Understanding Salat — Page 13
Qiyam 13 thoughts does our mind generally wander into when we get distracted in S al a t ? Being aware of our daydreams is an important self-analysis. Here, we preemptively make up our minds to turn our attention away from them. The words ‘I have turned my full attention’ ( َ هْت ُ وَجْهِي َّ وَج ) make us aware of what we need to be turning our attention away from. This same point is also found in the word ۡفًا ي ِ حَن , which means, ‘one who turns his attention away from one thing and inclines towards something else’ ( Tafs ī r-e-Kab ī r, vol. 2, pp. 208). In the words ‘I have turned my full attention’ ( ُ هۡت َّ َ وَج وَجۡهِي ), the emphasis is on our mind turning to Allah, whereas in the words ‘being ever inclined’ ( ۡفًا ي ِ حَن ), the emphasis is on our heart turning towards Allah. The same sentiment is expressed when we raise our hands at the beginning of S al a t. Whether we choose to verbalize our Niyyah with this verse of the Holy Quran or not, when we raise our hands for prayer, we say with our body language that we turn our attention away from everything else. ________ O _________ َ ذِی ۡ فَطَر َّ لِل towards Him Who has created Ibn Abbās says that he did not know the meaning of