Be in a state of constant remembrance(DW#757 )
May 19, 2020
Continuing with our reflections on verses from Chapter 29 of the Quran, Sura Ankabut [The Spider], we have been exploring verse 45, in which the Quran lays out a three-point plan for success in this world and the next.
Recite that which has been revealed to you of the Book and keep up prayer(Salaat) (establish prayer); surely prayer keeps (one) away from indecency and evil, and certainly the remembrance of Allah is the greatest, and Allah knows what you do. [Holy Quran 29:45]
Towards the end of this verse, the Quran reminds about the most important point: certainly the remembrance of Allah is the greatest.
In other words, Salaat, like the other daily rituals is a tool. It is a tool for remembrance of God, which is the goal of every worship. The Quran in fact explicitly points to this in Surah Ta-Ha, verse 14 when Allah tells Moses: "…and establish prayer for My remembrance." [Holy Quran 20:14]
The daily, consistent and disciplined practice of the ritual of Salaat is geared towards paving the way and training our consciousness to be in a constant state of mindful awareness of Divinity and to continuously connected to Him.
In other words, the time on the prayer mat, engaged in Salaat, consciously engaged in mindful awareness of God, enables us to be in a state of such awareness even we are off the mat.
And this is how Salaat saves us from indecency and evil.
But as the verse points out, Zikr, remembrance is greater than this.
The Salaat is Zikr of our bodies. The Zikr of our heart is when it is full of His awe, when we fear His punishment based on our actions and hope for His Mercy based on His Grace. And the Zikr of the soul is where we see only Him in everything, at all times, when we live with Ehsaan (beauty, virtue, goodness, excellence) and when we worship Him as though we see Him or at least with the knowledge that He sees us.
As the state of our awareness and remembrance grows, so does the realization that no matter how close we feel to Allah swt., how we much we feel we know Him and Praise and Exalt Him, He is still Greater than that. Whatever we know of Him is but a drop in this ocean of Infinity, He is still Akbar.
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