Concept Of Salaat

[nawaz]

Dear All


Various Aspects of Salaat for Social Transformation :-


Islam is the name of obeying the Divine Laws in every walk of life; it


is the complete submission to these laws. Salaat - Prayer, in this


way, is the practical admittance and concrete manifestation of


subservience to these Laws from the deepest recesses of the human


heart.


The Word Salaat


The word Namaaz, usually used for Salaat is not of Arabic language; it


is a Persian word; but more than that, it is Pahlvi in its


connotation. It was used for the old method of worship popular among


the Persians. Later on when the alien conspiracies were made to


prevail upon the teachings of Islam, this word was used for the


congregations of Salaat; now this same word is in vogue.


The word Salaat that has come in the Quran is very vast and


comprehensive. Its basic meanings are " to comply some one from within


or to submit and to be under the command of some one. " In this way,


according to the Quran, Salaat is a collective process through which a


true Quranic Society is established. That is why the meanings of


Salaat are " balanced and continuous tempo and incessant obedience to


the Divine Laws from the deepest recesses of heart ." It is plain


enough that this entity is collective, it is not individual in nature.


The Quran has also used this word for the congregations of Salaat –


Namaaz.


The root of the word Salaat is S-L-O. Its root-meanings and various


aspects have profusely been dealt with in an e-mail of Mr. Saim. So I


need not to make a mention of them.


The Quran has used the term aqaa mate salaat (i) as the establishment


of the System of Islam and (ii) as the establishment of the


congregations of Salaat. The establishment of Salaat – so far I could


grasp the Quran - is an extremely comprehensive and scholarly term of


the Quran. Its aim is to develop a society where the Divine Laws are


practically implemented. And thus full-blown development of the


potentialities of every individual of the society may go on blooming


and blossoming so that after achieving the pleasant accomplishments of


this world and that of the hereafter, he may go ahead onto the next


evolutionary stage of life. So the system of Salaat encompasses the


all life of a Momin (or the jama'et of the Momineen). Every breath of


their life stands witness to this exalted reality that these are the


Musallees (i. e. the members of the caravan following – the dictums of


– Allah). Each and every aspect of their life – and each and every


sphere of their Ibadaat confirms their sub-ordination to the Divine


Laws. The record of their business life – when manifested – looks to


be the living picture of the Divine will. Due to their adherence to


this collective system, their earthly life, right from its burgeoning


to the end, reflects the comprehensive exegesis of Islam: (fal a


tamootunna ill a waantum muslimoona) (2:132)


THE SYSTEM OF ISLAM


The following are the ingredients of this system they project in the


whole tenure of their life:


1. The Quran i.e. Islam's Constitutional Code


2. The Centre i.e. the implementing force of the Divine Code and


3. The Party – the individuals of the society with whom this system is


established.


And the following two are the principles and foundations of its


pragmatic execution:


1.Complete harmony among the individuals of the society i.e. one


heartedness, one vision, one footedness and


2. Subordination to the Centre


ALL TIME PROGRAM FOR SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION


This system remains pervaded in the all life of the rank and file of


the Momineen. And there happens to be not a single moment in any


single day and night in their life when they may even cross this fold.


It enjoys the same status in their "human life", as is the air for the


"physical life." The human life depends upon air and every body


acknowledges its need and significance. Even then the doctors have to


reiterate this sentence frequently: there is urgent need of open and


fresh air for health and life. This has to be repeated just because


its reminding makes its importance self-evident. The Divine Code has


also had the provision that the reminding of this system is made


regularly so that its principles and foundations become refulgent. And


its significance does not go out of sight.


TIME-RELATED CONGREGATION


The name of this reminding is the ‘time-related obligation' of Salaat


i.e. the congregation of Salaat at conspicuous timings. The Quran, in


its program for ‘ the construction of society ' has elaborated this


vantage point very profusely. For this purpose the necessary


accessories are the time-related congregation where, after God's


appreciation, and adjudication of His obeisance and subordination,


important and urgent matters are mutually consulted. That is why the


order of ‘mutual consultation' and ‘establishment of Salaat' have come


together in the Quran. In Surah Shoora , says the Quran:


These are the people who respond to the call and come forward to


establish the Nizam-e-Rabubiyyat. They obey His Laws and remain within


the bounds of Nizam-us-Salat, which teaches them to decide their


affairs through mutual consultations and according to Divine Laws.


Furthermore they keep open for the nourishment of other (needy) human


beings, most of whatever means of sustenance which they have been


provided with. (In effect, they retain for themselves only what is


necessary for their own survival.) (42:38)


This is the group of the people who voluntarily leaping to the law of


Nourishment of the Nourisher establish the system of Salaat and their


matters are decided with mutual consultation. And whatever We have


provided them, they keep it all open for the nourishment of the


masses.


