Understanding Salat — Page 194
Understanding S al A t 194 Our experience of the blessings in S al ā t bear witness to the unity of Allah and the truth of His messenger. This testimony can also serve as a self-analysis on the quality of the Rak‘at we just completed. The statement ‘I bear witness’ is subjective; it can only be as true as our experience is. If our S al ā t was a means of experiencing the presence of Allah Almighty, then the words ‘I bear witness’ will be a true and heartfelt testimony. If our S al ā t went by in distraction, then ‘I bear witness’ will be an empty testimony. The words ‘I bear witness’ are entirely a reflection on ourselves. In that reflection, we can see with clarity the reality of our S al ā t. When we say that ‘there is none worthy of worship except Allah,’ we are saying that we are a worshipper of only Allah Almighty. Immediately after this, we say that ‘Muhammad is His worshipper [ ُ عَبْد ]. ’ We say that we are a worshipper of Allah, but then we are told what a true worshipper is, and we are reminded that the greatest worshipper of Allah Almighty was the Holy Prophet sas. Thus, the spirit with which the Holy Prophet sas worshipped Allah Almighty is the standard of excellence for our worship. So what is the difference between our worship and the worship of the Holy Prophet sas ? Hadrat Khal ī fatul Mas ī h I V rta said, The Holy Prophet sas did not say, “O Allah, besides You and besides me, everyone else in the world is nothing. ” Generally when people say, “there is none Raising our index finger