Seeking Refuge

Know that this means seeking a sanctuary with Allaah the Mighty from Shaytaan the Rejected and Accursed, the one who lies in wait for you, jealous of your private conversation with your Lord Azzawajall and of your rukoo’ and sujood to Him, along with the fact that he did not agree to or offer a single prostration to Him. He has made it his concern to prevent you and cut you off from conversing privately with your Lord by his whisperings about the concerns and affairs of the world and its engagements and occupations until he prevents you from the honour of secretly conversing with Allaah, its blessing and its reward. He also tries to cut you off from your Master, whose love and secret conversations make the hearts happy, and from gaining nobility in this life and the herafter by His remembrance and beautiful worship.

The Basmalah

When you pronounce this, intend to receive blessings by the name of Allaah along with which nothing in the heavens or the earth can cause harm and He is the All-Hearing the All-Knowing. When you say ar-Rahmaan ir-Raheem, recall in your heart His various benevolences so that His Mercy becomes manifest to you and hope arises in your heart.

Recitation of the Faatihah

Remember the saying of the Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wasallam), what he has narrated from his Lord: "I have divided prayer between Myself and My servant into two halves, and My servant shallhave what he has asked for. When the servant says:

All praise belongs to Allaah the Rabb of all the Worlds.

Allaah (mighty and sublime be He) says: My servant has praised Me. And when he says:

The Most Gracious the Most Merciful

Allaah (mighty and sublime be He) says: My servant has extolled Me, and when he says:

Master of the Day of Judgement

Allaah (mighty and sublime be He) says: My servant has glorified Me -and on one occasion He said: My servant has submitted to My power. And when he says:

You alone do we worship and from You alone do we seek help

He says: This is between Me and My servant, and My servant shall have what he has asked for. And when he says:

Guide us to the Straight Path, the Path of those whom you have favoured, not of those upon whom is your anger, nor of those who are astray

He says: This is for My servant, and My servant shall have what he has asked for"

An-Nawawi (rahimahullaah) said: The scholars have said: And the meaning of the word ‘prayer’ (in this hadeeth) is the Faatihah...

...(His saying) ‘I have divided it’ is in terms of its meaning because the first half of it contains praise of Allaah, His glorification, extolling Him and submitting (one’s affairs) to Him and the second half contains a request, an imploration and a need.

Al-Ghazaalee (rahimahullaah) said: As for the other surah which is recited: You must recite it with reflection and thought, pausing at every verse until you understand its meaning. Allaah Azzawajall said:

Do they not carefully ponder over the Qur’aan or are there locks upon their hearts?

Do not therefore, be heedless of His commands, prohibitions, promises, threats, admonitions, the stories of His messengers and the mentioning of His favours and bounties (upon His creation). Every one of these has a right upon you. Hope is the right of the promise, fear is the right of the threat, having a firm resolution to obey Him is the right of His commands and prohibitions, taking a lesson and warning is the right of His admonitions, gratefulness is the right of his favour and consideration is the right of the stories He has narrated.

Al-Qaasimee (rahimahullaah) said: These meanings are related to the levels of understanding and the levels of understanding are related to the abundance of knowledge and the clarity of the heart. The levels and degrees of this (amongst people) cannot be comprehended. The prayer is the key to the hearts. Within it, the secrets of the words (which are recited) are uncovered. This is the right of the recitation and is also the right of the remembrances, and the glorifications. Then the worshipper should oberve and maintain awe and fear of Allaah during his recitation by reciting with Tarteel (slow rhythmic tones) as this makes it easier to reflect.

The Rukoo’ and the Sujood