The Essence of Islam – Volume II — Page 298
298. Essence of Islam II. Salāt. As he derives pleasure from delicious food he will begin to derive pleasure from his weeping and crying in. Salāt. Before he experiences that condition in his Ṣalāt it is necessary that he should persist in Ṣalāt as he swallows bitter medicine so that he may be restored to health. In the same way it is necessary for him to persist in Ṣalāt and in making his supplications while he derive no pleasure from them. In such condition he should seek pleasure and delight in Ṣalāt with the supplication:. Allāh! Thou knowest how blind and sightless I am, and at the moment I am like the dead. I know that in a little while. I shall be called and shall present myself before Thee and no one will be able to stop me. But my heart is blind and unenlightened. Do Thou cause to descend upon it such a flame of light that thereby it may be inspired with Thy love and devotion to Thee. Do Thou bestow upon me such grace that I shall not be raised up sightless nor join the blind. . When he supplicates in this manner and persists in the supplication he will see that a time will arrive when something will descend upon him while he is engaged in such type of prayer which will melt his heart. [Malfūzāt, vol. IV, pp. 321-322] و الَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلى صَلوتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ 109. This means those believers. . . who are themselves watchful over their Prayers and do not need any reminder from anyone else. Their relationship with God has the quality that the remembrance of God becomes dear to them and becomes the source of their comfort and their very life, so that they are constantly watchful of it and every moment of theirs is devoted to it and they do not 109 'And who diligently guard the observance of their Prayers. '-AlMu'minun, 23:10 [Publisher]