2/22/2017

1

Rediscovering

Focus بسم هللا الرحمن الرحیم

Comprehension

Greatness

Shame

Awe/fear

Hope

Sincerity

Importance of Salat

اذا الفسطاط عمود کمثل مثلها ، الدین عمود الصالة و العمود مال اذا و االطناب االوتاد ثبتت العمود ثبت

الطنب و وتد یثبت لم انکسر

Prayer is the pillar of

religion, its likeness is as the

likeness of the pillar of a tent. If

the pillar is stably fixed, the pegs

and ropes remain stable, but if the

pillar inclines and breaks, neither

peg nor rope remains fixed.

- Imam al-Baqir (as)

عمل من فیه ینظر ما أول وهي ،الصالة الدین عمود إن لم تصح لم وإن ،عمله في نظر صح ت فإن ،آدم ابن

عمله بقی ة في ینظر

Importance of Salat

Verily the pillar of religion is the

prayer. It is the first thing to be

considered from amongst the

deeds of man, so if his prayer is

valid, the rest of his deeds will be

considered, and if his prayer is void,

then the rest of his deeds will not be

taken into consideration. -The Prophet (s)

Focus of the heart

Qalb Dhihn

center for cognition center for cognition

emotion

Ḥuthūr al-Qalb

focus of mind and heart

Presence of mind

focus of mind only

Focus of the heart

بدنه مع قلبه الیحضرعبدصالةهللاالیقبل

Allah does not accept the prayer of that

servant of his whose heart is not present

along with his body. - Prophet (s)

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Focus of the heart

انماو،العشرهاوسدسهالهیکتبالالصالةلیصلیالعبدان

منها عقل ما صالته من للعبد یکتب

Sometimes it occurs that a servant offers a full

prayer but neither a sixth of the prayer, not even

a tenth of the prayer, is written for him. The

amount of reward is written for the servant for

his prayer commensurate with his focus. - Prophet (s)

Salat legally valid No punishment

No spiritual impact

Prohibiting evil

Ascension to God

Focus of the heart

لیلةقیاممنخیر تفكر فیخفیفتانركعتان

Focus of the heart

Two very quick and easy units of prayer

done with focus is better than praying

the whole night. - Prophet (s)

Focus of the heart

أناإنني فاعبدنيأناإال إلهالالل

لذكري الصالة أقم و

Indeed I am Allah —

there is no god except

Me. So worship Me,

and maintain the

prayer for My

remembrance. Ṭā Hā, 14

Focus of the heart

للمصل ینفویل

Woe to them who pray

ساهونصالتهمعنهمالذین

those who are heedless of their prayers

Al-Mā’ūn, 4-5

Focus of the heart

وأنتم الصالة تقربوا الآمنواالذینأیهایا

تقولونماتعلمواحت ىسكارى

O you who have faith! Do not approach prayer

when you are intoxicated, [not] until you know

what you are saying al-Nisā’, 43

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Focus of the heart

Prayer Other acts of worship vs.

charity

fasting

martyrdom

words

acts

The rank of the five prayers for my ummah is that of a stream

flowing at your doors, then what does one of you suppose if there

was dirt on his body and he then washes in that river five times a

day, would there remain any filth on his body? So too, by God, is

the five prayers to my ummah. - Prophet (s)

Focus of the heart

Focus of the heart

what is most important to you

distractions

Why

can’t we

focus in

prayer?

not a priority

easily distracted by

other things

Focus on…

Focus of the heart

Realize prayer is a priority

Strengthen

awareness of

God

Increase

conviction in

the DofJ

Recognize it’s

the only

effective way to

attain proximity

no secret alleyway

to salvation

Sheikh Bahjat (r)

Focus of the heart

Prioritize in practice

Designate specific times for prayer in your daily schedule

willfully delaying

shows lack of

commitment

Think about importance we give in other areas of life

bad effect on

spiritual

development

Pray on time

Hadith

Focus of the heart

what is most important to you

distractions

Why

can’t we

focus in

prayer?

not a priority

easily distracted by

other things

Focus on…

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Focus of the heart

General distractions material world

الغرور متاع إال الدنیا الحیاة ما

The life of this world is nothing but the means for deceiving us

Focus of the heart

General distractions material world

الدنیاالحیاةأنمااعلموا

لهو ولعب

وزینة

بینكم وتفاخر

واألوالد األموال في وتكاثر

Know that the life of this world is just

play and diversion,

and glitter,

and mutual vainglory among you

and covetousness for wealth and children.

