Malfuzat – Volume I — Page 173
Malfuzat - Volume I 173 tens of millions of pious souls. What is this cure? It is known as the formal Prayer. What is the formal Prayer? It is a kind of supplication, which protects man from all forms of vice and indecency, and makes them deserving of good and the recipient of divine favour. It has been said that 'Allah' is the Greatest Name (ism-e-azam) of God. Allah the Exalted has kept all of His other attributes sub- ordinate to this name. Now just reflect for a moment. The Prayer begins with the call to Prayer and the call to Prayer begins with the words Allahu Akbar (Allah is the greatest). In other words, the call to Prayer begins with the name of Allah and ends in the name of Allah with the words (There is none worthy of worship except Allah). This honour belongs to the Islamic worship alone in that from beginning to end Allah Almighty is the only objective that is sought, and nothing else. I can confidently say that this kind of worship does not exist in any other nation or religious community. In the formal Prayer, which is a form of supplication, Allah', the Greatest Name of God Almighty, has been given the highest position. The Greatest Name (ism-e-azam), or the greatest quality of man is steadfastness (istiqamat). The means by which the excellences of humanity can be attained is what is meant by the term, 'Greatest Name. ' Allah the Exalted has alluded to this in the verse (Guide us in the right path). In another instance He states: الَّذِيْنَ قَالُوا رَبُّنَا اللهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقَامُوا تَتَنَزَّلُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَلَبِكَةُ أَلَّا تَخَافُوْا وَلَا تَحْزَنُوا Those who say, 'Our Lord is Allah, and then remain steadfast, the angels descend on them, saying: Fear ye not, nor grieve. ' In other words, when a person comes under the canopy of divine providence, and when the egg of human nature is nurtured under man's Greatest Name known as steadfastness (istiqamat), humans develop such capacities that angels begin to descend upon them and they do not suffer from any kind of fear or grief. I have stated that istiqamat or steadfastness is very significant. What is the mean- ing of istiqamat? When everything is precisely in the right place, this is hikmat (wisdom) and istiqamat (steadfastness). For example, if the components of a set of binoculars are separated and moved from their correct places to where they do not belong, the device will cease to function. Hence, the meaning of stead- fastness is as the Arabic phrase goes: ab (To place a thing where it rightly belongs). One could say, that the natural and uncorrupted state of a thing 1 Ha Mim As-Sajdah, 41:31