first step of registering as a donor. Please also encourage your friends and family to do so as well. To find your nearest centre vlsit www.blood.co.uk

We would

re.

You can also read press releases and view pictures of the lmam Hussain (AS) Blood Donation Campaign on www. ius.org. uk/giveblood

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lnterviewed by Br Ali Al-Mawlawi

1) What do you recommend I should pray for during the qunut of the Witr prayer? There is a specific set of recommended recitations for the qunut of the witr prayer taught to us by the household of the Prophet [s] that you will find in any Shi'i text explaining the Tahajjud prayer (also called Salat al-Layl or Namaz-e-Shab). Examples of where this can be found include www.al-islam.org/salatullayl and www.

d uas.

orgltahajj ud. htm.

2) Can I remember non-Muslims during the Witr

prayer? The witr prayer is usually focused on seeking forgivenesb for oneself and other fellow believers. What are we asking forgiveness for? We ask forgiveness for lapses in obeying the laws and commandments of Allah, for not glorifying our Lord and for not worshipping Him as much as He would like us to, and we seek refuge with Allah from His displeasure and wrath and from the Fire of Hell. Now if someone simply does not believe in Allah nor considers His laws and commandments as binding, nor is he/she repentant or willing to surrender to Allah, does it make sense to ask for their forgiveness?

In other words, one must first take a step towards Allah with sincerity and repentance and He then comes running to them with Love and Mercy. Thls is true even in the case of a Muslim.

At a more spiritual level, it is important to understand that when Islam teaches "disbelief in God" (kufr) or "associating partners to God" (shirk) as being the greatest sin or the "unforgivable" sin, it is not because Allah's mercy cannot encompass them. Rather it is because one who denies Allah blocks himself from receiving the mercy of Allah. Allah, of course, is constantly pouring His love and mercy to all His creation equally and to anyone willing to receive it. If I turn my back to the Sun and stand in my own shadow, I cannot blame the Sun for keeping me in darkness. So to answer your question, you must first explain what you are "remembering them" for. Generally speaking, if a non-Muslim is not a tyrant or an enemy of Islam (one who openly speaks ill of or ridicules Allah and His Messenger, the Qur'an, etc.) then it is fine, (even recommended), to pray to Allah for their guidance. The issue is, does it make sense to pray for a non-Muslim? If I were to ask you, "Should I pray for a person to gain more sustenance, to become healthy or to have children?" Logically, you would reply, "Pray for what he needs the most." A non-Muslim is most in need of guidance to the Straight Path, Being wealthy or healthy is beneficial in this world but of what use is it if one's eternal life is at risk? Most of us don't see guidance as a mercy from Allah but it is actually His greatest Mercy and Show of Love for His creation (provided they are willing to accept it). Having said that, bear in mind that there is a time and witr prayer is usually one

occasion for everything. The

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FAQs: -

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in which we pray for the forgiveness of ourselves and fellow believe

rs.

3) I'm finding it difficult to wake up before fajr to pray

Salat al-Layl. What can I do to make it easier to wake up? There are physical as well as spiritual reasons for this difficulty. The physical reasons are obviously sleeping too late at night, not realizing the importance of Salat alLayl, laziness, etc. These can be overcome by forming a habit to sleep early. (Once it becomes a habit to pray Salat al-Layl then one will wake up even if one sleeps late.) Do not have a heavy meal or drink too much water before going to bed, Keep the alarm clock far and loud enough. Have a buddy system where a friend calls you to wake you up, and lastly, Salat alLayl is optional and therefore there

are shorter ways to perform

it.

Initially, you only need to wake up 15-20 minutes before fajr and you can then gradually build your spiritual stamina to wake up/ say one hour before fajr. The spiritual reasons for not being able to wake up for Salat al-Layl

silent or stay on for so long that it

might be assumed that one is no longer engaged in the salat. There has to be continuity in one's prayer until its logical completion. One could however prolong one's prostration by repeating the invocation (dhikr) that is usually recited in prostration several times more. It is recommended that this be an odd number. So for example, one could glorify Allah by repeating "Subhana Rabbi alrAlaa wa bihamdihi" (Glory be to My Lord, the Most High, and praise be to Him)

3,5or7times.

In the case of an isolated prostration, of course there is no harm in prolonging it for as long as one is able to. Whilst there is no harm in remaining in silent contemplation, it may not be very effective for most people as they are likely to

either doze off or their

minds

would wander. Instead, there are numerous beautiful supplications that one can recite or repeat in prostration. We know from hadith for example that Kumayl b. Ziyad first heard Imam Ali b. Abi Talib lal reciting the "Supplication of Kumayl" whilst in prostration.

have been given in hadiths as hard-heartedness, excessive or

habitual sinning, not repenting for excessive materialism, too much focus on the world, excessive indulgence, pursuit of and preoccu-

a sin,

pation with physical pleasures, and so on. Because of all this, a person is denied the blessing of waking up for Salat al-Layl. The obvious way to resolve this is to ask Allah sincerely for forgiveness and for a soft heart and for His help in removing

the love of this world from

one's

heart and for His Help in waking up for this magnificent act of worship.

has also been said that before

going to bed, if one recites the last

verse of chapter 18 of the Qur'an (Surah al-Kahf) with an intention of waking at a certain time, then insha Allah, he/she will wake up.

4) I want to prolong my prostrations. What else can I say other than the usual invocation? Can I simply remain in

silent contemplation? It depends on whether the prostration is isolated or part of a ritual prayer (salat).

In the case of a salat, it is recom-

mended to prolong one's prostrations but one cannot simply remain

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I Issuel I

Find a verse of the Qur'an, a supplication or even a short phrase that moves you and that you are in the "mood" to repeat - and recite that in prostration. If it is a lengthy supplication (like Dua Kumayl), you may want to find a good recording on tape or CD and play it softly beside you while you follow along in prostration in the early hours of the night. Another excellent prayer to consider is the Supplication of the Sorrowful (Dua al-Hazeen) that is recommended to recite softly and sorrowfully after Salat al-Layl. Ayatullah Maliki Tabrizi used to find the following recitation very useful "La ilaha illa anta subhanaka, inni kuntu mina dhaalimeen" (There is no god but You, Glory be to You, surely I was amongst the unjust). And he would have his students recite this several hundred or thousand times in prostration, Another

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excellent idea is to call out to Allah

with one of His well-known

Beautiful Names (Asma al-Husna). You will find it very useful to repeat a name of Allah until the tongue no longer moves but the heart repeats

itl But whatever it is that

you

choose to recite, know the meaning of what you're saying.

