Download PDF: [S] They valued their Salaah

It is reported that the great Saint, Sayyidah Rabia Basariyyah – may Allah be pleased with her – used to perform one thousand Nafil Salaah every day. She used to also say to people that she did not perform these Salaah with the intention of acquiring any Thawaab but only with the intention of pleasing Allah Almighty and His beloved Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him. At the same time, the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – would also be able to inform the other Prophets on the Day of Judgement that here is a female in his Ummah who had performed so much of Ibadah.

 

Imagine the status of Sayyidah Rabia Basariyyah – may Allah be pleased with her – and her immense love for Ibadah.  She understood the secret of all secrets which was that if she wanted to achieve the Divine Pleasure of Allah Almighty, she had to make sure that she achieved the pleasure of the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him. The Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – has also stated that, “Salaah has also been made a coolness for my eyes.”

 

It is reported that the famous Muhaddith and scholar, Hadrat Muslim bin Bashaar – may Allah be pleased with him, used to perform immense Ibadah in his house. One of the amazing qualities of his Ibadah was that his family was allowed to speak as loud as they wanted while he was in Salaah and this did not disturb him in the least. It is reported that when Hadrat Muslim bin Bashaar – may Allah be pleased with him – used to enter the house, his family remained silent. However, when he began his Salaah his family spoke as much as they wanted and he was not in the least bit disturbed. Once, while Hadrat Muslim bin Bashaar – may Allah be pleased with him – was in Salaah, the house caught on fire and he was completely unaware of what was happening around him even though people ran all around him. Eventually, the fire was extinguished while he remained in his Salaah.

 

Hadrat Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Zubair – may Allah be pleased with him – was also someone who when he used to perform Salaah in the Haram Shareef. He was so still that pigeons used to sit on his head thinking he was another pillar in the Haram Shareef.

 

In the same manner, another famous Muhaddith, Ebrahim bin Shuraik – may Allah be pleased with him, used to perform such long Sajdahs that birds used to sit on his back like they sat on a wall or some other structure.

 

From these examples, we are able to deduce the immense intent which was shown by the eminent Saints when they were in Ibadah. Yet, when we perform Ibadah, all types of thoughts and ideas play around our head. In fact, people actually plan their programs and other events while they are in Salaah. Least do we realise that we are in the Divine Presence of Allah Almighty.

 

The famous saint, Hadrat Haatim Asam – may Allah be pleased with him,  once said that, “When I had missed my Salaah with congregation on one occasion, only one person, Abu Ishaq Bukhari came to sympathise with me. Yet, if my son had died, over ten thousand people would have come to sympathise with me.” This proves that the concern people have for wordily losses far surpasses the concern they have for religious loss. It was the habit of the eminent Saints that if some among them missed even the first Takbeer in Salaah, they used to visit that person for three days sympathising with him.