Prayer, The Most Comprehensive Worship
For true believers there are moments when, whatever the posture of body, the soul is on the knees. To experience the shortest distance to the almighty, through prayer, is the sweetest delight for those who are true prayfuls. This subject is interpreted by Professor Hossein Ansaryan in his book “ a commentary on Kumayl supplication”. The text to be followed is a part of the present book.
The most comprehensive type of worship is considered prayer. The one, who performs prayer, shows his humility to his Lord, confesses to His Oneness, and appreciates Him, via his prayer. The prayer-performer’s body organs that are attached to his conscious will eagerly hurry to worship places, such as the mosques and shrines.
Moreover, the knowledgeable servants of Allah who have deeply known their Lord, and His creation motives, are very humble before Him. They confess to His Oneness in appearance and hidden and are thankful to His numerous blessings. They rush to the worship places with their enthusiastic organs for gaining His satisfaction.
How can these servants hold a bad opinion of You? And why shouldn’t they be optimistic of Your forgiveness? Which prophet and which heavenly book has informed the pious servants that they would be tortured and their faces, tongues, hearts, and lambs be burnt in Fire?
In fact the prophets, Imams, and heavenly books have notified the believers that the pious believers, who have committed virtues, would not be tortured in Fire, away from their Lord, even if they have had some wrongdoings, because of their repentance and regretful ness.
Some traditions about the most comprehensive worship that is prayer are narrated here, hoping that Allah help us in completing this great worship, that hinders chastisement from us.
The Messenger of Allah states in traditions about prayer:
الصَّلاَةُ مِنْ شَرَائِعِ الدِّينِ، وَفِيهَا مَرْضَاةُ الرَّبِّ عَزَِّ وَجَلَّ، وَهِيَ مِنْهَاجُ الأنْبِيَاءِ.
Prayer is among the religious rules. It brings Allah’s satisfaction and is the Prophets’ path.
جَعَلَ اللهُ جَلَّ ثَنَاؤهُ قُرَّةَ عَيْنِي فِي الصَّلاَةِ وَحَبَّبَ إلَيَّ الصَّلاَةَ كَمَا حَبَّبَ إلَى الجَائِعِ الطَّعَامَ، وَإلَى الظَّمْآنِ المَاءَ، وَإنَّ الجَائِعَ إذَا أكَلَ شَبِعَ، وَإنَّ الظَّمْآنَ إذَا شَرِبَ رُوِيَ، وَأنَا لاَ أشْبَعُ مِنَ الصَّلاَةِ.
The Praiseworthy Allah has set prayer the light of my eye and happiness of my heart and has made it deer to me, as food is deer to a hungry person and water is deer to a thirsty one. The hungry becomes full of the food and the thirsty becomes full of the water, while I never get completely full of prayer.
إذَا قُمْتَ إلَى الصَّلاَةِ وَتَوَجَّهْتَ وَقَرَأتَ أُمَّ الكِتَابِ وَمَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ السُّوَرِ ثُمَّ رَكَعْتَ فَأتْمَمَتَ رُكُوعَهَا وَسُجُودَهَا وَتَشَهَّدْتَ وَسَلَّمْتَ، غُفِرَ لَكَ كُلُّ ذَنْبٍ فِيمَا بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَ الصَّلاَةِ الَّتِي قَدَّمْتَهَا إلَى الصَّلاَةِ المُؤَخَّرَةِ.
When you stand up for prayer toward qibla, and recite the first Qur’¡nic chapter (S£rat al-F¡ti¦ah) and any other Qur’¡nic chapter you could, then performed roku’ and sajda, followed by tashahhud and salam, all your sins before your prayer and until your next prayer would be forgiven.
Am¢r al-Mu’min¢n, Imam `Al¢ (a.s), have said about prayer:
الصَّلاَةُ تَسْتَنْزِلُ الرَّحْمَةَ.
Prayer descends blessings.
الصَّلاةُ قُربانُ كُلِّ تَقِيٍّ.
Prayer makes every pious servant close to Allah.
أوصِيكُمْ بِالصَّلاَةِ وَحِفْظِهَا، فَإنَّهَا خَيْرُ العَمَلِ، وَهِيَ عَمُودُ دِينِكُمْ.
I recommend you perform prayer and keep on it, because it is the best deed and the base of your religion.
إنَّ الإنْسَانَ إذَا كَانَ فِي الصَّلاَةِ فَإنَّ جَسَدَهُ وَثِيَابَهُ وَكُلَّ شَيْءٍ حَوْلَهُ يُسَبِّحُ.
When one is performing prayer, his body, clothes, and everything around him are worshipping!
يَا كُمَيْلُ! لَيْسَ الشَّأنُ أنْ تُصَلِّيَ وَتَصُومَ وَتَتَصَدَّقَ، إنَّمَا الشَّأنُ أنْ تَكُونَ الصَّلاَةَ فَعَلْتَ بِقَلْبٍ نَقِيٍّ وَعَمَلٍ عِنْدَ اللهِ مَرْضِيٍّ وَخُشُوعٍ سَوِيٍّ.
O Kumayl! You should not merely perform prayer, fast, and pay charity; rather you should perform prayer with a purified and humble heart to satisfy Allah.
Besides the Holy Qur’¡n, the reliable Shi’a tradition sources like “Kutub Arba’a”, “Was¡’ilaAl-Sh¢`ah”, etc. are the best and most complete sources about the worldly and heavenly effects of performing prayer.
source : a commentary on kumayl supplication