5) What can I do prior to beginning my prayers to set the right mood and improve my concentration? The preparation before prayers is key to setting the right mood as well as improving concentration. If you don't concentration on your ablution (wudhu) you will not concentrate on your prayers. Briefly speaking, always brush your teeth

before prayers. If you've been sweating, take a shower first (you're going before the King of

the Universe!). Have a separate set

of white, clean clothes that you wear for prayers only. For men,

wear a prayer cap even though it is

not

mandatory. Apply perfume. Have a quiet prayer room or corner

in the house where there is no background noise, telephone,

movement or interruption. Have a Qur'an stand, your books of supplications, etc. around that prayer corner. Make sure there is no foul smell in the room. Spray perfume or light an incense if need be. Ensure you are not in a hurry to get to a chore or task or need to go to the washroom or eat. When performing wudhu, recite the supplication of wudhu and know its mean-

ing. Once you've performed wudhu, don't engage in other activities like talking, checking email, etc. Instead, commence your prayers or if it isn't time yet, sit on the prayer mat and recite the

Qur'an. Include optional actlvities (ta'qibat) after the prayer such as the rosary (tasbih) and supplications. Always recite the Adhan and Iqamah before prayers and concentrate on their meanings, Seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Satan before commencing your prayer and ask Allah for Help in worshipping Him and for staying focused. (You only do we worship and from You only do we seek help (in worshipping You!)).

In short, it isn't one thing that will set the mood and improve one's concentration. It's the whole physical environment and activities before and after that will determine the spiritual and emotional experience.

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J *,tnthere was a magic pill or cure-all remedy prescribed in Islam as a solution to all my problems and issues. What makes me come out with this statement, apart from the sheer burden of my workload, social commitments, obligations, lack of sleep, health issues, etc. is the fact that Islam and especially our corpus of ahadith does have such answers for everything in the form of du'as, a'maals, etc. Recite such and such so many times and your rizq will be guaranteed. Recite this name of Allah x number of tlmes and you will have honour, love and friendship of others. Pray Salaah x every Friday and your sins will be forgiven. Recite Du'a x after Fajr and you will be protected the whole day. But for someone like your average student who finds it hard to organize themselves with the assignments, lectures, practical write-ups, IUS meetings, etc., it can be hard just to remember all these things, let alone perform them, albeit granted that the belief and conviction in their efficacy is there. So what to do? Is there a magic pill? Is there an all-in-one that I can recite, perform or do that will put my life in order and give some purpose and meaning to

it, get me

closer

Allah,

make me successful in my worldly pursuits, pay for my way through university and keep me healthy? Well, I'm pleased to share with you that my quest for one led me to something beyond my highest expectations of such a 'magic potion' - a solution to my inventory of problems plus many more positive desirable side effects and bonus advantages,

The Secret To give you a clue as to what it is, suffice it for us to say that every good deed mentioned in the Qur'an has a reward stipulated for it, either in this world or the Hereafter, apart from this one. Almighty Allah has not speclfied its reward due to its

greatness with Him, and all He says about the people who perform this most beloved

act is:

'Their sides draw away from their beds, they call

upon their Lord in fear and hope, and they spend out of what We have given them, So no soul knows what is

hidden away for them of that which will refresh the eyes: a reward for what they did,' (Qur'an 32:76,17) www.ius.org.uk

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-:Feature:-- .4- . This is a ,'J ) description l' - "' of the peo,f' ;{ ple who wake up to

' ,,

ments, So celebrate the name

of your Lord and dedicate yourself to Him with total

dedication,' (Qur'an

73 : 1-8)

pray the Tahajjud or

-," Salatul Layl, also $' known as Namaaze Shab, in the depths of

the dark night. They ., leave the comfort of beds to pray to *" their their Lord in solitude,

standing between awe of Him and hope of His Mercy. Allah goes so far as to say that the reward kept aside for them is unknown lo any other soul, and that it is something refreshing to the eyes - not just the worshippers'eyes/ but everybody's eyes. That must be some reward Indeed,

In another verse He (SWT) says:

'And during a part of the night, forsake your sleep (Tahajjud) beyond what is incumbent upon you; maybe your Lord will raise you to a

position

glory. '(Qur'an t7:79)

great

He says 'Maybe Your Lord will raise you' - Allah mentions extraordinary spiritual effects of performing the Tahajjud prayer, that it raises the human being to Maqamun Mahmood - an elevated position with Allah that few people can attain.

What Is So Special About It? What can be so special about a few units of prayer recited in the middle of the night that it merits an indescribable reward and unspecified spiritual stations? Firstly Allah himself gives us the answer to this question in the Qur'an. He says:

'Stand vigil (in prayer) in the night, except a little... Indeed the rising by night is the firmesf way to tread and the best corrective

of speech, for indeed

during the you day have drawnout engagewww.ius.org,uk

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He tells us ever so gently and caringly to come and have some special one to one time with Him at night, since we are so preoccupied and busy during the day. The hustle and bustle of our commitments and schedules is no longer there. When all has been said and done, bought and sold, laughed and cried about, and the world is sleeping and settled at peace, and we are not restless and our speech is unrushed, come and spend time with Me. He gives us the reason Himself that during the day numerous affairs occupy the time and mind of the human being, making it difficult to have the peace of mind necessary for good worship conducive to spiritual progress. It is at this time in the silence of the night, when the world is asleep, that the believer acquires a special state of mind

and energy allowing him

strengthen his connection with his Maker. That is why the friends of Allah, the Prophets, the Imams, and all those who seek nearness to Him, always make the most of the last part of the night as a rule.

Allah, most High, revealed to

Prophet Musa (AS), 'He lies who claims to love Me yet when night falls he goes and sleeps away

from Me - does every lover not crave to be alone with his beloved?'

The night is a special time to be alone with one's beloved and night worship is the secret key to success of those who wish for the Hereafter.

Imam al-Askari (AS)

said, 'Reaching Allah. Mighty and Exalted, is a journey that cannot be accomplished without mounting the night Ii.e. night vigil].' Okay - I hear you say - granted that the night is a special time to get closer to Allah, and that proximity to Him will bring with it the spiritual benefits and the rewards of the Hereafter, but what

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of my

problems now? What of my worldly aspirations? Is there no magic remedy for that? And what evidence is there that Salat al-Tahajjud is the one multipurpose act?

The best way for us to fully comprehend and fathom the benefits of Salat al-Tahajjud - short of

actual praying it of course - is simply to list its benefits hereunder, with the very words of Allah (SWT), our beloved Prophet (SAW) and our Imams (AS) as the supporting evidence for each benefit. So here goes:

The Remedial Fringe Benefits: o HONOUR IN THIS WORLD

Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, 'The honour and greatness of a believer lies in his standing to pray during the night.'

