Prayer – The Spiritual Light and Guidance
In every unit of prayer, Muslims stand before their Lord and recite the Opening chapter of the Quran. Nestled into the verses of this chapter is a crucial request:
Guide us to the straight path.
The previous articles in this series examined that path, emphasizing that it is not a single spot. It’s a series of infinite spots connected together to form a way. Like movement forward on a physical path, moving forward on this spiritual path requires effort—not only of the limbs, but also of the heart.
One of the essential teachings of Islam is that every person is born with a simple, spiritual truth already imprinted in his or her being: That God exists and that He alone is to be worshiped and obeyed.[i]
Just as dust covers a book forgotten high upon a shelf, at times in the history of humanity, this spiritual truth got covered up, hidden, obscured and sometimes even forgotten.
Islam teaches that messengers and prophets like Noah, Abraham, Lot, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses and Jesus were sent to metaphorically dust off that truth. They were to remind people of their covenant with their Creator, and to enjoin goodness and justice.
Prophet Muhammad was the last of these messengers and prophets. His mission sealed the long line of prophets. His legacy contained all that humanity would need to fulfill their covenant with God, to find and follow this “straight path.”
Prophet Muhammad’s Legacy
Importantly, the legacy of Prophet Muhammad was not one of outward actions alone or of inward beliefs by themselves. It encompassed both. One beautiful hadith outlines the foundational pillars of his legacy, in a sense, marking the path for those who chose to follow it.
In this hadith, often referred to as “Hadith Jibreel,” [ii] the Prophet Muhammad was approached by a the Angel Jibreel who came in the form of a man and asked him several questions.
The first was to inform him about Islam. His response was that Islam was built on five: to testify that there is no object worthy of worship or devotion except Allah, to pray, to fast in Ramadan, to give charity, and to perform the pilgrimage of Hajj if one is able to do so.
Very often when thinking about Islam, we focus on these five pillars and stop there. We think of them as a to-do list, and once we’ve checked everything off, we go on with “life.”
But the teachings of Islam are not just relegated to the religious. Islam is described as a deen, an Arabic word that connotes all that a person does out of submission and worship for the Creator, inclusive of beliefs and worship, and also of intellectual, moral, and social realities.
Internal Dimensions
Thus, the Prophet Muhammad’s legacy, the straight path, is not just that we outwardly fulfill the actions outlined in the five pillars. The Prophet said Islam was built on these; if we stopped there, we’d have only pillars, and no building.
Few of us would ever move into a house that consisted of a foundation alone. We’d want a structure built upon that foundation, walls, doors, windows, and a roof. And we’d probably want to furnish the house and make it comfortable, perhaps even decorate the inside a little.
Understandably, the Angel Jibreel’s conversation with the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not end there. His subsequent questions, “Inform me about Imaan” connected these outward actions to the concept of belief or faith, and thereafter, “inform me about Ihsan,” to the idea that we should perfect whatever actions we do for Allah Almighty at both the internal and external levels.
At the end of the narration, the Angel Jibreel asked the Prophet about the Hour and its signs. The Prophet (peace be upon him) emphasized that all of these laid the foundation for one’s deen.
The flow of ideas in this beautiful prophetic narration is no coincidence. It emphasizes a very important principle in Islam: That every external action, whether religious or secular in nature, has an internal dimension.
Read: 4 Lessons From Prophet Muhammad’s Perfect Character
Thus every action has the potential to transcend the physical realm and affect the state of the heart. Some actions reflect positively on the heart, helping it remain sound and aware of the truth within it. Others put a stain or blemish on the heart, and the heart is thus blinded by the degree to which it is covered.
Connected Hearts
It might make sense in theory that actions at the physical level affect us spiritually. However, understanding the practical implications of this isn’t always easy. How many of us rush through our prayer unaware that our hearts did not benefit from the prayer?
How often do we realize the effects the images we’ve seen, or the things we have heard on our hearts? What, if anything, can we do to connect our external realities with our internal ones?
Knowing the intent behind our actions is one of the first things we can do to help us make that connection. For example, I could perform prayer in perfect physical fashion to the outside observer. However, my prayer could be completely devoid of the focus and awareness that is meant to accompany it.
I could approach the prayer as if it were a burden, with the intent to check one more thing off of my to-do list. Rather than improving my internal state, my prayer has become merely mechanical, and I will no longer derive from it the intended benefit.
Read: Practicing Islam: A Burden or Ease?
However, if I’m aware of the purpose behind the prayer, that it is meant to reconnect me with my Lord, Sustainer, and Provider. And to light my spiritual path in life, then everything changes. I no longer see the prayer merely as an obligation I should fulfill, but as a gift, a priceless opportunity to move forward on my spiritual journey.
The same applies to other acts of worship, like fasting, giving charity, and performing the Hajj. When we cultivate an understanding of why we do each of these things, of the imaan that fuels the act, and when we engage our hearts in the act and try to do it as beautifully as possible, we derive the most benefit from it. Instead of just a foundation, we become equipped to build an entire house, beautifully decorated on the inside and out.
Islam is not simply a religion. It is a holistic way of life whereby everything a person does is tied to his or her connection with the Creator. The Source of our spiritual Light and Guidance. The outward components of Islam are intricately tied to faith and belief and should be done in a way that is internally and externally beautiful.
