Divine secrets of Salaat

Some divine secrets of Salaat as described by Hadhrat Muhaddith-e-Deccan (May Allah shower His mercy on him).

 

Purification

 

The secret of purification is that the cleansing of body and garment is to clean only the outward cover and its soul is the purification of the heart and this is gained by Tauba, regret and by refraining from blameworthy traits.  The heart is the place for the vision of Allah Ta’ala and the place for the spiritual reality of Salaat is also the heart.  The body is only the place for offering of the Salaat.

 

Covering the body

 

Covering the body is to cover the body from the navel to the knees.  Its spiritual reality and secret is that one should purify one’s Batin (inward aspect) from all sorts of sins.  The Batin is cleaned when you repent all your past sins and make a firm resolve that in future, you will never approach them and you veil the past sins with shame, embarrassment and fear of Allah and appear before Him in such a broken down and humble manner the way a runaway slave is brought before its master and he cannot even raise his head.

 

Facing Qiblah

 

To face the Qiblah means that one should turn away one’s face from all other directions and face only the Qiblah.  The secret here is that the person offering the Salaat should turn his (or her) heart away from both worlds and engross oneself with Allah Ta’ala so that the outward and inward aspects are the same.  The way the outward Qiblah is one, in the same way the inward Qiblah is also one i.e. the Lord Almighty.  To involve the heart in other things is akin to moving the face here and there from the direction of the Qiblah.  The way the countenance of the Salaat is spoiled with turning the face here and there, in the same way if the heart is unsettled, it spoils the soul and the spiritual of the Salaat.

 

That’s why the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said: The person who stands to offer Salaat and he, his desires and his heart all are engrossed with Allah Ta’ala, that person comes out of his Salaat as if he has just come out of his mother’s womb, i.e. that person is purified of all sins.

 

Know this to be the truth that the way the Salaat is invalidated if one turns away from the outward Qiblah in the same way the Salaat is invalidated if one turns away from the inward Qiblah meaning remaining heedless of Allah Ta’ala and being occupied with other thoughts does away with the soul and spiritual reality of Salaat.  The outward aspect is the covering for the inward aspect and what is wanted is what is below the covering and the outward covering has no value.

 

Standing

 

The outward aspect is that you are standing before Allah Ta’ala with your personality like slaves with your head bowed down and the secret here is that the heart should become still (i.e. be free of all thoughts) and should ready itself to serve with respect and humility.  At that moment, one should think of standing before Allah Ta’ala in Qiyamah, when all secrets will be revealed. 

 

[Excerpted from Mawaaiz-e-Hasana]