TGUARANTEED SUSTENANCE AND INCREASE IN INCOME

FACILITATION OF REPAYMENT

OF DEBTS o REMOVAL OF WORRIES

CLARITY OF VISION

Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said,'He has told a lie he who claims that he performs the Night Prayer and he is not having enough to eat; the Night Prayer guara

ntees

ay's

nourishment.'

Imam

(AS)

al-Sadiq

said,

Performing the Night Prayer beautifies the face, improves the manners, makes the smell pleasant, increases the income, pays the debt, takes away the worries and clears the vision.'

r PHYSICAL BEAUTY Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, 'The night prayer brightens one's face, the night prayer fragrances one's breath, and the night prayer attracts sustena nce.'

The Prophet (SAWW) said, 'Performing the Night Prayer beautifies the face in daytime,'

ELOQUENCE

EXPRESSION

OF SPEECH

AND

i:pt"", re GonL : -

o CONFIDENT AND SURE GAIT

'Indeed the rising by night is the firmest way to tread and the best corrective of speech.' (Qur'an 73:6)

IMMIJNITY FROM SINS, ESPECIALLY LYING

Imam Ali (AS) was asked by a man, "I have been deprived of fthe opportunity to] pray in the night", to which Imam replied, "You are one whose sins have imprisoned you." Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, 'Verily a man tells a lie

and he is deprived of the night prayer as a result,'

He (AS) has also said,'Committing a sin could deny man (the privilege of performing) the Night Prayer, and the sin is faster at harming its owner (the person who committed it) than a knife can cut through a piece of flesh when it enters it.'

Meeting brethren in faith Opening the fast

Waking up in the later part of the night for Salat al-Layl.' FORGIVENESS OF S//VS

The Prophet (SAWW) said, 'Verily when a servant withdraws to be alone with his Master in the middle of the dark night and intimately converses with Him, Allah places divine light into his heart... then He, Exalted be His Splendour, says to His angels, "O My angels, look at My servant how he seeks solitude to be with Me in the middle of the dark night while the worthless ones remain heedless and the negligent ones sleep. Witness that verily I have forgiven him."' C

AN ADORNMENT TO BE PROUD OF IN THE HERE-

AFTER

Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, 'Allah says: "Wealth and children are an adornment of the life of this world" (18:46), but the elght units of prayer recited by a servant at the end of the night are an adornment of the Hereafter.'

. ALLAH,S

PLEASURE AND PROXIMITY TO HIM!!

The Prophet (SAWW) said, 'You must get up for the night prayer, for verily it was the devoted practice of all righteous people before you, and verily the night vigil is a means of proximity to Allah and a prevention from sin.'

If this extensive list is not convincing enough for

o INCREASED HEALTH, STRENGTH AND ENERGY OF THE BODY

Imam Ali (AS) said, 'The rising by night is healthy for the bodies.' C

IMPROVED MORAL VIRTUES

Imam Ali (AS) said,'standing to pray in the night is conducive to the health of the body, is a source of pleasure for the Lord, exposes one to [the descent ofl divine mercy/ and is adherence to the moral virtues of the prophets.'

TRUE HAPPINESS IN THE HEART

The Holy Prophet (SAWW) said, 'Three things bring happiness to the heart of a believer:

believing brothers and sisters to at least try out the remedy, which by the way is guaranteed to work, if performed with a pure intention, or if fellow believers do not feel the need for it in their lives, because everything seems to be going just fine for them, then the sheer emphasis placed on it by our Imams

(AS) is enough to propel anyone towards it' The sheer curiosity about why the angel Jibra'il enjoined it upon the Prophet (SAWW) so much that he thought it would become waiib (obligatory) should make us seriously consider making it a habit.

Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, 'Do not leave the night prayer/ for verily the one who is truly duped is the one who has lost out on the night prayer.'We know from history too, that Imam Ali (AS) never ever left his Night Prayer, neither in battle and nor during travel. His daughter, Sayyida Zainab (AS) prayed her Tahajjud whilst in the prisons of Kufa and Sham, even if she had to pray sitting down because of the

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- : Feature Cont. : . constricted space. It is a certain fact, from all this, that no great height or praiseworthy station in the proximity and pleasure of Allah can ever be achieved without it.

Where Do We Go From Here? Can we ignore this much-needed

succour to all our problems? Can we turn a blind eye and deaf ear

divine recommendations for our life? How do we ensure we

wake up? And how can we make sure we don't get lazy and fall into old habits? Surely the same divinely appointed guides who taught this wonder formula to us must have indicated to practical ways to enable sleep-loving students to forsake the comfort of their quilts and perform it. And yes indeed they have! Here goes the list of practical ways to wake up for Salat al-Layl: Reduce your intake of food, especially before bedtime, ensuring you do not sleep on a full stomach. Similarly do not drink too much water as this induces sleep and makes it hard to wake up. Do not exhaust yourself with tiresome tasks during the day such that it becomes physically impossible for your body to rise in the middle of the night.

Get into the habit of taking power naps (say our Imams (AS))!

Be very wary of committing sins, especially lying, as this deprives

even a regular performer of the Tahajjud of his prayer. Constantly remind yourself of the aforementioned benefits and the emphasis placed on it by Qur'an and Hadith, to renew your drive to perform it.

Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, 'Reciting the last verse of Surah al-Kahf (Ch.18: the Cave) at bedtime guarantees waking up at the desired time: 'Say, "I am just a human being like you. It has been revealed to me that your God is the One God. So whoever expects to encounter his Lord let him act righteously, and not associate anyane with the worship of his Lord."'

said, 'The superiority of the youthful worshipper who wor-

ships Allah in his youth over old man who worships after

an he

has grown old, is as the superior-

ity of the prophets over the rest

of people.'

So What Will the Magic Pill Cost Me? There is no such thing as a free lunch, they soy, and this too comes at a price, and one that is dear to most of us - 15 to 20 minutes of our sleep anytime between midnight and Fajr time,

a lot of commitment. We must first accept that we cherish our sleep, not so much because we need that much, but because we have been conditioned to believe that we need x number of hours, when in actual fact we can survive fine with fifteen minutes less. Besides it really shouldn't be that hard for us nocturnal creatures called students to go to bed after praying it, Remember, our youth is the most opportune plus

moment, when we have both time and energy on our side, before spouses and children and worldly burdens of earning and providing come along, and certainly before our old age when our backs are bent and arthritis has pervaded our joints and we wish we were young again to take advantage of such acts before we die.