Sometimes everything seems dark. We look around and wonder what has happened to our world. Innocent people are being killed, families are being torn apart, and so many are suffering. The aches in our hearts and the lumps in our throats linger into the night.
At such times we might forget that darkness doesn’t exist on its own. Darkness is merely the partial or total absence of light. This series, The Path to the Light, aims to help us illuminate whatever darkness we find ourselves in. It is meant as a reminder for all of us that we are in control of the light we let into our lives, and that light—both physical and spiritual—are gifts from our Creator.
In the previous article, we introduced some of these concepts. We remembered how in every unit of our prayers, we ask for guidance to the straight path. And we also discussed how the path may be very clearly marked, but we will not be able to follow it in the darkness. We need a source of light.
Just as we can distinguish physical darkness and light with our eyes, we too can distinguish spiritual darkness and light. Not with our eyes, but with our hearts.
The Importance of the Heart
Almost universally, religious traditions have stressed the importance of the heart. Numerous examples in the Judeo-Christian tradition,[1] in various eastern traditions,[2] and even among the ancients,[3] discuss the heart as the vehicle used to connect to the Divine.
In contemporary discussions, we often refer to the heart when talking about human behavior. For example, when someone has a shift in their attitudes or actions, we call it a “change of heart.” When we want to convey sincerity, we speak “from the bottom of our hearts.” Someone who has a “heart of gold,” is extremely kind and helpful, while their opposite, a person with a “heart of stone,” is cold, stern or cruel.
We’re told by society to “follow our hearts,” but usually warned that doing so will get us hurt. The heart is devalued by virtue of it being emotional, impassioned and impulsive. Logical reasoning, thinking, and comprehension, we are told, are faculties reserved for the brain.
But Islam says otherwise. Islam teaches that the heart is the most valuable possession of the believer, best able to know and love the Creator, distinguish between good and evil, and derive meaning from life’s circumstances.
The Quran tells us that with our hearts we “know” and “comprehend” (Quran, 22:46), “see” (Quran, 7:179), and find peace (13:26). The heart is a vessel, a container meant to be filled with faith, light, and guidance. Its soundness is equated with soundness in speech, thinking, and action.
One of the most famous of the hadith about the heart is as follows:
“There lies within the body a piece of flesh. If it is sound, the whole body is sound; and if it is corrupted, the whole body is corrupted. Verily this piece is the heart.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
Interestingly, this is only part of a much longer hadith. This first part of this hadith states:
“That which is permissible is clear and that which is not permissible is clear, and between them are matters unclear that are unknown to most people. Whoever is wary of these unclear matters has absolved his religion and honor. And whoever indulges in them has indulged in that which is not permissible. It is like a shepherd who herds his sheep too close to preserved sanctuary, and they will eventually graze in it. Every king has a sanctuary, and the sanctuary of Allah is what He has made not permissible.” (Bukhari and Muslim)[4]
When we put these ideas together, we see that there is a direct connection between the states of our hearts and our ability to withhold from doing the wrong things, from violating the sanctuaries of our King.
The Prophet, peace be upon him, also said:
“Indeed if a believer sins, a black spot covers his heart. If he repents, and stops from his sin, and seeks forgiveness for it, his heart becomes clean again. If he persists (instead of repenting), it increases until it covers his heart…” (Ibn Majah)
The Quran references this idea as well, mentioning a seal, veil, or stain that covers the hearts of those who knowingly deny the truth once it has come to them (83:14). Like a blindfold, this covering prevents the heart from “seeing” by the degree to which it covers it. A heart enveloped in darkness will not perceive light.
Keeping Our Hearts Healthy
It thus follows that one of the best ways to ensure our hearts are illuminated is by safeguarding our actions. The Quran tells us to {Do good to others, surely Allah loves those who do good to others} (2:195). Speaking truth, helping others, enjoining what is good and advising against what is not are all actions that contribute to the health and light of our hearts.
None of us is perfect, and we undoubtedly make mistakes. But when we do, let us turn in humility to our Lord, Sustainer, Master and Cherisher, and ask forgiveness. Repentance ensures our hearts remain pure, healthy, and full of light.
The Quran tells us that the person who {repents, believes, and works righteous deeds, Allah will change the evil of such persons into good} (25:70). And over and over again, the Quran emphasizes Allah’s Mercy towards His servants: {Surely Allah forgives the faults altogether; surely He is the Forgiving the Merciful.} (Quran 39:53)
As we said previously, the straight path of Islam is not a single spot. It is a series of infinite spots all connected together to form a way. Finding the path doesn’t mean we’ve arrived at our desired destination. It just means that we’ve now found the way there. We begin at the path by recognizing the importance of our hearts and committing ourselves to improving our actions. We also seek forgiveness for the times we’ve erred.
At a time when there is much darkness around us, we can all benefit from increasing the spiritual light in our lives and sharing it with others. In the next articles, we will, God-willing, discuss more ways of doing so.
References:
[1] https://bible.org/article/guarding-heart
[2] http://loveyogaanatomy.com/opening-the-heart/
[3] : http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/heart.htm#ixzz43hXrTeM2
[4] http://40hadithnawawi.com/index.php/the-hadiths/hadith-6
(From Discovering Islam archives)
SOURCE: https://aboutislam.net/spirituality/prayer-the-spiritual-light-and-guidance/