Chapter IV: Secrets of Prayer
MEANING OF OPENING DOS: 'I turn my face towards the Creator of heavens and earth.' To turn face towards the Ka'ba means to turn it towards God. God exists every where and so to turn towards the Ka'ba means to turn towards the only object of your life, towards the Almighty after giving up all things. When you recite 1 am not of the polytheists/ your mind harbours then
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secret shirk as God says : If any body wishes to meet with his Lord, let him do good deeds and do not set up any partner in His divine service.' This was revealed with respect to a person who wants divine service and also the praise of men. So take care of this shirk. When you utter — 'My life and my death are for God', know then that this condition is of the slave who safeguard the existence of his master in lieu of his existence. When you utter — 1 seek refuge to God,' you should give up your low desires and temptations. You should then take firm resolution to take refuge to the fort of God giving up the fort of the devil. The Prophet said : God said There no deity but God' is My fort. He who enters My fort is safe from My punishment. God protects one who has got no deity hut God. He who takes his low desires as his deity lives in the fort of the devil and not in the fort of God.
MEANING OF QURAN READING: Regarding this matter, men are of three classes — (1) he who moves his tongue but his mind is heedless, (2) he who moves his tongue and his mind follows his tongue, this is the rank of the fortunate, (3) he whose tongue is directed first towards understanding the meaning and then his minds take his tongue as its servant. Tongue will give expression of mind.
MEANING OF OTHER ITEMS: When you utter— 'I begin in the name of the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful', seek first the favour of God. When you say Thou are the Lord of Judgment day,' understand then that there is no sovereignty except His sovereignty and fear His judgment. Express your helplessness by saying Thee do we worship' and understand that religious acts do not become easy except with His assistance.
It is said that when Zarrah-b-Auf finished reciting 'when the trumpet will be blown, he fell down senseless and died. When Ibrahim Nahhyi heard this verse, 'when the sky will be rent asunder' he began to tremble seriously. So read the Quran slowly and attentively so that it becomes easy to understand. The Prophet said : God remains with the praying man till he does not look to and fro. As it is your duty to protect your head and eyes, so it is compulsory on you to restrain your mind in prayer from thoughts other than God. When you look towards any other thing, remember then that God sees your condition. If you are absent minded at the time of monazat, it is very bad. Keep the fear of God within your mind. Hazrat Abu Bakr used to stand in
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