Our beloved Prophet

(SAWW)

No doubt, it will be difficult to give up the sleep in the beginning, but with firm resolve and commitment, a habit will soon form within a matter of consecutive days. The price of commitment is perhaps even more essential in this transaction than the slumber, because Salat alTahajjud is essentially an act of worship designed to cultivate and build a relationship with our Creator. The importance of the Tahajjud prayer does not lie in the number of units or even in the invocations and supplications as much as it does in the act of imploring Allah, beseeching Him, remembering Him, talking to Him intimately, pouring our hearts out to Him, asking of Him and conversing with Him in the dead of night. It makes perfect sense then that the maintenance of such a bond would require the kind of commitment that does not wane in sickness nor in travel. We have many ahadith that suggest that the best of actions is that which is maintained regu la rly.

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Imam al-Baqir (AS) said, 'There is nothing more beloved to Allah than the performance of an action that is maintained regularly, even if it be little,'

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rve

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salaitlrr

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'l'o the atrgel orr the leti, Alhzrndr,rlilalt : sttlthatrallalt, Salah has

surcll

()n this su'cet rtight,

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rrta<le trtc blessed

as sl\'eet as anrbet'...

Issuel I

Volume12

Brain Puzzles : -

ryry$ Here are two rows of three numbers each. Can you figure out the logical sequence of

these numbers and fill in the final box in the third row?

108

356

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780 292

1*24

284 648 3 qyra dttlsuonept

pull ol g pue

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t Issuel t

Volumel2

V o]

Futqlawos og 'fi1e1uozuotl tiloM :LNIH

Divide the 5 x 5 grid into five sections of five squares each with no two digits alike, and the sum of the squares in each section having the same numericalvalue

-: My Lord and I : -

.a:::aa:a:

This du'a is called Du'a al-Hazeen (Supplication of the Sorrowful), it is to be recited after Salat al-Witr. It should be recited softly and sorrowfully. lN

rur

NmtE

..s,'Jl ,''n:"ll J v t-

GoD, THE ALL-MERC|FUL, THE ALL-coMPAssloNATg

-:1.: Jl J _.rtl

O Allah bless Muhammad and his family, I whisper unto You O one who is present in every place so that You may hear my call, for surely my sin is excessive and my shame is less, My Master, O my Master which of the terrifying states shall I remember

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and which ofthem shall I forget, for if there was nothing except death it would be enough. then what about after death greater and much worse? My master O my Master up to when and till when will I say, I am to blame, again and again, me? r butthen You do notfind anyiruth or 'oyaltyin lcall for help, and lcall for help, O Allah, from desires which have overpowered me : and from the enemy which has pounced orl m'e I and from the world which attracts me and from the soul that leads towards evil . except that on which my Lord has mercy {12:53) , My master 0 my master I if You have had mercy on the likes of me r then have mercy on me r and if You have accepted from the likes of me then accept from me O One who accepts the early morning prayer accept me' . O One who, I still know only good from Him O One who nourishes me with blessings morning and evening, r have mercy on me when I come to You alone, my glance fixed on You, my actions carried on my neck, When all of creation, will withdraw away from me yes, even my father and moiher and those for whom I worked and struggled then if You will not have mercy on me . who will have mercy on me, who will give me solace from the loneliness of the grave, and who will make me speak when I am alone with my deeds, and when You will ask me about what You know better than me? Then if I say yes (to my sins) where will be the escape from Your Justice? And if I say I did not commit it You will say was I not a witness over you?

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master,

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Issuel t

Volume12

- : How

to perform Salat al-Layl

The time for Salat al-Layl begins at midnight until Fajr prayers. The best time for it is as close to Fajr prayer as possi-

ble. lt consists of a total of 11 raka'ats divided into the following prayers:

Nafilah of Lavl: 8 raka'ats (4 x 2 raka'ats like Fajr prayer) The intention is reciting two raka'ats of Salatul layl and there is a qunut in the second raka'at. lt is recommended to recite al-lkhlas after Surah al-Hamd in the 1st rak'ah, and Surah al-Kafirun after al-Hamd in the 2no rak'ah. ln the other salahs of Nafilah of Layl, any small surahs can be recited after Surah al-Hamd. Salat al-Shafa' This is a 2 raka'al prayer, and there is no qunut in it. 1st raka'at: Recite Surah an-Nas after al-Hamd. te Surah al-Falaq after al-Hamd.

2no

raka'at: Reci-

Salat al-Witr This is a one rak'ah prayer with qunut. The following surahs are recited after Surah al-Hamd: al-lkhlas 3 times, alFalaq once, an-Nas once. Ounut of Salat al-Witr Raise the left hand for asking forgiveness and use the right for holding a tasbih. Some recommended duas are as follows:

o .

Recite 70 times:

!f! L. il

-l

',&i1"1 / seek forgiveness of rrit ,Jll

Atlah my Lord and t turn to Him

Ask for the forgiveness, men and women, who have died or are alive, by filling in their names and recit-

ing: ...r.J'r&l I'lXl O', Atlah, forgive... lf it is not possible to name forty believers, name as many as possible and then say: cirn3Jr J i,j."3l.]J Jfbl 'fi$l O Allah forgive alt betievers, male and female.

Then

say:

a+lt

+jr r cr.ii ,* et[ u.'.-1i 3,lb 6;r+ e.9;jilt iFr

tl 4ll y f lit 4!t JiiiLi

I seek forgiveness of Allah, He who there is no gad but He, the Ever tiving, the subsrsting, from all my pressions and my sins and my excesses on my soul, and t turn (repentant) to Him.

. o .

Repeat 7 times: llSl

,:lJ

$l'] iri" ria Ihis is the position of one who seeks refuge

in You from the fire.

Say 3OO times: 3,inl / ask for Your pardon.

Lr33lr *il dt:l lJb l*i 3.;li-;r r Then say: ,lrbr +;t My Lord, forgive and turn to me Surety You are the Oft-returningj, the Mercifut.

iblr

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I Issuel I

Volumel2

me and have mercy on me,

-:PersoilSli-

UOiiee

Str:::::::

sjl-ry

Br Muhammad Ali

D"ria"that

you are going to wake up for

Salaat al-Layl every night!

wanted to escape from the lion.

For me, after

I realised that I had been living my life tricked by Satan, that Allah was the Reality being and Islam was the path, I knew that waking up in the night while others were sleeping was the right thing to do.

Many times we wish that we were closer to Allah. However if we want to get closer to Allah we have to do something about it and Salaat al-Layl is the superhighway towards this goal.

I had heard about Salaat al-Layl and had maybe prayed it once in a while, on Laylat al-Qadr or while on Umra but had never considered making it an everyday practice. But the zeal born from the realisation of the error of my previous days and the knowledge that there was something much greater to be attained gave me the impetus to try something new,

through this resolution before. The problem however is keeping Salaat al-Layl constant,

There is a difference between wishing and wanting. We usually wish for many things, however the difference between wishing and wanting comes with the firm resolution to do something about your wish, making it a want.

