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Straight on the Middleway

Straight on the Middleway

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The Prayer of The Prophet by Shaykh Yahya Rhodus

Through Reflection comes Light

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Salaah comes from Seerah and is the essential connection to our Lord.

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I mam Al-Junaid said Ultimately life is praying 5 prayers and waiting to die

This is the essential trait of the believer. If you think about the implications and the greatness of this, every single opportunity that we have to pray and stand before our Lord is an opportunity for us to reestablish this connection. As human beings we have an element that is the physical aspect of our bodies which is like clay and is moving downwards. Another element in our bodies is the spiritual element which is the Ruh which is always wanting to rise. You constantly see the human being fluctuating between these two states that are: Human Nature or Earthy Nature Spiritual Nature Ultimately the Prayer is the Miraj of the believer It is the ascent of the believer. Renewing the believer of connection to the heavenly realms. If we look back at the source of prayer we find in it a very deep indication about the nature of prayer itself. When our Prophet went on Isra wal Miraj and was taken to Jerusalem by night and ascended and went past the 7 seven heavens into the Divine Presence, this is where he received the prayer. This is the highest degree of Revelation that our Prophet received from our Lord. Every traveller when they come home they have a gift When the Prophet returned from Isra wal Miraj the gift that he brought back to the Ummah was the Prayer. We should see the prayer as a deep and intimate gift and we have to move beyond merely the very base levels of the Nafs where we find it difficult and heavy to stand before our Lord and pray to where we reach a state and do it naturally. Reach a state where this is the most exciting moment of our day is the moments where we stand before our Lord. This was the state of our dearly beloved Prophet Muhammad When he bothered or troubled by an affair he used to hasten to prayer . This goes on to the beautiful statement of his Pray as you see me Pray This is indication that this is our Prophet Muhammad it is the means for us to know how to worship our Lord. This is one of the miracles of Islam that every single one of our forms of Ibaadah are completely intact.

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Straight on the Middleway

That after 1400years we know exactly how our Prophet Muhammad prayed. We have very detailed descriptions of things that he used to do in his prayer . This statement also helps us understand the state of the Prophet before his Lord and the way he was. Not only did he do this element outward but what was his internal state? When he was submitting before his Lord, the prayer is unique and gathers all of these different forms of worship. When you see the true inheritors of the Messenger of Allah which reflecting to you the way that our Prophet used to pray himself. When you sit before these rightly guided scholars that you start to tap into the way our Prophet used to pray.

I ncluded in this meaning of the hadith Pray as you see me Pray

There is not only an Outward element but an Inward element . There is a spirit and a soul which both are important and inseparable. We come from a Deen that a complete balance, between having the Latter of the Law and the Spirit of the Law. Through the inner aspect of the prayer we concentrate on the meanings of what we are saying and take the opportunity to be humble before our Lord. The pinnacle of the prayer is in the position of prostration.

The Prophet said The closest that a servant is to the Lord is when he is in prostration

We find that the intellect is lower than the heart The heart is higher than the intellect. The heart is the tool which we come to have Marifah our gnosis and knowledge of our Lord. The prayer is the greatest Wirid of all The greatest opportunity to draw near to our Lord in this Life. This is something we should take seriously. As soon as the Prayer time enters we should be longing to stand before our Lord. The more longing we have to stand before our Lord, it would directly translate into the next world into our degree of closeness to Him. When the prayer is intact and in shape then everything else will be intact and in shape as well.

Aisha (may God be pleased with her) was from the greatest of those who got to see the Prophet pray.

She prayed as she saw him pray.

When asked what was the most amazing thing that she saw about the Messenger of Allah She started to weed and say What was not amazing of the Messenger of Allah, his entire affair was amazing. But when everyone went to sleep at night, and everyone went to lay with their beloved, the Prophet used to stand before his Lord at night this was the most amazing affair about him, the way he used to stand in night before his Lord in prayer.

