Blessings of Khilafat — Page 167
Objects of Human Life 167 God has enjoined us not to offer our prayers merely by way of habit or because we have become accustomed to them. Your prayers should not be a result of imitating others; instead you should offer them with full consciousness and mindful of what you are doing. To do an act by way of habit or imitation—being unmindful of its true purpose—is ‘ sakr’. The word ‘ sakr ’ basically means intoxication caused by drinking wine. But the Word of God has more than one underlying meanings. Therefore, on the one hand, a drinker in this verse has been told not to go near the prayer; while on the other, it points out that one should not offer prayers being oblivious to its true purpose and objective. Just as when a drinker falls down to the ground and is not aware of his situation—for he cannot tell whether he is lying in a filthy drainage or on a well-decorated floor—likewise, he who offers the prayer merely by way of habit does not fully realize whether he is standing in the glorious court of God or in a jungle. That is why God has prohibited the offering of prayers in this way. Seven Ranks of Spiritual Development I will now state the seven stages of spiritual development that the Holy Quran has stated. Elaborating on these seven stages, the Holy Quran explains how if man ignores them, he falls into the abyss of spiritual deterioration; and how if he should follow them, he commences on an upward journey of continuous spiritual progress. The more understanding he gains of these stages, the more fruitful his efforts and deeds become.