namaz is the best

Faith

If we analyse life we come to realise that in human life the existence of faith is essential in one way or another. Without faith human life remains incomplete. Just like belief in Allah and to be present before Him and behold Him is a faith, similarly infidelity and the rejection of Allah too is included within the circle of faith. It is a different thing altogether that the name given to this is disbelief. In another words, a person like this is established upon the belief of infidelity. In life when faith comes under discussion it becomes important to set some rules and regulations in order to stay firm and established upon this faith. By contemplating on the Holy Qur‘ān it becomes clear that Allah persuades man to stay firm and constant upon this faith: that there is no entity except Allah who is worthy of worship and devotion. This is the same thinking approach that each and every one of the prophets enlightened mankind with. They all set rules and regulations relating to how life should be spent in order to keep this faith firm and established. If we look through the sight of reality it becomes evident that in every action and movement man is standing in need of Allah's favour and kindness. In every situation, whether it is birth, childhood, youth, old age or life after death, we are in need of Allah's kindness and blessings.

Reading Prayer and Establishing Prayer

It has been mentioned that one of the meanings of Prayer is blessings. In other words, Prayer is a source of attaining Allah's blessings. It is spectacular work of the Holy Prophet alaihissalam that he has devised for the followers of his faith (Muslims), and for other human beings, a method for attaining Allah's blessings that combines all the movements which occur in one's life. The purpose of it is so that in every situation and in every movement of life one stays connected with Allah's blessings. When we study and analyse the movements contained within Prayer it becomes apparent that there is no movement in human life that the Holy Prophet alaihissalam has not included in Prayer e.g. lifting the hands, raising them, moving them, tying them, touching the body with the hands, standing up, bending, lying, sitting, speaking, looking, hearing, moving the head around to determine directions. Thus, Prayer includes every state of life. The purpose of it is so that no matter what a person is doing, his mind stays established with Allah and this should become a

habit. When this becomes a trait encompassing every moment and breath of one's life one develops a strong connection with Allah.

When we make intention (niyat) we raise our hands up to the ears and touch them, and then saying Allāhu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest) we tie our hands. Before starting Prayer it is our intention that we are going to perform this act for Allah. Intention is related with the brain i.e. first we mentally present ourselves in front of Allah.

From the beginning of creation up until now all the inventions and developments that have came into existence are firstly related to the brain and then with the hands. When we lift ours hands for Prayer and declare Allah's greatness we are forming a relationship between Allah and all our mental abilities and all the developments produced by using these abilities. In other words, all the inventions that mankind has invented and the ones still to be invented in the future are all related to the abilities that Allah has granted us. When we recite Subhāna kallāh humma (O Allah, all glory is for you) we are declaring Allah's glory and confessing that the abilities present within us that enable us to speak, think and understand are actually the attributes of Allah and a favour bestowed upon us by Him. When reciting Sūrah Fātiha we are negating ourselves and declaring that all praise is for Allah only and that He is the one who grants us guidance, and only by earning His kindness and favour are we able to walk along the straight path.

After Sūrah Fātiha we recite any other Sūrah from the Holy Qur‘an e.g. Sūrah Ikhlās. When reciting this Sūrah we are confessing that Allah is One (Single) and His creation is not. Allah is not in need of anything, but all else is in need of Him. None is born of Him nor is He born. Allah is Unique, the One, Single, Eternal, Absolute, and there is none like Him. While declaring Allah's greatness we bow down and then stand up again. After standing up we go into such a position which is close to lying down (prostration). We then get up into a sitting position. Next, we prostrate again. We then stand up. In the last rakat we sit down in peace for quite a while and then looking in both directions we salute (say Salām).

It sure is a remarkable fact worth contemplating upon that the Holy Prophet alaihissalam   has incorporated every single moment that exists in human life into Prayer. The purpose of it is so that whatever a person is doing, whichever state he is in, whether he is sitting, standing, bending, saying something, looking here or there, moving the hands and feet, thinking about something, in every situation there remains a mental link with Allah. Wherever Prayer is mentioned in the Holy Qur‘an Allah has ordered us to ‗establish Prayer‘ or ‗those who establish Prayer‘ etc. It is important to contemplate about the wording here. In the Holy Qur‘an we have been given guidance to establish Prayer, not to read Prayer.

Prayer and Fire-Worshipping

There is a big difference between establishing Prayer and reading Prayer. The Holy Qur‘an does contain the word read (recite) as well though:-

‗O thou (Muhammad) folded in garments! Stand (to Prayer) by night, but not all night, Half of it, or a little less, or a little more; and recite the Quran in slow, measured rhythmic tones‘ (Sūrah Muzzammil, 1)

There is an expression in the Persian language ‗Namāz Khwandan‘ which means ‗to read Prayer‘. This expression is used by fire-worshippers. They read their book Zandu’awsta and then bow down to fire; this is what they call Namaz Khwandan or to read Prayer. When this was translated from Arabic to Urdu there was a translation error: ‗establish Salāt‘ was translated as ‗read Namaz‘. According to the teachings of the Holy Qur‘an Salāt should have been translated as Salāt, just as the translation of Kalimah Tayibah (first Creed) is Kalimah Tayibah, translation of Allah is Allah, translation of Rahmān (merciful) is Rahmān, translation of paighambar (messenger) is paighambar, translation of rasool (prophet)alaihissalam   is rasool etc. According to the teachings of the Holy Qur‘an, ‗establish Salāt’ and the Urdu translation; ‗read Namaz’ has a very big difference in its meanings.