There is no better way to expose yourself to the Mercy and sweet breezes of Mercy of Allah than through the prayer and in particular praying as our Prophet prayed, inwardly and outwardly. We must be effort and strive to learn then it will be one of the most enjoyable and pleasurable experiences and will attain a portion of Prophetic inheritances. Posted 1 hour ago

Everything you leave has a replacement / Except God: if you leave Him, nothing can be His replacement. Shaykh Faraz Rabbani Posted 1 hour ago

Virtues of Salaah by Imam Tahir Anwar Link to Lesson

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Straight on the Middleway

Allah reminds us of our obligation of Salaah the prayer in various places in the Quran. Recite from the Quran in your Salaah Our recitation should increase in our Salaah When we speak of the virtues of Salaah We are fulfilling an obligation from Allah The evil that every individual is inclined to do, a human is protected from that evil through their Salaah This protection comes from Salaah performed in a manner and method it should be performed There are many obligations of our Salaah we are not fulfilling Among them is that we fulfill our Salaah in a manner and method in which the Prophet taught us. Once we have fulfilled that, any evil a human being is inclined towards an individual is protected when they pray their Salaah. All kinds of evil, I nward and Outward an individual is protected

The Prophet says An individual who performs their Salaah correctly, Allah will forgive an individuals sins until the next prayer

The Prophet went out during autumn and shakes a tree and theres so many leaves that fall down. The Prophet said that an individual who prays their Salaah their sins shed from that individual as trees shed their leaves in autumn. When we shake a tree outside, we see the leaves falling When we see an individual praying you dont see any sins falling We should know that when are fulfilling this obligation to Allah, Allah is rewarding us. In addition to the reward we are getting we should know and realise that our sins are being forgiven by Allah Slowly and surely As we go from one prayer to another prayer, Allah is forgiving our sins.

The Prophet mentioned to the Sahabahs I f there is a pool in front of someones house and they jumped into that pool 5 times a day, would any dirt remain on that individual? The Sahabah replied Ya Rasool Allah, no dirt, no filth would remain on that individual The Prophet replied Thats the case with an individual who performs their Salaah.

Allah is doing us a favor by forgiving our sins Allah is doing us a favor by purifying us We need to realise that when the Adhaan is called the time enters for a prayer, it is time for me to pray. As soon as a person fulfills and completes this obligation we come to realise that we are being cleansed spiritually. We are being elevated spiritually. When the Prophet had any difficulty he would resort to Salaah These are extra prayers On the Day of Judgment when an individual meets Allah the first thing they will be asked about is their Fard Salaah. If there is any deficiency in their Fard Salaah then the extra prayer associated with each Salaah, they will be looked at.

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place in our Salaah. This is a great act of worship!

Straight on the Middleway

We need to do our Sunnah and Nafl prayers in order to make up for any deficiency that may have taken

In Salaah we are talking directly to Allah, the Creator of ALL the creation. Allah is the Creator of creation. In our faith we are able to directly communicate to Allah. We Bow and mention the Praises of Allah

Subhana Rabbi Al-Adhim Glorified be my Lord

When an individual is in prostration, we happen to be at the lowest point on the face of this earth the ground The individual is highest in status while that individual is in prostration with Allah. You are the king of all kings when you are in prostration because you are prostrating to the King of Kings. You are in service to Allah The Mighty, The Majestic. We begin by Praising Allah Allah is the Greatest We begin with Al-Fatiha by Praising Allah. Then with our hearts and minds present we say O Allah, Guide us to the straight path Ameen There is no way that Allah can not guide a sincere individual who is asking Allah to guide him or her to the straight path in the form of Salaah. Our mind and hearts need to be present then Allah will grant us all the rewards of Salaah and all the benefits of Salaah.

That begins with understanding all the magnitude of Salaah.

Posted 5 hours ago

Nine Keys to Presence of Heart in Prayer by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Video: 9 Keys to Presence of Heart in Prayer Free Seekers Guidance Courses Allah has never commanded merely to pray rather the Quranic command to pray has come in specific ways Allah says Establish the prayer for My Remembrance When you pray heedlessly of God you have done the form of what your Lord has commanded you but you have not fulfilled its purpose. Establishing the Prayer is also known as iqaamah - it is to make something upright without any crookedness or deficiency Uprightness has two aspects inward and outward Outward : You fulfill the integrals and Sunnahs during the prayer. You pray according to the Divine command and the Prophetic example Inward : Praying with presence of heart. Your heart is directed to Allah because the prayer is the root meaning is Dua (supplication). You are calling on Allah. Pray sincerely seeking the pleasure of Allah, with a heart that is mindful, a heart that is turning to Allah, a heart that is conscious of Allah during the prayer. 1. Who are you praying to? The most significant reality is that you are praying to Allah. The prayer is not an act you perform rather it is your turning to Allah. The purpose is Allah and you must bring that to mind before you begin and in the prayer itself and after the prayer. I am praying Allah To my Lord

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My Creator My Sustainer My Bestower The One who has granted me all that I have The One who has given me the gift of life my health my wealth my knowledge my guidance my faith everything that I have. You have no blessing Except that it is from Allah. So you pray to Allah and bring that mind.

