VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH
Volume 140, July 17, 2010
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Editors: Mohamed & Rashida Ziauddin
In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent and the Most Merciful
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Editors: Mohamed & Rashida Ziauddin
In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent and the Most Merciful
Editorial:
The focus of this issue is SALAAT (prayers). A Muslim is expected to do five times prayer every single day. Most Muslims who pray with sincerity and total devotion to Almighty Allah will tell you the immense sense of peace and tranquility following a prayer. That feeling of soothing of the soul is hard to describe in words and can best be known only by going through the spiritual experience of completing a SALAAT (prayer).
Sincere prayer is also like a navigational GPS system keeping you in track of your waking life on the good path. Approximately within fifteen hours of the 24 hour daily cycle you are expected to pray five times, which roughly translates to one prayer every few hours. In essence, it is not only a spiritual and positive psychological reinforcement five times a day, but also multiple reinforcements of being physically clean through the process of Wadhu (ablution). Only Allah knows the true intention of the Muslim who does the prayer.
If someone is sincere in his or her prayers and based on the "average" mentioned above, he or she is very likely to bring out the best in him or her in his or her actions during his or her waking life. If there are thoughts to deviate away from the good, he or she becomes self conscious as to how he or she has to come back to face Allah in his or her next prayer within the five time daily prayer cycle.
Please note that above does not apply to those Muslims who have deviated away from the peaceful teachings of Islam and have been misguided and in reality violate the teachings of Islam by killing innocents and creating bloodshed and mayhem. In as much as you cannot blame the U.S constitution for the one million people locked up in jails for breaking the law, literally in the same way, you cannot blame the Holy Quran if deviated & misguided Muslims have distorted and twisted the Quranic interpretations to meet their own selfish agendas. They have essentially violated and broken the laws, principles and teachings of the peace loving religion of Islam. However they are only a tiny minority.
The need of the hour is to correct such distortion that has raised its ugly head through ISLAMIC EXTREMISM. On the other hand, unfortunately we also see a rising anti-Islamic EXTREMISM, while the majority of the world THE MODERATES continue to be passive and mere spectators to events around them.
It is high time that we the MODERATES but the MAJORITY of all faiths, rise up, partner with each other and work together as a global interfaith team to quell such extremism from all corners of the globe.
Coming back to the importance of prayer for Muslims, the Muslim(a) realizes that if they deviate away from the good path, with what face is he or she going to come back to Allah in their next prayer. Further one would question the futility of their prayers if there is no sincerity, or if their actions in daily life reflects deviating away from Allah's guidance. Although we are sinners we should do our best to improve ourselves in all possible ways by following the true light and guidance from Almighty Allah.
Sometimes in life, one is bombarded with multiple stressors and one comes almost to the point of giving up all hope. But then the Muslim(a) returns back to communicate with Allah through Salaat (prayer) and duaa in which there is a strong pleading for help from Almighty Allah. If the individual wanted he or she could have also dysfunction-ally coped with such overwhelming stress by resorting to a particular addiction like millions of people do. BUT SUCH A PRACTICING MUSLIM(A) WOULD NOT. INSTEAD THEY RETURN BACK TO PRAYERS AND ASK ALMIGHTY ALLAH FOR HELP.
In some overwhelming stressful situations, after completing their prayers and wiping away their hot tears that welled up and overflowed from their eyes due to intense emotional pain and a sense of hopelessness and helplessness, they suddenly after the prayers, feel that their EMPTY tank of HOPE, OPTIMISM, and COURAGE has been REFILLED with a positive feeling of renewed VIGOR, STRENGTH and COURAGE to move forward in life, NO MATTER WHAT. All by the grace of Allah. How many of you (especially women) could relate to above ?
We would like to thank Br. Amer Saeed from Los Angeles, California for forwarding below excellent e-mail titled "THEY HAVE NEVER ABANDONED IT" that emphasizes the importance of Salaat.
The Elderly have not abandoned it
Women have not abandoned it
Children have not abandoned it
On the roads, they have not abandoned it
In corrupt countries, they have not abandoned it
In the forests and jungles, they have not abandoned it
In the midst of ruins and destruction, they have not abandoned it
Under the bombings, they have not abandoned it
Under the rain, they have not abandoned it
On the stairs, they have not abandoned it
On top of (train) car roofs, they have not abandoned it
At train stations, they have not abandoned it
In planes, they have not abandoned it
On the beaches, they have not abandoned it
Before they are captured, they have not abandoned it
And after they are captured, they have not abandoned it
The disabled have not abandoned it ?
So why would you ?
If you do not observe prayer as you are ordered to
Then there will come a day when you will be prayed upon
You shall then enter alone...
