Ibn Al-Jawzi, his says on the meaning of salah,
When I first learn how to perform the prayer, I learned how to perform ablution and every steps I need to know in a prayer. I remembered learning how to pray during Asar and I can already perform the prayer when it is time for Isha'. My friends keep on telling me that I should not rush to learn everything in a fast pace but what can I say, I was so eager to become a good Muslim that I want, want and want to learn as quickly as I could. Alhamdulillah, ALLAH made my wish a reality. I easily memorize everything with ALLAH's will. I learned from my friends and I never went to PERKIM or anything to learn about Islam. Everything I learn from my surroundings and alhamdulillah, ALLAH did not forsake me. I was able to differentiate between being an extremist and being a good Muslim.
When I went for my first jemaah prayer, I felt tensed because I need to cope with the imam in front and I was just learning at that time. I was only a week old in Islam and I cried after the prayer because it was so hard. I feel that I was never going to be able to cope with everything but alhamdulillah, again ALLAH did not forsake me. He gave me a stronger heart and I was able to cope with my learning process even though I cried a lot.
For someone who used to go for prayer once a week, and even once a week, I feel lazy to go to the church. Surely it would be hard for me to pray 5 times a day but alhamdulillah, I loved Islam first before I was introduced to the teachings. When I believe that Islam is the true way of life, I was not hesitant in making my decision to become a Muslim. Even though how hard the act of solat may be for me, I didn't use the excuse of me being new and all to avoid performing the solat at the early stage.Instead, I tried to learn and alhamdulillah, my effort paid off. So, if a non-Muslim asks you about what Islam is, don't simply tell them that Islam is a religion that requires you to pray 5 times a day and that, you cannot eat pork and yadda yadda. Instead, tell them about the beauty of Islam and who ALLAH is. Let them learn to love Islam and inshaALLAH, when they become a Muslim, they will do what the religion told them to do because of the love for the deen.
Now that I am a full term Muslim, no longer a muallaf but a mukallaf(a person who accepts Islam as his or her way of life), I have to reach another level, that is, not to only perform the prayer but to perform the prayer with khusyu', with total submission to ALLAH.
Each prayer took only 10 minutes or less, which means if we pray 5 times a day, ALLAH wants us to pay full attention to Him for ONLY 50 minutes. The rest of the 23 hours and 10 minutes is for our worldly activities. So, how do we expect ourselves to suddenly become good Muslims and think about ALLAH during the long 23 hours if in the solat we couldn't focus for just 50 minutes? Can't we at least try to concentrate only on ALLAH for the whole 10 minutes per solat?
Khusyu' is not the ability to avoid distractions around you but it is how you make yourself present in your solat. Imagine if your father was talking to you but your mind is wandering somewhere else. Don't you think he would be angry with you? The key word is CONCENTRATE. Even if Lady Gaga suddenly appeared in front of you dancing the Bad Romance dance, you would not take notice because you are focused entirely in perfecting your solat.
He has given us a lot of things, the gift of speech, the gift of life, and those are only a few from the zillions of gifts He had given us. He created us so that we submit to Him because that is the least we can do. He does not need us to give Him food or anything, like the people who claimed that they are messengers of God, or they claimed that they were the Son of God. He only wants us to pray. Even if we pray, nothing will happen to Him. It's not like the more we pray to Him, the stronger He would be. No, that is not the case. When we pray, we get the pahala. SubhanALLAH! ALLAH has given a lot to us and He still wants to give? ALLAH is Ar-Rahman, the Most Giving.
Need I say more?
إنا في روضة طعامنا فيها الخشوع و شرابنا فيها الدموع
“We are in a garden, where our food is khushoo’ (devotion), and our drink is the tears that flow.”
When I first learn how to perform the prayer, I learned how to perform ablution and every steps I need to know in a prayer. I remembered learning how to pray during Asar and I can already perform the prayer when it is time for Isha'. My friends keep on telling me that I should not rush to learn everything in a fast pace but what can I say, I was so eager to become a good Muslim that I want, want and want to learn as quickly as I could. Alhamdulillah, ALLAH made my wish a reality. I easily memorize everything with ALLAH's will. I learned from my friends and I never went to PERKIM or anything to learn about Islam. Everything I learn from my surroundings and alhamdulillah, ALLAH did not forsake me. I was able to differentiate between being an extremist and being a good Muslim.
When I went for my first jemaah prayer, I felt tensed because I need to cope with the imam in front and I was just learning at that time. I was only a week old in Islam and I cried after the prayer because it was so hard. I feel that I was never going to be able to cope with everything but alhamdulillah, again ALLAH did not forsake me. He gave me a stronger heart and I was able to cope with my learning process even though I cried a lot.
For someone who used to go for prayer once a week, and even once a week, I feel lazy to go to the church. Surely it would be hard for me to pray 5 times a day but alhamdulillah, I loved Islam first before I was introduced to the teachings. When I believe that Islam is the true way of life, I was not hesitant in making my decision to become a Muslim. Even though how hard the act of solat may be for me, I didn't use the excuse of me being new and all to avoid performing the solat at the early stage.Instead, I tried to learn and alhamdulillah, my effort paid off. So, if a non-Muslim asks you about what Islam is, don't simply tell them that Islam is a religion that requires you to pray 5 times a day and that, you cannot eat pork and yadda yadda. Instead, tell them about the beauty of Islam and who ALLAH is. Let them learn to love Islam and inshaALLAH, when they become a Muslim, they will do what the religion told them to do because of the love for the deen.
Now that I am a full term Muslim, no longer a muallaf but a mukallaf(a person who accepts Islam as his or her way of life), I have to reach another level, that is, not to only perform the prayer but to perform the prayer with khusyu', with total submission to ALLAH.
Each prayer took only 10 minutes or less, which means if we pray 5 times a day, ALLAH wants us to pay full attention to Him for ONLY 50 minutes. The rest of the 23 hours and 10 minutes is for our worldly activities. So, how do we expect ourselves to suddenly become good Muslims and think about ALLAH during the long 23 hours if in the solat we couldn't focus for just 50 minutes? Can't we at least try to concentrate only on ALLAH for the whole 10 minutes per solat?
Khusyu' is not the ability to avoid distractions around you but it is how you make yourself present in your solat. Imagine if your father was talking to you but your mind is wandering somewhere else. Don't you think he would be angry with you? The key word is CONCENTRATE. Even if Lady Gaga suddenly appeared in front of you dancing the Bad Romance dance, you would not take notice because you are focused entirely in perfecting your solat.
He has given us a lot of things, the gift of speech, the gift of life, and those are only a few from the zillions of gifts He had given us. He created us so that we submit to Him because that is the least we can do. He does not need us to give Him food or anything, like the people who claimed that they are messengers of God, or they claimed that they were the Son of God. He only wants us to pray. Even if we pray, nothing will happen to Him. It's not like the more we pray to Him, the stronger He would be. No, that is not the case. When we pray, we get the pahala. SubhanALLAH! ALLAH has given a lot to us and He still wants to give? ALLAH is Ar-Rahman, the Most Giving.
Need I say more?
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Speak good, or remain silent. (Bukhari & Muslim)