Episode 1: Untold Stories of World History (Dr. Abdullah H. Quick)

*Ways to Improve Salaah*

• Avoid praying in a state in which you are mentally and physically fatigued. Keep your mind free of worldly worries, evil thoughts, and ideas.

• Plan what verses/Dua’as you are going to recite.

• If you do not understand Arabic, learn the meaning of what you recite in your Prayer.

• Remind yourself that engaging in Prayer offers you an opportunity to release yourself from the tensions of this world. The Prophet (saw) has said that in Prayer was placed the comfort of his eyes. Therefore cherish the opportunity to remove the burdens of this world from your shoulders.

• Use your Prayer to remain focused on your mission in life, which is to bring your entire being to serve only Allah.

• Use your Prayer as a source of strength, inspiration and enthusiasm for your life and activities.

• Fulfill all your personal needs before you commence your Prayer, for e.g. thirst, hunger and calls of nature.

• Pray in a pure physical state. Perform your wudhu with care and perfection. Although the whole earth is a masjid or a place of worship, choose a place that is clean.

• Pray in an environment free of noise and one where there is no distraction. Adorn yourself with clean and respectable clothes.

• Assess your mental readiness for Prayer before its commencement, during the various postures, after each raka’ah and ultimately at the end.

• Pray with humility both in your mental state and in your physical manner.

• Pray with hope and awe.

• Remind yourself continually that you are talking to the most important ‘One’ in your life – your Creator and Sustainer. He is in front of you. You are facing Him and you are involved in a dialogue with Him.

• Commence your Prayer by seeking Allah’s help and protection from the influences of Shaytan.

• Lower your gaze while praying and do not allow the physical environment to distract you.

• On each occasion that you recite the Sifat or attributes of Allah in Ruku and Sajdah, consider how indebted you are and how grateful you should be to Allah and express your true emotions.

Utilize the occasion of Sajdah to make additional Dua’a to Allah.

The Prophet said:

“A servant is nearest to his Lord when he is in Sajdah”

Qur'an Explanation PDF

http://majesticislam.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/quranenglishtranslation.pdf

Kashf al Mahjub

The Oldest Persian Treatise On Sufiism

by

Ali B. Uthman Al- Jullabi Al- Hujwiri

http://www.quran4u.com/Kashf/001%20Title.htm

Tasawwuf

What is Tasawwuf?

What is Tasawwuf? Good character and awareness of God.
That’s all Tasawwuf is. And nothing more.

What is Tasawwuf? Love and affection.
It is the cure for hatred and vengeance. And nothing more.

What is Tasawwuf? The heart attaining tranquility–
which is the root of religion. And nothing more.

What is Tasawwuf? Concentrating your mind,
which is the religion of Ahmad (pbuh). And nothing more.

What is Tasawwuf? Contemplation that travels to the Divine throne.
It is a far-seeing gaze. And nothing more.

Tasawwuf is keeping one’s distance from imagination and supposition.
Tasawwuf is found in certainty. And nothing more.

Surrendering one’s soul to the care of the inviolability of religion;
this is Tasawwuf. And nothing more.

Tasawwuf is the path of faith and affirmation of unity;
this is the incorruptible religion. And nothing more.

Tasawwuf is the smooth and illuminated path.                                    
It is the way to the most exalted paradise. And nothing more.

I have heard that the ecstasy of the wearers of wool
comes from finding the taste of religion. And nothing more.

Tasawwuf is nothing but shari’at.
It is just this clear road. And nothing more

An Anonymous Persian Poem –
Translated by A. A. Godlas

http://www.australiansuficentre.org/article_tasawwuf.htm

Tasawwuf is nothing but shari‘at

A problem that arises in the final couplet of “What is Tasawwuf?” is that in equating Tasawwuf and shari’a, the poet brings up and then resolves an apparent tension between Tasawwuf and shari’a. Such a tension, however, exists only to the degree that one defines these two terms as being mutually exclusive. While various extremists persist in excluding one from the other, we do have many inclusive statements - such as that of the poet of “What is Tasawwuf?” – in which Tasawwuf and shari’a are interwoven, similarly defined, or equated. Qushayri (d. 465/1074), for example, defined “shari’a” as “assiduous observance of servanthood.” Defining Tasawwuf in a comparable fashion, Abu al-Hasan al-Shudhili (d. 656/1258) stated: “Tasawwuf is training the self (nafs) through servanthood and subjecting it to the commands (ahkam) of Lordship.”

O you who believe! Fear Allâh and keep your duty to Him. And let every person look to what he has sent forth for tomorrow, and fear Allâh. Verily, Allâh is All-Aware of what you do.O you who believe! Fear Allâh and keep your duty to Him. And let every person look to what he has sent forth for tomorrow, and fear Allâh. Verily, Allâh is All-Aware of what you do.

[Surah Al-Hashr : 18][Surah Al-Hashr : 18]