The ulema of akhlaq say that to rid yourself of any bad habit there are three stages:

However many of us may find that we have been

Know that the biggest step in making Salaat al-Layl constant is the resolution to do so, It is Satan that convinces you that it is hard to keep to it, telling you lies such as if you have missed it a few times then it is not good enough and you have "lost it."

1) The resolution to give up the habit;

For example if you were in a desert, faced by a man-eating lion a short distance away from the gates of a fortress, which you could reach, and said "I wish I could escape from this lion," that procla-

2) Watching over yourself to make sure you stick to your resolution; 3) Taking account of yourself, thanking Allah if you stuck to the resolution and asking for his help and forgivgness if you did not stick to it.

a laughing stock as well as dinnerl However if you made purposeful steps towards escaping from the lion to get to the fortress it could be said that you

Thls same process applies to actualising Salaat alLayl. The useful tip here however is to make Salaat

mation would not help you one bit and you would be

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t Issuel I

Volume12

-:Personal!-

uor,M,

al-Layl the most important thing that you will do and do not relent until it has become a habit. Go to bed earlyl If you miss a night, make it up (Salaat al-Layl can be prayed qadha). If you know you won't wake up if you go to sleep, pray it before you sleep or stay up until fajr!

It is the light

and floor covering inside the grave, and an answer to Munkur and Nakir (the two questioning angels in the grave). It is a companion and a visitor in the grave until the Day of Resurrection.

it will provide a shadow for the head; a crown upon the head; a dress for the body; a light in front; and a barrier from Hell. On the Judgment Day,

It is recommended for one who finds it difficult to wake up for Salaat al-Layl to recite the last verse of Surat al-Kahf (The Cave). I did this daily for a long time and somehow you just wake upl It is noticeable and amazing.

You know what else? Buy a big alarm clock! One of those ones

with the shrill ring, that makes you rush to switch it off and leave it a bit away from you so you have to sit up to switch it off, or risk the wrath of your

familyl If you are married make sure you discuss it with your spouse first!

Is it really that important?

Absolutely. It is what you are looking for, the alchemy for your life. It opens your heart and increases your capacity to understand spiritual truths.

In all religions night vigil is one

of the core ingredients for spiri-

tuality. More importantly the Prophet of God (SAW), the best one who was able to make people listen has said:

"Night prayer is the pleasure of the Lord and the love of the angels. It is a tradition of the prophets (S); and the light of

Because prayer consists of proclaiming the Greatness of Allah, Praise, Adoration, Worship, showing humility and humblenesst respect, recital of the Holy Quran and supplication. Indeed prayer offered at its right time is the most superior deed."

So what else do you want? The best caller has proclaimed and the best listeners will listen and retain

Allah has said in his book, which is the best admonition, a clear guide and a mercy for the believers:

"And during a part of the night, pray Tahajjud (night prayer) beyond what is incumbent on you; maybe your Lord will raise you to a praiseworthy position." [17:79]

In fact the reward for Salaat alLayl is immeasurable in worldly terms as Allah has said in Surat

as-Sajda (The Prostration) 132:76-771:

"Their sides draw away from

arsenal against enemies;

death.

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I Issuel

are ready!

Another approach has also been recommended for making the

night prayer constant, which scime of my friends used. That is to slowly and consistently make night prayer as part of your routine. Using this method, a person would begin by waking up for fajr on time every day until that becomes a habit. Then they would

will be a proof between the believer and Allah the Exalted; it will be a means for making deeds heavier; a pass for crossing the Serat and a key of paradise.

faith).

means of acceptance of prayer and deeds; it is the blessings in sustenance and an intercessor between its companion (the prayer offerer) and the angel of

Sufficient is that for those that

knowing God and the root of faith (because it strengthens makes the body relaxed and the agitator of Satan; it is the

(their) beds, they call upon their Lord in fear and in hope, and they spend (benevolently) out of what We have given them. So no

soul knows what is hidden for them of that which will refresh the eyes; a reward for what they did.'

Volume 12

wake up a little earlier and pray the nafilah of Fajr until that becomes a habit. Then they would wake a little earlier still and pray both the Witr prayer and the nafilah, and so on.

After a while Salaat al-Layl becomes a spring board for self improvement. For example, it was striving to make the night

prayers and the obligatory

prayers better, which Induced me meanings of what I was saying, both in terms of the literal Arabic translations and the

to learn the

tafsir of the suras, the meaning of the actions and so on.

Additionally salaat encompasses all the spiritual excellences such as sincerity, remembrance of Allah and tawakul. If you want to realise these in salaat, they have to be practiced outside of salaat. Moreover after actualising Salaat al-Layl, it is natural to want to complete all the nawafil which then further increases the desire to improve yourself. This cycle of benefit escalates until after a while if you look back at the benefit, you may say that deciding to practice Salaat al-Layl was the best decision you have ever made.

UO[eesd5'.{l

-: Gamp Preview:'

IUS

Summer Cqrnp 2007 Preview Confirmed dote; l3- l5 July

former Victorian rectory, set in 25 acres of relaxing riverside grounds with splendid views of the Royal Forest of Dean and Symonds Yat rock. Hire a canoe and take in the picturesque valtey from the River Wye or choose pedal power to explore the Forest of Dean. Walkers

This year's summer camp will be held in the idyllic setting of Herefordshire's Forest of Dean. The theme of the camp will centre on understanding our lives in relation to the Hereafter' Topics which will be covered include Barzakh, the Day of Judgement and practical lessons

will find miles of footpaths to follow - we recommend you start with the Wye Valley Walk which runs past the hostel." Look out for details of camp alim, activities and how to register which will soon be posted onto the IUS website along with the official launch'

from the Ahlul Bayt (AS). Lectures, workshops and Q&As will be run by the camp alim and renowned youth speakers. YHA's Welsh Biknor will host the camp, Here's what they have to saY about it: "Outdaor folk will be spoiled for choice at this 16

wWW,:irUs.org.uk .:....:a.:.....:

Issue

1 I r,Volume,l2

-: Nahf al-Bala$hah I ness of determination, listening to Thy revelation, preserving Thy testament, proceeding forward in the

,*,.

,$t

spreading of Thy commands till he lit fire for its seeker and lighted the path for the groper in the da rk.

