The Salaah (Prayers) is a sanctified and holy moment for the worshipper in the presence of his Lord and Deity in truth. He fulfills (by its performance) his covenants, obligations and statements of confession which are contained within and are required by the testimony that: “There is nothing which has the right to be worshipped except Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger”
This is the pledge by the attestation of which, one becomes a Muslim.
These covenants, obligations and resolutions: among them are those of belief, those of speech and those of action; and the explanation of that is as follows:
1. The Takbeer (“Allahu Akbar”)
This is a compulsory acknowledgement for the worshipper, both in belief and speech, that Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) is the greatest, greater than everything in His Essence, Attributes and in the rights (owed to Him).
Among His rights are the obeying of His commands and refraining from His prohibitions in regard to beliefs, acts of worship, characteristics and manners; in all moments and situations.
This acknowledgement penetrates into the various postures of the worshipper during his Salaah, from the Qiyaam (Standing) to the Rukoo’ (Bowing), to the Sujood (Prostration), the verbal confessions he makes, and after that into the submissiveness in action; so there does not remain any moment of heedlessness or inattentiveness and there does not remain in his heart that which pushes out (awareness of the responsibility of fulfilling) the rights of Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) upon His servant; whether it is persons, property, money, family or progeny and among His rights are (His) Magnification, Love (for Him greater than for all else), Fear (of His displeasure and punishment), Hope (in His Mercy) and Obedience.
2. The Rukoo’
This is an obligation in action. The worshipper bends his back and (bows) his head during it out of obedience, lowliness and humility to his Deity.
So by this, he fulfills his covenants of being constant in his obedience, carrying out the orders of his Deity, refraining from His prohibitions, ruling by His Sharee’ah in happiness, adversity and every other situation.
The worshipper returns (to fulfill) these covenants and obligations every time he performs the Rukoo’, both in the Fardh Salaah (Obligatory Prayers) or the Nawaafil (Optional). Whoever bends his back in the Salaah in obedience to Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) and after that rebels from some of His commands or shows boldness towards some of His prohibitions due to the calling of his desire or whim, then he has contradicted his fulfillment of this obligation to the extent of the evil of his action.
3. The Tasbeeh
This is the statement which the worshipper makes during his Rukoo’:
سبحان ربی العظیم
“How free from every imperfection is my Lord, the Mighty.”
And similarly in his Sujood:
سبحان ربی الاعلی
“How free from every imperfection is my Lord, the Highest.”
This is an obligation in speech by which the worshipper declares the Deity free from every defect and shortcoming in His attributes, actions and His rights (over the creation). Among His rights are the declarations of His mightiness in every situation, the placing of obedience to Him before obedience to ones soul or parents, leaders and others besides them.
Whoever declares Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) to be free from all imperfections during his Rukoo’ and Sujood and then shows boldness towards His disobedience when he departed from the Salaah, he has reduced / diminished his glorification of his Deity to the extent of his disobedience to Him.
4. The Sujood
This is the extremity in, or the end result of humility, when the worshipper places his noble limbs upon the dust or the earth. The Sujood is a covenant in action. It is an obligation due to the absolute obedience owed to the Deity in truth in all situations.
There is no exception in this absolute obedience for moments of desire or moments of the whims of the soul (this absolute obedience incorporates all moments and situations).
Whoever covers his face with dust (due to the performance of Sujood) out of extreme humility, then departs from his Salaah and returns to the obedience of the Nafs (Soul) in disobedience to Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa), or obedience to the creation in disobedience to Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) and the following of whims in disobedience to Allah, then he has been false to himself to the extent of his disobedience (or sin).
But whoever does that, then he must repent hastily as Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa)’s Messenger (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) has said: “All the progeny of Aadam (constantly) errs and the best of those who constantly err are those who (constantly) repent.” (At-Tirmizi, Ibne Maajah, Ahmad, Ad-Daarimee)
5. Folding of the hands during the Qiyaam
This is a manifestation from among the manifestations of humility and defeat in front of the Deity in Truth. Among its implications is subservience to the divine commandments in that one does not move except when commanded and one is not at ease or quiescence except when commanded.
Whoever sought this position of worship for a few moments and after that lets loose the reigns of his soul then he wanders / trespasses (while ignorant of Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa)’s rulings) into the greatest of matters (i.e. sins) and he has fallen into a type of deception.
6. Khushoo’
This is a condition of total and extreme submissiveness and humility in front of the Deity in Truth and the quiescence / tranquility of the heart and the limbs. One does not move except where commanded and is not at ease except where commanded.
It is an obligation in action due to the necessity of obedience and the abandonment of disobedience to the Deity in Truth. Whoever discharges this obligation during the Salaah, then contradicts it (behaves otherwise) upon departing from the Salaah, he has caused diminution / annulment of (his Khushoo’) to the extent of his disobedience. (Introduction to ‘al-Khushoo’ fis-Salaah)
By Shaikh Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali
Al-Farooq February 2017
Jamia Farooqia Karachi-Pakistan
good article