Focus of the heart

Specific distractions

External

Internal

surroundings

mind

General distractions

Focus of the heart

distractions

Visual

Specific distractions External

Focus of the heart

Q: Why is congregational prayer

encouraged so much?

to focus

on Allah

in real

situations

External distractions

Focus of the heart

Visual

External distractions

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Focus of the heart

Visual qīyam

place of sajda

rukū’

between feet

sujūd

downward around tip of nose

julūs

into lap

qunūt

center of hands

Where to look?

distractions External

Focus of the heart

Audible

distractions External

Focus of the heart

Other engagements

External distractions

Focus of the heart

In contrast to our prayer…

The messenger of Allah used to speak with us

and we spoke with him. As soon as it was prayer

time, it was as though the Prophet no longer knew

us and we no longer knew him.

الصالهحضرتفاذاونحدثهیحدثناهللارسولکان

رفهعن لم و یعرفنا لم فکانه

Focus of the heart

In contrast to our prayer…

When he (Imam Ali) would start to do the wuḍū,

his countenance would change because of his

fear of Allah.

هللاخیفةمن وجهه یتغیرالوضوءفیاخذاذاکانو

تعالی

Focus of the heart

In contrast to our prayer…

Lady Fatima (as) would feel a shortness of breath

in prayer because of fear of Allah.

فىالصالةفى تنهجالسالمعلیهافاطمةوكانت

تعالىهللاخیفة

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Focus of the heart

In contrast to our prayer…

When Husain (as) finished his wuḍū [and went for prayer],

the color of his face would change. He was asked about it

and he replied, ‘It is appropriate for someone who is about

to approach a person who sits on a throne that his color

should change’.

الحسنكان و فقیل لونه تغیـروضوئهمنفرغإذا (ع)

لونهیتغیـرأنالعرشذيعلىحقفقالذلكفيله

Focus of the heart

How to prepare for prayer

ask Allah for help

لكمأستجبادعوني

Focus of the heart

How to prepare for prayer

ask the Ahlul Bayt for help

Intercession

Beautiful du’a before prayer

محمدوآلبمحمدإلیكأتوجهإنياللهم O Allah I turn towards You through Muhammad and the family of Muhammad

صالتيیديبینواقدمهم and I present them before my prayer

إلیكبهموأتقرب and through them I seek nearness to You

،المقربینومنواآلخرةالدنیافيوجیهابهمفاجعلني So for their sake give me honor in this world and in the Hereafter, and [make me]

among those who are close to You

،ووالیتهمومعرفتهمبطاعتهمليفاختمبمعرفتهمعليمننت You have bestowed a great favor on me by letting me know them. So seal [this

favor over me] with obedience to them, recognition of them, and loyalty to them,

قدیرشئكلعلىفإنك،بهاليواختمالسعادةفإنها because indeed this is true happiness. So complete my life with these, for You

have power over all things.

Focus of the heart

How to prepare for prayer

think about the hereafter

[Prayer] is first thing to be considered from

amongst the deeds of man

Focus of the heart

How to prepare for prayer

try to see Allah

فإن تراه كأنكهللاتعبدأن

یراكفإنه،تراهتكنلم

العیانبمشاهدهالعیونتدرکهال

بحقائق القلوب تدرکهلکنو

Prophet (s) - االیمان

- Imam Ali (as)

How

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7

Focus

Comprehension

Greatness

Shame

Awe/fear

Hope

Sincerity