Understanding Salat — Page 189
Qa‘dah 189 need for a moment and first pray with greater sincerity for that person who was the most beloved to our Allah. This approach makes our prayer an expression of love for Allah Almighty. ________ O _________ َ وَعَلَى عِبَاد ِ هللا ِ الصَّالِحِيْن and on the righteous servants of Allah In a discourse before Khil ā fat, Hadrat Nūruddīn ra men- tioned the following story from the poetry in the Masnavi of Rūmī rta , There (once) was a merchant. And he had a parrot, imprisoned in a cage-- a beautiful parrot. (Now) when the merchant prepared for a journey (and) was about to travel to India,. . . he said to the parrot, “What present from the journey do you want, so that I may bring it to you from the region of India. ” The parrot answered him, “When you see the par- rots there, explain my situation (and) say, “The par- rot so-and-so, who is yearning to see you, is in my prison by the decree of the heavens. She sends you