Understanding Salat — Page 100
Understanding S al A t 100 man is extremely weak. If a person is weak and ill, he needs crutches or a chair. At times of weakness or illness, man needs support. In the spiritual world, man is extremely weak, and thousands of hidden obstacles arise that prevent his progress. That is why in that world, he needs some support or another. A worldly person saves himself by lying, cheating, and fraud. However, Allah Almighty tells believers never to lie, cheat, or resort to fraud. Now, when the Shar ī ‘ah has taken all support away from a weak per- son, what should he do?…Allah Almighty has replied in the words “bow down” ( َعُوۡا ك ۡ ار ), meaning you should lean on Us and find support in Us. This is similar to someone taking away an older person’s cane but giving him his shoulder to lean on. Similarly, when Allah Almighty has forbidden us from using illegit- imate supports, and since we need one support or another, He tells us to lean on Him and take support in Him. Thus, the words “bow down” ( َعُوۡا ك ۡ ار ) speak of trust in Allah. ( Tafs ī r-e-Kab ī r, vol. 6, pp. 101-102) When we go into the posture of Ruk ū ‘ in S al ā t , it is after having seen through the glorification in Qiy ā m that there is none worthy of worship except Allah. The Ruk ū ‘ is a symbol of breaking away from every reliance on worldly supports and leaning on Allah alone. It is a symbol of Tau hī d and Tawakkul (trust). The words ‘ رَكَع َ اِلَى هللاِ ’ mean, ‘he completely turned