Understanding Salat — Page 69
Qiyam 69 that the wonders and excellences of S ū rah al-F ā ti h ah are in all respects of the same measure—and indeed, far superior—as the wonders and excellences of the rose. The reason for selecting this illustration is that on one occasion, in a state of vision, my humble self saw that I was holding in my hand S ū rah al-F ā ti h ah inscribed on a leaf and it was so beautiful and attrac- tive that it appeared as if the paper on which S ū rah al-F ā ti h ah was written was laden with soft red rose petals to the extent that it was beyond count. As my humble self recited any verse of this sūrah many of these roses flew upwards, producing a sweet sound. The flowers were very delicate, large, beautiful, fresh, and full of fragrance. As they ascended, my heart and mind were perfumed with their fragrance and they created such a state of intoxication that, due to the attraction of their incomparable pleasure, they cre- ated a strong aversion from the world and all that is in it. This vision indicates that the rose has a spiritual affinity with S ū rah al-F ā ti h ah. Due to this affinity, I chose it for the purpose of illustration. Therefore, it seems pertinent to delineate first, for illustration, the external and internal wonders found in the rose and then set out the external and internal wonders of S ū rah al-F ā ti h ah , so that the honest readers should