The history stands witness to this fact that whenever there happened


to be any important episode demanding immediate gathering, there was


proclamation with these words : Assalaa-tul-jaam'ia . So, hearing


these words the people used to assemble and the matter under


discussion was considered. My companion, Mr. Bashir Abid has


elaborated this point in an email, so I leave it at present. This


makes the exposition of assalaat clear.


This corroborates that fundamental principle of the Order of Deen,


Islamic Society , - to enjoy the life of achievement and prosperity -


is not individual in its nature; it is collective. The congregation of


Salaat takes its initiative from this very principle i.e. the


gathering of the scattered people at one place on a single call.


The next step in the Order of Deen is obedience to the Centre . In the


Collective Salaat its manifestation harbors in a practical form when


this conglomeration selects the best of its individual within its own


rank and file as an "Imam" – the leader. And the criterion of being


the best is the one whose life surpasses the most in harmonizing the


Divine Laws. This same "Imam" is the representative of this gathering.


Every one has to rise up on the call of this same one. And every one


has to kneel down on the same call – And this kneeling and rising is a


simultaneous anchoring providing witness to the stark fact that there


is perfect harmony of thought and action among the individual members


of this group. This makes the social stigmas go vanishing.


IMAM, THE LEADER


The word "Imam", used above, is the name of the thread that the masons


use to judge whether the wall he is constructing is rising exactly


straight up - watch out that the building bricks are not swaying.


The next principle of the Order of Deen is that it is all-universal


and its concrete Centre is the House of Allah Almighty. So, for


reminding this reality, the direction of the group members in the


Collective Salaat is kept towards Kiblaa (Mecca). It means the aim and


destiny of all Muslims of the world will be the same one entity.


As stated above, the establishment of the Islamic Society is founded


on the Divine Laws. And the objective of the congregation of Salaat is


basically the reminding of this very foundation. That is why the


concept of Salaat can not be imagined without the Quran. Its very


purpose is to divert the attention of the members of the society to


the Quran. – These gatherings have been stemmed for the sake of


reminding this very purpose. So the Quran is repeatedly recited in


these congregations so that this conviction (the aim of life) is


revitalized – that we have to establish ourselves alert to rise


against every non Quranic Order; we have to surrender down from the


deepest recesses of our heart to its decree alone.


SALAAT AND SOCIETY


These congregations of Salaat are not merely for the sake of its


reminding; these also encompass the mutual consultation for the


solutions of the matters of the Ummah. In fact, as mentioned earlier,


these are the gatherings of the " consultative council " of the


Quranic Government. So, in the Surah "Shura" the characteristics of


Momineen are described as


These are the people who respond to the call and come forward to


establish the Nizam-e-Rabubiyyat. They obey His Laws and remain within


the bounds of Nizam-us-Salat, which teaches them to decide their


affairs through mutual consultations and according to Divine Laws.


Furthermore they keep open for the nourishment of other (needy) human


beings, most of whatever means of sustenance which they have been


provided with. (In effect, they retain for themselves only what is


necessary for their own survival.) (42/38)


" These people establish Salaat, and their matters are mutually


decided. "


The injunctions of establishment of Salaat and mutual consultation at


one place profusely determine the aim and purpose of congregations of


Salaat. So the history unveils to us that after the exalted period of


the Rasool Allah, whenever there was any matter during the period of


caliphate, the guided, a proclamation of assalaat-ul-jaam'ey was made


on behalf of the caliph. The people used to gather in the Nabvi Mosque


for discussion, deliberation and decision. First two rak'ah of Namaaz


were used to be offered, then the caliph used to explain the matter


under discussion and so its decision with the mutual consultation of


the gathering was used to be made.


MISNOMER: INDIVIDUAL SALAAT


So far my insight goes I do never find any glimpse of guidance for the


Individual Salaat anywhere in the Quran. Factually the only difference


between Collective Salaat and Individual Salaat (if the Individual


Salaat could ever be called Salaat) is not that when a number of


people offer Salaat together, it is called Collective Salaat, and when


a single individual offers it privately – all alone – it is Individual


Salaat. These are exponentially the two distinctly different concepts.


The Collective Salaat, according to the Quran, is founded on this


concept that the personality development of the individual can only be


made within a society, being an integral part of it. Also the


exposition of Ibadaat is "unbiased and pure obedience to the Divine


Laws" which too is possible within a society; it is not possible


individually. Contrary to it, the Individual Salaat (non Quranic in


nature) is based on the concept that an individual can "purify the


self" privately, being isolated from the society. And that the purpose


of Ibaadat , which can be done privately, is to worship God. It is


plain enough to say that both of these concepts, from their genuine


and foundation point of view, are diametrically opposite to each


other. The Quran is an echoing protest against the individual concept


of life and a clarion call for the collective concept of life. So it


is not possible that the Quran, a herald and a procurer of Collective


Salaat, be simultaneously a proponent of Individual Salaat and may


tell of its benefits. The entity called Individual Salaat is, in fact,


a benediction – da'a, not the Quranic Salaat, which is offered.


