Malfuzat - Volume IX — Page 29
26 December 1906 29 time, the person ought not to be impatient and hasty; rather, he should remain engaged in prayer with patience and stead- fastness, then it is expected that that prayer would be accepted. Prayer is the most exalted degree of supplication, but alas people do not realize its value. They consider its substance to be only so much as the mere ritual qiy a m [standing posture], ruk u ‘ [bowing], and sajdah [prostrating], and repeating several expressions like a parrot, whether they understand them or not. Another pitiful matter that has arisen is that on top of Muslims already being unaware of the essence of Prayer and being inattentive towards it, many new sects have now come into being that have done away with the observance of Prayer and have replaced it with various invocations and repetitive recita- tions. Someone is Naushahi , someone is Chishti , someone is this or someone is that. These people internally attack Islam and the Divine commands, and violate the rules of the Shariah, establish- ing a new shariah. Keep in mind with certainty that we and every seeker after truth are in no need of any innovation in the presence of such a blessing as that of Prayer. Whenever the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, faced a difficulty or trial, he immediately stood up in Prayer. It is my experience, and that of the righteous who preceded me, that there is nothing greater than Prayer to take one towards God. When a person does qiy a m [the standing posture] before God in Prayer, he adopts a state of obeisance. When a servant stands before their master, they always stand with their hands folded. Then, ruk u ‘ [bowing] also is a state of obeisance that is greater than standing upright. Sajdah [prostration] is the highest form of obeisance. When man puts himself into a state of fan a [total annihilation of one’s ego for the sake of God], he falls into sajdah. Pity be upon the ignorant and material- istic individuals who wish to amend the Prayer; they criticise bowing and prostrating. These are acts of the highest degree of