Prayer is the soul of religion. Where there is no prayer , there can be no purification of the soul. The non-praying man is rightly considered to be a soulless man. Take prayer out of the world, and it is all over with religion because it is with prayer that man has the consciousness of God and selfless love for humanity and inner sense of piety.Prayer is, therefore, the first, the highest, and the most solemn phenomenon and manifestation of religion. The way in which prayer is offered and the words which are recited in it explain the true nature of religion of which it is the expression of mans contact with the Lord. Prayer in Islam gives in a nutshell the teachings of Islam. The very first thing which comes into prominence in Islamic prayer is that it is accompanied by bodily movements. It implies that Islam lifts not only the soul to the spiritual height, but also illuminates the body of man with the light of God-consciousness.It aims at purifying both body and soul, for it finds no cleavage between them.Islam does not regard body and soul as two different entities opposed to each other, or body as the prison of the soul from which It yearns to secure freedom in order to soar to heavenly heights. The soul is an organ of the body which exploits it for physiological purposes, or body is an instrument of the soul (Iqbal, Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam, p 105), and thus both need spiritual enlightenment. Secondly, Islamic prayer does not aim at such a spiritual contact with God in which the world and self are absolutely denied, in which human personality is dissolved, disappears and is absorbed in the Infinite Lord.Islam does not favour such a meditation and absorption in which man ceases to be conscious of his own self and feels himself to be perfectly identified with the Infinite, and claims in a mood of ecstasy: My I has become God, or rather he is God. Islam wants to inculcate the consciousness of the indwelling of the light of God in body and soul but does allow him to transport himself in the realm of lnfinity. It impresses upon his mind that he is the humble servant of the Great and Glorious Lord and his spiritual development and religious piety lies in sincere and willing obedience to Allah.The very first step towards the achievement of this objective is that man should have a clear consciousness of his own finiteness and Infiniteness of the Lord, and clearly visualise and feel that he is created as a human being by the Creator and Master of the universe, and he cannot, therefore, become demi-god or god.His success lies in proving himself by his outlook and behaviour that he is the true and loyal servant of his Great Master.Islamic prayer is, therefore, the symbol of humble reverence before the Majesty of the Glorious Lord. ******************** Chapter I:THE BEGINNING OF ADHAN ____________________ Book 4, Number 0735: Ibn Umar reported: When the Muslims came to Medina, they gathered and sought to know the time of prayer but no one summoned them.One day they discussed the matter, and some of them said: Use something like the bell of the Christians and some of them said: Use horn like that of the Jews.Umar said: Why may not a be appointed who should call (people) to prayer?The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: O Bilal, get up and summon (the people) to prayer. ____________________ Book 4, Number 0736: Anas reported: Bilal was commanded (by the Prophet of Allah) to repeat (the phrases of) Adhan twice and once in Iqama. The narrator said: I made a men- tion of it before Ayyub who said : Except for saying: Qamat-1s-Salat [the time for prayer has come]. ____________________ Book 4, Number 0737: Anas b. Malik reported: They (the Companions) discussed that they should know the timings of prayer by means of something recognized by all.Some of them said that fire should be lighted or a bell should be rung.But Bilal was ordered to repeat the phrases twice in Adhan, and once in Iqama. ____________________ Book 4, Number 0738: This hadith is transmitted by Khalid Hadhdha with the same chain of transmitters (and the words are): When the majority of the people discussed they should know, like the hadith narrated by al-Thaqafi (mentioned above) except for the words: They (the people) should kindle fire. ____________________ Book 4, Number 0739: Anas reported: Bilal was commanded (by the Holy Prophet) to repeat the phrases twice in Adhan, and once in lqama. ******************** Chapter 2 :HOW ADHAN IS TO BE PRONOUNCED ____________________ Book 4, Number 0740: Abu Mahdhura said that the Prophet of Allah (may peace be upon him) taught him Adhan like this: Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest; I testify that there is no god but Allah, I testify that there is no god but Allah ; I testify that Muhammad Is the Messenger of Allah, I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and it should be again repeated : I testify that there is no god but Allah, I testify that there is no god but Allah; I testify that Muhammad Is the Messenger of Allah, I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.Come to the prayer (twice).Come to the prayer (twice).Ishaq added: Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest ; there Is no god but Allah. ******************** Chapter 3 :THERE CAN BE TWO PRONOUNCERS OF ADHAN FOR ONE MOSQUE ____________________ Book 4, Number 0741: Ibn Umar reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) had two Muadhdhins, Bilal and Abdullah b. Umm Maktum, who (latter) was blind. ____________________ Book 4, Number 0742: This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Aisha by another chain of transmitters. ____________________ Book 4, Number 0743: Aisha reported: Ibn Umm Maktum used to pronounce Adhan at the behest of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) (despite the fact) that he was blind. ____________________ Book 4, Number 0744: A hadith like this has been transmitted by Hisham. ******************** Chapter 4 : THE HOLY PROPHET REFRAINED FROM ATTACKING PEOPLE LIVING IN DAR AL-KUFR ON HEARING ADHAN FROM THEM ____________________ Book 4, Number 0745: Anas b. Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to attack the enemy when it was dawn. He would listen to the Adhan ; so if he heard an Adhan, he stopped, otherwise made an attack.Once on hearing a man say: Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) remarked: He is following al-Fitra (al-Islam).Then hearing him say: I testify that there is no god but Allah. there is no god but Allah, the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: You have come out of the Fire (of Hell).They looked at him and found that he was a goatherd. ********************
Posted on: Sun, 02 Nov 2014 22:31:40 +0000
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