A Letter to a Dear One — Page 73
Muhammad Zafrulla Khan 73 he not deemed it a burden for his people, he would have made brushing of teeth obligatory before each sal ā t. You are aware of the details of the wud ū (the ablution) before Prayer. I do not need to explain, however, it is appropriate to mention that along with the obvious cleanliness through wud ū , it also signifies a purification of one’s inner self. When a worshipper washes during wud ū with the intention of Praying, he also reflects on his inner purification and cleanses his mind from worldly thoughts, and draws the attention of his soul to be in attendance of the court of Allah. Washing one’s limbs with water concentrates one’s dispersed thoughts towards worship. It refreshes the mind and alleviates mental and physical fatigue. The greatest benefit of sal ā t , providing it is observed and adorned with all the requisites, is that it purifies one’s deeds and thoughts. The Holy Qur’ ā n tells us, I ®G¼ÀH¿M ö Z G y I YóG²M©G¹M ö Z I ãG“ « çG M ÀG† G {^G¾R³ ö Z R wI~ [29:46], that the sal ā t restraints us from indecency and manifest evil. The Holy Prophet (sallall ā hu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said that a person who is regular in his sal ā t is like one who has a stream flowing in front of his house and washes in it five times a day. As a consequence of regular five Prayers daily Allah wipes out all the spiritual faults of the worshipper. You are aware of the different timings of the Prayers and the different raka‘ ā t. There are a few factors about the sal ā t that some objections are raised about. Firstly, it is often asked as to what is the significance of all the different postures of sal ā t and that if the essence of sal ā t is spiritual then why these physical postures? It is important to remember in this respect that there is a deep connection between what is on the outside and the inner self of a human being and they both affect each other. For example, when someone feels happy his face has traces of the happiness. At times there is a smile or laughter. When one’s heart is saddened, then the face appears aggrieved. In case of deep grief, tears can well up. In such an instance if an effort is made to cheer up the dejected person, he feels somewhat consoled. Likewise, if a meek appearance is maintained in a temper, it has an effect in abating the rage. This is the reason why the sal ā t has courteous and meek postures; when a worshipper stands for sal ā t , his heart is full of humility. The