Prayers by the Prophet…
It is narrated that while the Prophet (saw) was praying the people around him used to hear a voice of weeping that came out of his chest. Ali, (may Allah be pleased with him), remembers his observation in this regard:
“I saw the Prophet weeping in prayer under a tree at the Battle of Badr. Insomuch that he spent all night in that position…” (Fadail al-Amal, 299).
The Prophet (saw) was even observed in a state in which his heart spread voices as if a stewpot boiled inside.
Aisha, (May Allah be please with her), the wife of the Prophet (saw), says:
“We used to hear some voice coming out of the Prophet’s chest as if a stewpot boiled inside.” (Abu Dawud, Salat, 157; Nasai, Sahv, 18).
Aisha also says:
“The Prophet always used to have conversations with us. Yet, when the time for prayer came due he used to change as if he never knew us, and he used to direct himself to Allah…” (Fadail al-Amal, 299).
So, availing oneself of this blessing of prayer should be the primary aim of our souls. Though this cannot always be achieved we should endeavor in this way. In short, the mood of the Prophet (saw) in prayer should be our ideal. The closer we come to this ideal, the more benefit we will receive.
It must be stated here that no acts of man are to be performed in complete perfection before many trials. So is it for prayer. Prayer is done in the form of imitation at first. The servant needs time to reach perfection in prayer as an artist needs time and experience to produce a perfect work. Therefore, those who cannot perform their prayer in a perfect way should not lose hope and keep going to reach perfection. As one needs to sift tons of earth to gain a gram of gold, one needs to try to reach perfection and peace in prayer with perseverance.
And it is a requirement to have a feeling in prayer described in the following saying of the Prophet (saw):
“When you pray you do it as if it was your last prayer! Do not say a thing that you will be sorry for; do not be inclined to things that careless people desire!” (Ibn Maja, Zuhd, 15).
The companions of the Prophet (saw) and those saints of Allah who followed them have always strained after this objective identified by this saying of the Prophet (saw).
Source: Osman Nuri Topbaş, ISLAM SPIRIT AND FORM, Erkam Publications
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