Understanding Salat — Page 181
Qa‘dah 181 At first, this prayer may seem difficult because of how great a sacrifice it is. It is easier for us to sacrifice our time or our wealth in the hope of reward from Allah, but the thought of sacrificing the reward itself may have never crossed our mind. However, the highest point of love is where we find a willingness to sacrifice everything for someone we love. For example, many times, when people make major financial contributions, they want to make that sacrifice on behalf of their late parents. They think of how they only have wealth because of how much their parents sacrificed for their edu- cation and upbringing. They think of all the hardships their parents went through to raise them, and they wish their par- ents could have enjoyed the same comforts they now can. When they finally have the chance to make a major financial contribution for the sake of Allah Almighty, the only desire they have in their hearts is that the reward of that sacrifice somehow go to their parents. They remember that it was their parents who instilled the spirit of sacrifice in them, so this sacrifice actually belongs to them. They remember that it was their parents who raised them with the education needed to earn wealth, so this wealth actually belongs to them. Their desire to give their reward has no reservations in it. Their greatest happiness would be in knowing their sacri- fice was accepted, and all of the reward went to their parents. A man said to Allah’s Messenger sas , “My mother died, will it benefit her if I give in charity on her behalf ?”