Straight on the Middleway

This is why we begin prayer saying Allah hu Akbar Allah is Greatest This consciousness is helped by upholding the Inward Virtues related to your prayer. Thankfulness, Yearning, Love, Awe, Beholding & Bliss You are supposed to be praying out of Thankfulness to Allah, You are supposed to be praying with a deep sense of Yearning for Allah, You are supposed to be praying with a deep sense of Love for the Divine, You are supposed to be praying with sense of Awe of Allah And when these become true with Beholding Allah with the eye of our heart, the eye of faith and a sense of absolute Bliss in that state of Beholding and intimacy with Allah. The Prophet said

Spiritual excellence, the perfection of faith is that you worship Allah as though you behold Him.

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When you behold Allah, you are with Allah

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straightonthemiddleway Straight on the You are in a sense of Awareness, Consciousness and Active Remembrance Then you experience absolute Serenity, Contentment and Joy.
To get these you should stir your heart with these meanings: The meanings of Thankfulness The meanings of Yearning The meanings of Love The meanings of deep Awe of the Divine The meanings of Fear of Allah. The prayer is for Allah, and we may reach a day when these meanings are there in our hearts already and in our prayer we are nourishing and nurturing that which is already within us. Until then we have to stir these meanings within us. The Prophet said:

Cry when you pray, and if you dont cry then make yourself cry for the sake of Allah Knowledge is only through learning and Forbearance (Hilm) is only through making oneself act Forbearantly .

2. Your neediness You have to realise your neediness to Allah, your slavehood and indigence. He is Free of all need Worthy of All Praise Possessor of All Majesty Magnificence and Beauty. Allah says in the Quran O People you are the ones who are in absolute need of Allah, and Allah is Free of all need, Worthy of All Praise

When Aisha (May God be pleased with her) asked the Prophet why he prayed so long his reply was that Should I not be a slave that is Thankful? The state of the slave is neediness to their Lord and their Master. Thats what made the Prophets prayer so beautiful because he prayed it with a complete neediness to his Lord. The Prophetic supplication O Lord, I am in desperate need for any good that you may send me. This is pure Tauheed, Pure awareness of Divine Oneness Tauheed is to affirm That there is none free of need than any other worthy of all praise Except Allah. There is none free of any other whom all are absolute need of Except Allah. Allah defines Himself for us in the Quran in Surah Ikhlaas: Say He is Allah the Unique,

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Allah the Absolutely I ndependent whom all depend upon Allah is Al Qayyum The Sustainer.

Straight on the Middleway

At every moment your life is only yours because Allah is granting it to you at every moment. All that you have is not only given by Allah but is being kept for you at every moment by Allah. Your state should be like the one whose hands are out begging their Lord in neediness, and you bring to mind the Majesty of Allah That He is the Possessor of absolute existence All else besides Him is fleeting and waning Its only there because He affirmed it He is the One who is possessed by absolute transcendence He is the One who is Beginningless and Endless He is the One who is absolutely distinct from Creation He is the One who is absolutely Independent in no need of any other He is the One who has the attributes of Perfection He has Absolute Life, Knowledge, Will, Power He has the attributes of Speech, Hearing and Seeing all things Think of the Majesty of Allah in prayer This is how you engage your heart in the prayer. Even when you are standing silently in prayer i.e. in Taraweh prayer Busy your heart with a sense of your Lord. Keep in mind your neediness and His Majesty. 3. Enter With Purpose Start your prayer in the right way by entering the prayer with a purpose Pause for a moment Gather your resolve Bring to mind whom youre praying to Fill your heart with the sense of yearning, loving, thankfulness Intend to pray for the sake of Allah Then you begin. The most important prayer is the obligatory prayer The wisdom of having the Sunnah prayer before the obligatory prayer is for you to strengthen your sense of purpose in the obligatory prayer. The Sunnah prayer is like a training ground for the training ground for the obligatory prayer because that is worth 80 times the Sunnah prayer. It is praiseworthy to sit for a few moments to gather your thoughts, and do some Dhikr before you begin praying When you do this your prayer will be completely different. Allah is your beloved, and those who believe are more intense in their love of Allah. This is your moment of your direct encounter with Allah. When you are waiting for the one you love, how do you wait for them? That is why you prepare yourself That is why it is recommended to renew your Wudu because it creates a sense of break of what you were doing before and what youre about to enter into right now. Enter the prayer with purpose Gather your intention Your resolve Your focus Get rid of distractions

The Prophet said A person only has from their prayer that which they were conscious of .