* Excerpt from Nahj al-Balaghah Sermon 72 Amir al-mu'minin tells people how to say'asSalat'(to invoke Divine blessing) on the Prophet. My Allah, the Spreader of the surfaces (of earth) and Keeper (intact) of all skies, Creator of hearts on good and evil nature, send Thy choicest blessings and growing favours on Muhammad Thy servant and Thy Prophet who is the last of those who preceded (him) and an opener for what is closed, proclaimer of truth with truth, repulser of the forces of wrong and crusher of the onslaughts of misguidance. As he was burdened (with responsibility of prophethood) so he bore it standing by Thy commands, advancing towards Thy will, wlthout shrinking of steps of weak-

Hearts achieved guidance through him after being ridden with troubles. He introduced clearly guiding signs and shining injunctions. He is Thy trusted trustee, the treasurer of Thy treasured knowledge, Thy witness on the Day of Judgement, Thy envoy of truth and Thy Messenger towards the people. My Allah prepare large place for him under Thy shade and award him multiplying good by Thy bounty. My Allah, give height to his construction above all other constructions, heighten his position with Thee, grant perfection to his effulgence and perfect for him his light. In reward for his discharging Thy prophethood, grant him that his testimony be admitted and his speech be liked for his speech is just, and his judgements are clear-cut. My Allah put us and him together in the pleasures of life, continuance of bounty, satisfaction of desires, enjoyment of pleasures, ease of living, peace of mind and gifts of honour.

Safes

fs Wafat of Prophet Muhammad (SAWS)

18 March

28 Safar

Shahadah of Imam al-Ridha (AS)

19 March

29 Safar

Wafat of Ma'suma Qum (AS)

24 March

4 Rabi al-Awwal

Shahadah of Imam al-Askari (AS)

28 March

8 Rabi al-Awwal

Wiladah of Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) & Imam al-Sadiq (AS)

5 April

17 Rabi al-Awwal

Wiladah of Imam al-Askari (AS)

26 April

8 Rabi al-Thani

Wiladah of Hadhrat Zainab (AS)

22 May

5 Jamad al-Awwal

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I Issuel t Volumel2

L,7

Lsr tatima,qli

I n" high regard in which the night prayer is held in traditions undoubtedly has to do with the fact that it is difficult to perform. However, there are ways and methods to make it easier on yourself. As the Prophet (SAWW) said, "Io do good deeds is a habit" so this is aimed at establishing behaviour and using quick tricks to start to make night prayers a

habit and part of your spiritual

and

physical routine.

your baseline. From here, train yourself as you would with any physical part of your body' Once this rakat becomes established you can add slowly in increments of 2 rakats at a time.

try making yourself a timetable, based on days, weeks, months, or years even. For example, every month that you keep up Salat al-Layl you add 2 rakats - the

You could

point is that you are working towards a goal. But be careful not to merely attempt to build uP numbers; this is a mustahab prayer, so take your time and really try to build it up as quality worship. Imam al-Baqir (AS) said, "The most fa-

There are generally two common difficulties that one may encounter: the first being to do with the stamina of 11 rakats, and the second being waking yourself up.

With regards to the first difficulty, the best way to deal with it is to begin with praying just Salat al-Shafa' and Salat al-Witr, or even just Salat al-Witr: Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (AS) has said, "One who has true faith in Attah (SWT) and the last day, will not allow the night to pass into the day without performing Salat al-Witr." This is the shortest version of night prayers. When you first staft to pray, help yourself by showing yourself how small the task can be' Start with Salat al-Witr as

vourable of man's work ta Almighty Allah even if it was little."1

is what he does persistently,

Another problem that some individuals encounter linked to the length of the prayer is difficulty in memorising the duas that are recommended for Salat al-Layl or the order in which one is meant to recite the various parts. Try, if you can, to commit what you want to memory during the day or when you feel alert because the more tired you are at night the more you'll

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struggle to remember: knowing the format of the prayer well will help avoid these pitfalls. Have a piece of paper with how to perform Salat alLayl written in fairly large letters near your prayer mat so that if you get stuck it's only a glance away. A trick that has been used by some is to read out and record everything they plan to say during Salat al-Layl. When they want to pray, they would play the cassette or CD and recite with the pre-recorded material. With regards to getting up for Salat al-Layl: a technique that some use/ is to perform it whenever you get up naturally. So, for example, if you

know that you wake up thirsty or needing the bath-

room at night, use this opportunity - you're up and out of bed anyway. Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, "If yoLt fear not being able to get up at the end of the night, you have an illness or you fear cold, then perform the Night's Prayer at the beginning of the night.'2. This hadith states that it's possible to pray night prayers before midnight even though its proper time is after.

If you're praying Salat al-Layl for the first time, pray on a few nights when you know

that if you oversleep the next

day it's not going

to be a

problem, like at the weekend. If you find it difficult to wake up, try splashing some water on your face, turn on a few lights in the house (without waking anyone up) or get yourself a glass of water. Try to use adhaan as your alarm to psychologically remind yourself why you're getting up. Maybe for the first nights have some tea or coffee when you get up to pray just until your body gets used to waking up at that time. Try to recite the last verses of Surat

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t Issuel I

Al-Kahf before you go to bed, as there is a hadith from Imam al-Sadiq (AS): "ffo man has ever recited the last verse of Surat Al-Kahf, unless he wakes up at any hour that he wishes. " Also try

sleeping

earlier. By doing so, your body will be happier to wake up when you want it to.

You could start establishing a biphasic sleep pattern, where your sleep is portioned into two sessions. Some of the few anthropological studies that have examined sleep behaviour in more primitive cultures suggest that we may be designed to sleep in two shifts, broken by a short interlude of wakefulness. Perhaps we were built for Salat

al-Layl without realising it. Depending on the season, your daily commitments and

personal preference you could apportion your sleep according to salah times, In the summer, you could sleep between Ishaa' and just before Fajr (1st sleep phase) as the most mustahab time for Salat al-Layl is as close to Fajr as possible. So instead set your alarm clock for 30-45 minutes before the start of Fajr, pray

Salat al-Layl till Fajr, then once you've performed morning prayers you can go back to bed (2nd sleep phase). Or if it fits better into your life, stay up till midnight, pray,

If you find you really cannot

get up or it's very hit and miss: imam al-Sadiq (AS)

was asked, "When do I perform the Night's Prayer?" He

said, *At the end of night." The man said,

not wake up!" He

the

do said,

"Having to compensate for it

the day after will motivate you to wake up and pefform

it on time.B The philosophy being at that crunch point

where you're in bed and halfasleep the fact that you're just going to make yourself do it anyway as qadha will spur you to get up there and then, In fact for many it's that key point of getting oneself out of bed that is the difference between praying or not.

Not all of these suggestions will be right for you, but only through trial and error will you be able to figure out what works best for you, As with most things in life the better

you know yourself, your

body, and your mind the easier you will be able to identify the obstacles and the best ways round them. Whatever happens remind yourself, this is another form of jihad and as a final note remember this hadith from Prophet Muhammad (SAWW):

then go straight to bed and wake up for Fajr - this pattern works particularly well in the winter where Fajr time is close to the time that a lot of people would normally wake up for work, college or university. Follow a rhythm for a couple weeks, and your body clock will become accustomed being up and awake at

Salat al-Layl time, even if

down the track you sleep a bit later or stray from your sleep pattern that you've started to set up. Some nights you'll find yourself waking up automatically.

