How to offer Salaat with devotion

 Satan misleads by whispering, “Salaat should be offered with proper devotion and concentration, otherwise of what use it is?  The meaning of devotion and concentration is that except the thought of Allah Ta’ala, no other thought should occur, not even a stray thought.  Even if arrows and spears pierce the body, one should not feel it.  Salaat should be like this otherwise it is a waste.”

 

Thousands have been destroyed through this and have ended up leaving such a good form of worship.  This pleases Satan and displeases Allah Ta’ala.  Do you see what a great deception this is! This is not called devotion and concentration, but is called immersion and absorption.  Devotion and concentration are entirely separate entities.  In the era of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), it was not considered as this.  This meaning has been fabricated by those who want to mislead.

 

Who can have devotion and concentration more than the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) Himself!  He (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) says:  I want to lengthen my Salaat, but when I hear the crying of a child, I shorten it so that its mother does not get worried.  No tell me how does the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) hear the crying of a baby?  This shows that devotion and concentration don’t mean this.  This is Istighraaq (immersion/absorption), which is a spiritual condition (Haal) and this is gained when Allah Ta’ala looks benevolently on the worship of a slave.

 

Hadhrat Imam Zain Ul A’abideen (May Allah shower His mercy on him) was offering Salaat in a room and that room caught fire.  The Imam remained engrossed in Salaat and did not even notice it. It was Imam Zain Ul A’abideen, but this kind of hard worship has not been decreed for everybody else.

 

Humans have been given two kinds of things, outward and one inward.  In other words, the parts of the body and the heart.  The meaning of devotion is that the body parts should be at peace and the heart also should be at peace.  Being at peace is different for both.  Being at peace for body parts means that one should not see here and there nor should move the hands and the feet.  Being at peace for the heart means the heart should not move.  What is moving of the heart?  To engage in thinking.

 

Allah Ta’ala has stopped us from doing those things are under our control.  Movements of the hands and feet have been prohibited in Salaat.  Those who suffer from palsy are exempted from even this. Similarly, we should not start a new train of thought ourselves.  If they come on their own, it is not against devotion and concentration.  The way to not let them come is that we should think only about our presence before Allah Ta’ala.  All other thoughts will be dispelled on their own.  The easy method to think about our presence before Allah Ta’ala is to think over what we recite in Salaat.  For some days it will be difficult.  The heart will tremble then later on, there will be no problem.

 

People are under the delusion that devotion and concentration in Salaat means that from start to finish no stray thought should cross our minds, although this does not mean this.  This is not humanly possible as well.  What it means is that we should not start new trains of thought ourselves and if this happens on its own, it is not against concentration.

 

Starting new trains of thoughts on our own deserves to be criticized.  In the same way, devotion to Allah Ta’ala does not mean that thoughts other than Allah should not come at all.  What it means is that we should not do so on our own and if they come on their own, it is not against devotion.

 

Offer Salaat with devotion.  This does not mean that if there is no absorption in Salaat, give up Salaat altogether!  Devotion is not difficult at all.  Don’t do anything useless (scratching oneself, playing with clothes, etc.), just stand the way you would stand before a king.  That’s all.  This is devotion.