Understanding Salat — Page 27
Qiyam 27 of worship. Hidden idolatry is that a man glorifies a thing just as he does or should do to Allah, or that he loves a thing as Allah should be loved or that he fears it or places his trust in it. ( Malf uza t (10 vol edition), vol. 8, pp. 114). The lessons in the story of Hadrat Ibrāhīm as are relevant to us as well. First, when the stars set, he as explained the first stage and said, ‘I like not those that disappear. ’ (6:77) This is the stage of disappointment in idolatry. Then when the moon set, he explained the next stage and said, ‘Unless my Lord guides me, I will surely be among the people gone astray. ’ (6:78) This is the stage of desperation in idolatry. Then, when the sun set, he explained the next stage and said, ‘O my people, indeed I am free from what you associate with Allah. ’ (6:79) This is the stage of disgust with idolatry. In the end, he said the words we say in Niyyah and ended with, ‘I am not among those who associate partners with Allah. ’ (6:80) This is the stage where we not only absolve ourselves of the action of idolatry, but we absolve ourselves of the peo- ple who commit idolatry. The starting point of S al a t is the ending point of idolatry. The stages in these verses describe the process of how we leave hidden idolatry. Past commentators on the Holy Quran have taken this story of Hadrat Ibrāhīm as literally and mistakenly believed that he committed idolatry. Hadrat Mu s le h Mau‘ ū d ra said,