The episode of Hazrat Zachariah is quoted as the example of the


Individual Salaat. The story of Hazrat Zachariah starts with the words


humaa lika da'a Zakaria rabbo hoo (3:37). Zachariah solicited


benediction (da'a) from his Nourisher and said: my Nourisher, bestow


on me from Thy self a goodly offspring. ( innaka samee udd'a ) Thou


hearest benediction. After this, as the story goes, it is given that


he still stood soliciting benediction in the altar when God rejoiced


him good news of the son. Fan a dat-hu almal a - ikatu wahuwa q a -


imun yu s allee fee almi h r a bi (3:39)


The Quran has added the words wahuwa q a -imun yu s allee fee almi h r


a bi (3:39) – to tell that Zachariah had hardly vanquished his


benediction (da'a) when God blessed him with the confirmation. This


matter has been elucidated in Surah Maryam – Zachariah's soliciting of


benediction, confirming of his benediction and getting the happy


tidings of his son had all occurred at the same time. That is why when


all this had happened, ( fa khara ja al'a qaume hee min al meh rabe


19:11), Zachariah (peace be upon him) came out to his people from the


altar. Therefore, in the story of Zachariah, the meaning of usalli fil


mih rabe 3:39 is not ‘to offer the Salaat in the Quran's terminology'


but it is the ‘soliciting of benediction (da'a) for the son.' The word


‘Salaat' for the meaning of benediction (da'a) has been used at


numerous places in the Quran. For example, salaato ka sakunn la hum


9:103 your benediction (da'a) is a comfort for them. So this saying is


then correct that Benediction (da'a) can be solicited individually.


But to say that the Quranic Salaat can be offered collectively as well


as individually will not be correct. Be it known that even the


Namaazein that we offer with congregation today are Individual Salaat


(if the Individual Salaat could ever be called Salaat) in the real


sense. Its reason is that the basic concept involved in it is of


‘God's worship' and of ‘individual incarnation'. Hence, neither the


separately offered Namaaz of any individual, nor that of offered with


congregation falls under the canopy of the concept of Salaat from the


desired vantage ground of the Quranic.


But when this system of Salaat vanishes, the mosque and the State


become two separate entities. Then, as the human psychology


corroborates the fact that the "material-worshipers of the world,"


attain the life facilities by virtue of their intellectual chicaneries


and hence get satisfaction of their passions. And the "Religionists"


gain the sang-froid of their passions by the individual worship. When


the Quran said Fakhalafa min baAAdihim khalfun a da AAoo al ss al a ta


waittabaAAoo alshshahaw a ti fasawfa yalqawna ghayy a n


(19:59)


After the Anbiya, their followers wasted the Salaat, and followed


lasciviousness, licentiousness, wantonness, so its consequence was


destruction and devastation. Then by the word itte ba-e-shahawaat –


"the following of lasciviousness, licentiousness" - meant "these


people wanted the satisfaction of their passions by other means and


ways instead of Divine Laws".


This was the very blunder they committed. It may be clarified here


that the satisfaction of the passions in line with what the Quran says


is not bad. The bad in it is that the non-Divine means and ways


accomplish this satisfaction. But the genuine satisfaction of the


human passion is by means of integration and consolidation of human


personality. That is why the following find no mention in the Quran:


Performance of fraaiz-o-waaji baat, sunnan, mustah baat etc of Namaaz


accurately


Performance of its elements: Qeyaam , ra'koo, Sajda etc. correctly


Keeping of this much distance between both the feet on standing


Raising of hands for Takbeer up to the lobule of ears


Keeping of hands to such and such position while in Qeyaam


Observing of this form while bending in ra'koo


Keeping of this posture while in Sajda etc.


Then the following necessities/things to the satisfaction of one's


passions were propagated from the religious platform. And you know


that crowning satisfaction of passions on one's own by wasting the


Salaat is the second mechanism. This is an erroneous errand. The human


psychology provides ample proof to this fact that the human passions


are not restrained to the "animal passions" alone. They include those


"sacred passions", the satisfaction of which the religionists attain


by means of individual worship. The Quran has denoted it with the term


mysticism . You know it well that in mysticism "Individual Salaat"


(i.e. the mechanism for gaining serenity by worshiping God) could not


bring Allah's prescribed-pleasant-consequences; so the same mode could


bring no surety for the goodness of the consequences envisaged -


though how much elegantly that might have been made valid and


reliable! That is why the Quran made it clear when it proclaimed


through the people of Hazrat Shuaib (peace be upon him):


O Shuaib! When you had asked us not to interfere in your obedience to


Allah, we had thought that it meant only your worship of Allah. Now we


see that it goes beyond that. Your Salaat does not allow us to adhere


to the religion of our ancestors, nor to use our wealth as we like....


11: 87.


It is my little effort to share this thought with every one of you.


regards


Nawaz