Dear Islamic sisters! Salah is extremely pleasant worship. It has countless blessing and excellence. By the blessing of Salah, diseases get removed. Salah is a means of blessing in the sustenance and it saves from the torment of grave and is a source of light in the dark grave as well. Contrary to this, there are warnings of severe torments for those who do not offer Salah. In today’s weekly Ijtima, we will listen to the importance of Salah, the excellence of Salah and the torments of not offering Salah. Let’s first listen to a parable.

Salah of Sayyiduna Haatim Asam رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه

Sayyiduna Haatim Asam رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه once visited Sayyiduna ‘Aasim Bin Yusuf Muhaddis رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه. Sayyiduna ‘Aasim Bin Yusuf Muhaddis رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه said, “O Haatim! Do you perform your Salah properly?” Sayyiduna Haatim Asam رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه answered in the affirmative, and then Sayyiduna Haatim Asam asked the same question to Sayyiduna ‘Aasim Bin Yusuf Muhaddis رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه. In response to the question, He replied, “I perform ablution correctly, completely and in the proper order when the time of Salah draws near, then I place my feet on praying mat keeping every part of my body in balance at the exact time of Salah”. In my heart, I observe the imagination of Blessed Ka’bah between both of my eyebrows and Maqaam-e-Ibraheem in front of my heart then having this belief that Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ is aware of all my apparent and hidden thoughts, I stand in such a way as if my feet are on Pul-e-Siraat (bridge of  Siraat), Jannah is at my right side, Hell is at my left side, Malak-ul-Maut (angel of death) is standing behind me, then assuming it to be my last Salah, I say Takbeer-e-Tahrimah (first Takbeer) with all sincerity and start recitation with deep contemplation and pondering then I perform Ruku’ (bow) with humbleness and  perform Sajdah (prostration) with a profound sense of humility. I complete my Salah with overwhelming Khushu’ and Khuzu’ (fear and humility). Surprised, Sayyiduna ‘Aasim رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه asked, ‘O Haatim Asam
رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه do you really perform each of your Salah in this way?’ Sayyiduna Haatim Asam رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه replied in affirmative saying that ‘For thirty years I have been performing my each Salah in this way.’ (Ruh-ul-Bayan, vol. 01, pp. 33)

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب           صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلٰى مُحَمَّد