Understanding Salat — Page 143
Sajdah 143 Hadrat Khalīfatul Masīh IV rta said , There is no contradiction between humility and exaltation ( رفعت ); rather, they depend on one another. That is why prostration is connected with exalta- tion. …The exaltation ( رفعت ) that is bestowed to man is deeply connected with humility. In prostration, we are taught the prayer of ‘my Lord is the Most High. ’ This means that when you have bowed your head before Him as far down as you can, now remember the Most Lofty Lord. Then you will receive His favor. A person who receives exaltation ( رفعت ) con- tinues to bow down further accordingly. These two subjects are inseparable. ( Khu t b ā t-e- Tā hir , vol. 15, pp. 904, 22 Nov 1996) The more we seek exaltation from Allah, the more we pros- trate to Him. As a result, we are raised. However, when we seek exaltation from the world, in reality, we prostrate to the world. It is most disgraceful for a believer to do Sajdah to anyone other than Allah Almighty. Prostration does not have value if we prostrate to the world and to Allah, it has value when we prostrate to Allah alone. When we fall before Allah Almighty and say that our Lord is the Most High, it means that we do not prostrate to anyone else, and we do not seek exaltation from anyone else. Allah Almighty says,