4. What you say. What you do. Within they prayer focus on two meaning What you say and What you do. In every position. When youre standing focus not only on what you are saying but the meaning of what you are saying. Do you know what Allah hu Akbar means? Do you know what Audhu billahi min al-shaitan ir-rajim means? Do you know the meaning of the opening supplication? These are High meanings! Dont say anything that you say in the prayer in a hurried way, Say it in a calm manner. Pronounce it properly without emphasis without exacting Your prayer is not a tajweed class Say it properly with the tongue as it helps stir the heart Dont make your pronunciation the focus rather say it in a way that is comfortable and move your heart with it Dont say anything in prayer without bringing to heart what it means Recite without haste Say it with your tongue and with your heart Move your heart Review the meanings

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Bring to mind the position that you are in

Straight on the Middleway

When you are standing, you are standing towards Allah When you bow, you are bowing toward the tremendous Majesty of Allah

You say Subhana rabbi al-atheem Glory be to my Lord, the Most Tremendous

When you prostrate yourself

Subhana rabbi al-alaa Glory be to my Lord, The Exhalted

This is the highness on Majesty. He is closer to you than your jugular vein and He is with you wherever you may be. It is we who are heedless of our Lord. 5. Fight distractions Flee to Allah You have to fight distractions, and anytime you find distracted Renew your sense that your prayer is for Allah. Refocus on what you are saying and what you are doing. 6. After the prayer After the prayer is finished, dont just get up and leave Adhere to the Sunnahs after the prayer Learn the Sunnahs Make a routine and dont leave it even if you are in a rush Right after Salaah say: Astagfirullah 3 times I seek Allahs forgiveness from my sin and shortcomings Say it sincerely for it is the tongue that guides the heart Learn the post prayer supplication: Allhumma Antas-Salm, wa minkas-salm, tabrakta y Dhal-jalli wal-ikrm. O Allah, You are Peace, and Peace is from You, Exalted are You, O Possessor of Majesty and Grace

Allahumma ainni ala dhikrika wa shukrika wa husniibadatika O Allah assist me in worshipping You, O Allah assist me in remembering You, and to be thankful of You, and to worship You beautifully .

7. Keep to turning to Allah Knowledge. Action. State You need three things to keep turning to Allah You need Knowledge: to know what Allah seeks from you at the level of obligation and that the level of what Hes encouraged you to do in order for you to draw closer to Him Acting upon that knowledge sincerely Result in State of becoming a true servant of Allah Someone whose on the footsteps of Al-Mustafa Someone who draws ever closer to that state in which you worship Allah as though you behold Him and youre granted true experience of the state of remembering Allah which is the state of true joy It is only by the remembrance of Allah that hearts find rest. 8. Law as Love If youre with Allah in life, youll be with Allah in prayer If you struggle to be conscious of Allah in life, youre going struggle in prayer and youre going miss out Everything that you do remaining within the limits of the sacred law Do it not as a burden but do it as a declaration of Love for Allah. Do it seeking the pleasure of Allah 9. Knowledge is the path to God In order to succeed in seeking the pleasure of Allah in life, in order to succeed in having a meaningful prayer you have to seek knowledge. Knowledge is the path to Allah Make a commitment to seek knowledge You should know how the Prophet prayed You need to know how to purify your conduct and your character You need to know how to be in a state of submission to Allah You need to instill in yourself the Islamic manners You need to know how to recite the Quran properly You do all these things for Allah.

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The Prophet said, Whomever Allah wishes well for He grants deep understanding of religion Knowledge is a light that shows the way to Allah Knowledge that is beneficial and inspired your heart helps you tread that path to the pleasure of your Lord Commit to learn

The Prophet said Whoever travels the path seeking knowledge therein, Allah facilitates for them through that the path to paradise

Its a sustained seeking in an orderly fashion A path is a way that has been trodden by those before you that leads your desired goal and destination which is closeness to Allah Seeking knowledge therein, the knowledge is on the path but it is not the purpose of the path, its purpose is your Lord Remember your prayer must be established Strive to learn the Prophetic way of prayer Outwardly to gain the Inward sense of turning to Allah in your prayer out of remembrance of Allah

Verily it is only by the remembrance of Allah that hearts find rest

Posted 7 hours ago

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