No companions except your deeds
And what you have presented forward
Pray before you are prayed upon
Below is a picture of a pilgrim
who died in Madina in the position of sujood (prostration)
Do not miss a prayer
Oh Allah, make us among those you described in your Book
Those who have khushoo' in their prayers
Those who are continually observing their prayers and are heedful of them
THE END
Sincere prayer is also like a navigational GPS system keeping you in track of your waking life on the good path. Approximately within fifteen hours of the 24 hour daily cycle you are expected to pray five times, which roughly translates to one prayer every few hours. In essence, it is not only a spiritual and positive psychological reinforcement five times a day, but also multiple reinforcements of being physically clean through the process of Wadhu (ablution). Only Allah knows the true intention of the Muslim who does the prayer.
If someone is sincere in his or her prayers and based on the "average" mentioned above, he or she is very likely to bring out the best in him or her in his or her actions during his or her waking life. If there are thoughts to deviate away from the good, he or she becomes self conscious as to how he or she has to come back to face Allah in his or her next prayer within the five time daily prayer cycle.
Please note that above does not apply to those Muslims who have deviated away from the peaceful teachings of Islam and have been misguided and in reality violate the teachings of Islam by killing innocents and creating bloodshed and mayhem. In as much as you cannot blame the U.S constitution for the one million people locked up in jails for breaking the law, literally in the same way, you cannot blame the Holy Quran if deviated & misguided Muslims have distorted and twisted the Quranic interpretations to meet their own selfish agendas. They have essentially violated and broken the laws, principles and teachings of the peace loving religion of Islam. However they are only a tiny minority.
The need of the hour is to correct such distortion that has raised its ugly head through ISLAMIC EXTREMISM. On the other hand, unfortunately we also see a rising anti-Islamic EXTREMISM, while the majority of the world THE MODERATES continue to be passive and mere spectators to events around them.
It is high time that we the MODERATES but the MAJORITY of all faiths, rise up, partner with each other and work together as a global interfaith team to quell such extremism from all corners of the globe.
Coming back to the importance of prayer for Muslims, the Muslim(a) realizes that if they deviate away from the good path, with what face is he or she going to come back to Allah in their next prayer. Further one would question the futility of their prayers if there is no sincerity, or if their actions in daily life reflects deviating away from Allah's guidance. Although we are sinners we should do our best to improve ourselves in all possible ways by following the true light and guidance from Almighty Allah.
Sometimes in life, one is bombarded with multiple stressors and one comes almost to the point of giving up all hope. But then the Muslim(a) returns back to communicate with Allah through Salaat (prayer) and duaa in which there is a strong pleading for help from Almighty Allah. If the individual wanted he or she could have also dysfunction-ally coped with such overwhelming stress by resorting to a particular addiction like millions of people do. BUT SUCH A PRACTICING MUSLIM(A) WOULD NOT. INSTEAD THEY RETURN BACK TO PRAYERS AND ASK ALMIGHTY ALLAH FOR HELP.
In some overwhelming stressful situations, after completing their prayers and wiping away their hot tears that welled up and overflowed from their eyes due to intense emotional pain and a sense of hopelessness and helplessness, they suddenly after the prayers, feel that their EMPTY tank of HOPE, OPTIMISM, and COURAGE has been REFILLED with a positive feeling of renewed VIGOR, STRENGTH and COURAGE to move forward in life, NO MATTER WHAT. All by the grace of Allah. How many of you (especially women) could relate to above ?
We would like to thank Br. Amer Saeed from Los Angeles, California for forwarding below excellent e-mail titled "THEY HAVE NEVER ABANDONED IT" that emphasizes the importance of Salaat.
The Elderly have not abandoned it
Women have not abandoned it
Children have not abandoned it
On the roads, they have not abandoned it
In corrupt countries, they have not abandoned it
In the forests and jungles, they have not abandoned it
In the midst of ruins and destruction, they have not abandoned it
Under the bombings, they have not abandoned it
Under the rain, they have not abandoned it
On the stairs, they have not abandoned it
On top of (train) car roofs, they have not abandoned it
At train stations, they have not abandoned it
In planes, they have not abandoned it
On the beaches, they have not abandoned it
Before they are captured, they have not abandoned it
And after they are captured, they have not abandoned it
The disabled have not abandoned it ?
So why would you ?
If you do not observe prayer as you are ordered to
Then there will come a day when you will be prayed upon
You shall then enter alone...
No companions except your deeds
And what you have presented forward
Pray before you are prayed upon
Below is a picture of a pilgrim
who died in Madina in the position of sujood (prostration)
Do not miss a prayer
Oh Allah, make us among those you described in your Book
Those who have khushoo' in their prayers
Those who are continually observing their prayers and are heedful of them
THE END
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