Volumel2

References

1 Wasa'il al-Shi'a vol.l ch.21 2 Al-Tahtheeb, vol.2, p.768

3 Wasa'il al-Shi'a, vol.3, Ch.45

-: Book Review:

U9,iAâ&#x201A;Ź, v*J I-,-t-,J

Ioarino lo lhe 0nly Btloued A Short Treathe ott

lltt

Prcsenn ol ]leart in Proyet

ffi

Alii illu[amned lay nul l[idin

:,,-.W feyiewed

read this book, I had always acknowledged the importance of prayer. We are constantly reminded that salah is one of the main pillars in Islam, and that is why we are advised to pray slowly with concentration in order to experience a spiritual sensation.

bv Sr Zainab4l:l-lLlli

fij.ror.I

However how many of us can admit to praying with slow pace and finish salah spiritually satisfied? Do we actually understand what salah means? Do we contemplate the actions we perform or does it constantly feel like an obligatory part in our busy daily routines? This is not hard to think as we often get too involved in worldly affairs and occupy ourselves with our demanding and challenging lives. It is imperative we overcome them and make salah not just a religious duty but something we look forward to, in order to achieve incredible effects.

4il1.! l."s el-, J) irS et) Ll-,rPr l-6.-.,J I 'O human being, surely you must strive towards your Lord, a hard striving until you meet him' [84:6] We need to understand the purpose of salah in order to appreciate its profound effects. In this treatise, salah can not be explained better than the mere means that guldes one to Allah (SWT). This short book goes through the main aspects of prayer, explaining the points with beautiful Quranic

ayat and ahadith. I will go through these aspects and summarise the main points. 1, The necessity of attention in prayer The following saying about concentration in salah summarises our purpose when praying: 'How can the attention of the heart and the expression of humility not be the spirit of the prayer and (how can) the perfection of prayer not depend upon them, while the musalli in his prayer and sup' plication whispers to his Lord?' - Mawla Narraqi Prayer is an opportunity to fly and soar to ones destination, and encounter a spiritual experience. A vital point that is mentioned frequently is the presence of the heart in prayer. It is one of the most fundamental conditions of prayer and without it we will not achieve results. Prayer is a set of actions and expressions which mainly declare the immaculate nature of Allah (SWT). Therefore when reciting these expressions we need to concentrate so that the heart is aware of the meaning. The Holy Quran clearly states the necessity of concentration in prayer: cJ;S.rJ';rt ^tr ,ei,

Surely

;"jtti [l

ill u Al

I am Allah, there is no god but I,

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therefore

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-: Book Review:

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serve me and keep up prayer for My remembrance.' [20 : 14]

However, can remembrance take place if the mind is absent

and the heart unaware? The Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) is reported to have said: 'Allah does not accept the prayer

of that servant of his

whose

heart is not present along with his body'

2. The possibility of attention in prayer When one complains that concentration is impossible in salah, it's untrue and is only obstructing their journey towards feeling Divine proximity. Mind control can be achieved with time and struggle, as it is with physical training such as exercise. This is because the human imagination is habituated to flit to different places all the time. Some may say that it is strange that when they

start to pray this happens more than when

,: .

they are not praying.

In this chapter, there is a significant allegory given by

the late Imam Khomeini of imagination resembling a bird

that frequently escapes and perpetually moves. It ls possible to

make the bird obedient

to worship in general is when the worshipper motivates his

heart into acknowledging that worship is the act of praising the Creator. By this the worshipper should make the heaft understand that he is praising the Creator, even though he does not understand the meaning of what he expresses. Another kind is attention to worship in detail is described as the heart being present at every moment in salah. He also knows that he is praising and whispering to hls Lord. This chapter continues on to describe the other levels of attention effectively.

4. Hurdles on the way to attention in prayer and their removal

There are external and internal elements that can distract one's attention in prayer, The external are the sight and hearing perceptions such as a beautifully decorated mat or praying around people. A way of overcoming this element is to seclude ourselves in a dark place. The benefit of this is to free oneself from preoccupations and enables one to

control his hearing and sight, The only exception is when one prays in congregational prayers which is also very beneficial in many ways.

means of spiritual mortification and training with time and practice. This is also the case with the human imagination.

The internal elements are the most important elements; they are the main concept of the heart that has been mentioned before, In this example, there is

3. Levels of attention

also an interesting example of man under a tree.

prayer +u! .4J

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LFJi'dS_r

'And all have degrees according to what they do; and your Lord is not heedless of what they do.'

[6:132]

In this section, Abu

Muhammad

focuses on the kinds of attention in order to determine the steps we must pursue to achieve con-

centration

in salah.

Imam Khomeini explains that attention

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5. Suggested methods of achieving attention in prayer One method is to realise the importance of prayer in our lives.

'Reclte that which has been revealed to you of the Book and keep up prayer; surely prayer keeps (one) away from indecency and evil, and certainly the remembrance of Allah is the greatest, and Allah knows what

you do.'[29:45] Understanding what one recites

is also another method; it will occupy the mind in thinking

about what is important and focus the attention. Another important method is to apportion a specific time for prayer, a time in which you have no preoccupations with which to busy your mind and heart. It is also recommended to sit and think about Allah for a few minutes before commencing salah in order to clear one's mind of worldly preoccu pations.

5. The effect of maintaining one's attention in prayer, One of the most sublime effects of observing attention in prayer is Allah's nearness and proximity. It also purifies the human's soul for his own soul's good, to determine his destination in the next world. In addition, prayer inculcates truth, creates a spiritual transformation, and teaches and orientates us. It ignites our hearts to repent for our sins and wake up to our mistakes. When concentrating in salah, we remember the need to be obedient to Allah and get to understand His immaculate nature.

Finally this book ends proficiently with the exact meaning of Prayer starting wlth the Niyya until the Sujud. After this there are a few very beneficial memoirs and anecdotes that are a must read. Overall I personally think that we all need a Iittle

reminder

Imam Ali (a.s) said:

now about the impoftance of

formed according to your prayers.' This signifies that

concentration in salat and I think

'Beware that every deed of yours is per-

there is a real link between our prayers and the deeds we perform, Our deeds are shaped according to our prayer.

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and again

this little treatise explains it very well.

-: Extra: -

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VhiJ.&W**Y***&* Ghufayla Prayers Salat al-Ghufayla is one of the mustahab prayers which

between Maghrib and Isha prayers. It is highly recommended and is considered a substitute for a 2 Rak'at Nafilah of Maghrib. In its first Rak'at after

is offered

There are many Mustahab prayers which are generally called Nafilah, but more stress has been laid on the daily Mustahab prayers. The total number of Rak'ats everyday excluding Friday, is 34. It is as follows: a

2 Rak'ats Nafilah for Fajr

8 Rak'ats Nafilah for Dhuhr

B Rak'ats Nafilah for Asr

4 Rak'ats Nafilah for Maghrib

2 Rak'ats Nafilah for Isha

11 Rak'ats Nafilah for Tahajjud (Salat al-Layl)

As an obligatory precaution, the Nafilah for Isha

prayers should be offered while sitting, and

therefore its 2 Rak'ats are counted as one. But on Friday, 4 Rak'ats are added to the 16 Rak'ats of the Dhuhr and the Asr Nafilah, and it is preferable that all these 20 Rak'ats are offered before the Dhuhr sets in.

Surah al-Hamd, the following verses should be recited:

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iilt an;q*'13 4l li$Ll3

And Yunus, when he went away in wrath, so he thought that We would not straiten him, so he called out among afflictions: There is no god but Thou, glory be to Thee; surely I am of those who make themselves to suffer loss. So We responded to him and delivered him from the grief and thus do We deliver the believers. (21:87-88) In the second Rak'al after Surah al-Hamd, the following verse should be recited:

Out of the 11 Rak'ats of the night Nafilah, 8 Rak'ats should be offered with the niyyah of Nafilat al-Layl, 2 Rak'ats with the niyyah of Shafa', and 1 Rak'at with the Niyyat of Witr.

All Nafilah prayers can be offered while sitting, but then, certain Fuqaha say that 2 Rak'ats prayed sitting should be counted as one Rak'at, For example, if a person wishes to offer Dhuhr Nafilah which consists of 8 Rak'ats, in a sitting posture, he should offer 16 Rak'ats.

The Timings of Daily Nafilah Prayers oThe Fajr Nafilah is offered before the Fajr prayers, and its time commences when Salat al-Layl has been completed, till the time Salat al-Fajr draws near.

r The Dhuhr Nafilah is offered before Dhuhr prayers. o

The Asr Nafilah is offered before Asr prayers.

r The Maghrib Nafilah should be offered after Maghrib prayers/ and one should make an effort to olfer it straight after Maghrib. o

The time for Isha Nafilah is from the completion of Isha prayers till midnight. It is better to offer it immediately, after Isha prayers.

r The time for Salat al-Layl is from midnight till Adhan for Fajr prayers, and it is better to offer it nearer the time of Fajr prayers. A traveller (i.e. one on a journey), and a person who finds it difficult to offer Salat al-Layl after midnight, can offer it before midnight.

And with Him are the keys of the unseen treasures-- none knows them but He; and He knows what is in the land and the sea, and there falls not a leaf but He knows it, nor a grain in the darkness of the earth, nor anything green nor dry but (it is all) in a clear book. (6:59) And in Qunut this du'a should be recited:

Alla humma inni as aluka bi mafatihli ghaybil lati la ya 'lamuha illa anta an tusalliya 'ala Muhammadin wa Ali Muhammad wa an taf'al bi,.. O' Allah, I request from You for the sake of the keys of the hidden world who none other than You knows, that you send your peace and blessings on Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, and that you... IHere one should mention his wishes] Thereafter, the following Dua should be read:

Alla humma anta waliyyu ni'mati wal qadiru 'ala talabati ta'lamu hajati fa as aluka bihaqqi Muhammadin wa Ali Muhammadin 'alayhi wa 'alay himussalamu lamma qazaaytaha li,

O' Allah, You are the Guardian of my blessings and the only One capable of fulfilling my request, You know what I am in need of, so I ask You for the sake of Muhammad and the family of Muhammad when you grant it to me.

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Lantern of the Path

v*gifuul L**r,t

Dress The best adornment of the believer's garment is precaution and the most blessed garment is belief. As Allah said, "And clothing that

guards Iagainst evil]; best," (7:26)

that is

Outward dress is a blessing from Allah in order to preserve the modesty of the sons of Adam; it is a mark of honour which Allah has given to the descendants of Adam, He did not give that honour to any other creature; it is given to the believers as a means of carrying out their obligations. Your best garments are those which do not distract you from Allah, those garments, in fact, which bring you closer to remembrance of Him, and gratitude and obedience to Him. They do not, however, move you to pride, conceit, pretence, boastfulness or arrogance: those things are the scourge of the faith, and their legacy is hardness of heart. When you put on your clothes, remember that Allah veils your wrong actions with His mercy. You should clothe your inward part as you clothe your outward part with your garment. Let your inward truth be veiled in awe of Allah, and let your outward truth be veiled in obedience. Take heed of the overflowing favour of Allah, since He created the means to make garments for covering physical immodesty and opened the gates for repentance/ regret, and seeking succour, in order to veil the inward parts, and their wrong actions and bad character. Do not expose anyone's faults when Allah has concealed worse things in yourself. Occupy yourself with your own faults, and overlook matters and situations which do not concern you. Beware lest you exhaust your life in other people's actions and exchange your irreplaceable endowed wealth with someone else, thereby destroying yourself. Forgetting wrong actions brings about the greatest punishments of Allah ln this world, and is the most ample cause for punishment in the

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next, So long as the bondsman occupies himself with obeying Allah, with recognizing his own faults and leaving alone whatever might devalue faith in Allah, he is spared ruin and is immersed in the sea of Allah's mercy/ attaining the gems and the benefits of wisdom and clarity. But as long as he forgets his own wrong actions, is ignorant of his own faults, and falls back on his power and strength, he will never be successful.

Showing Off Do not show off your actions to someone who neither gives life nor causes death, and who cannot take away from you your burdens. Showing off is a tree whose only fruit is hidden association of other gods with Allah, and its root is hy-

pocrisy. The vain one will be told on the Day of Judgement; 'Take what you consider to be the reward of your actions from those you took as your partners with Me. Look to those whom you worshipped and called on, from whom you enteftained hopes and whorn you feared. And know that you cannot conceal anything inside of you from Allah: you will be deceived by yourself.'

"They desire to deceive Allah and those who believe, and they deceive only themselves and

Allah said,

they do not perceive," (2:9)

Showing off most frequently occurs in the way people glance at others, speak, eat, drink, arrive somewhere, sit with others, dress, laugh, and in the way they perform prayers, pilgrimage, jihad, recitation of the Qur'an, and all outward acts of devotion.

However, he who is sincere towards Allah, who fears Him in his heart, and who sees himself as lacking even after he has exerted himself with every effort, will find that Allah is contented with him as a result, and he will be among those whom one expects to be free from showing off and hypocrisy, provided he continues to be in that state.