The Secrets of Prayer and Variety in Worship [Hikam 119-120]

The Book of Wisdoms Hikam 119-120 page 111.

Shaykh Abdur-Rahman unravels another precious jewel from The Book of Wisdoms by the great Ibn Ata’illah al-Iskandari. The mysteries of the ritual prayer, why it is performed and what benefit one can derive from it. Ibn Ata’illah mentions that the prayer is a purification of the hearts, it removes from it the contamination of indulgences of the world and restores back the divine perception of one’s natural fitrah. The salat is a mi’raj of the believer and only through this intimate discourse can one enter into the domain of the innermost being.

To enter this domain, one must develop wuquf qalbi. Shaykh mentions that as Allah is aware of the existence of weariness in man He has allowed for varying acts of worship such as fasting, du’a, recitation of Qur’an, hajj etc. The taste of each of these acts are different ensuring that one does not become bored with one particular act. Also, as Allah knows the impulsive nature of man, He has ordained the 5 compulsory prayers to be at its particular times which allows one to execute each prayer with perfection. Acts of devotion an aspirant enthusiastically indulgences in will help to make them closer and more attentive to the presence of Allah. This stage of ihsan, worshipping Allah as though you are seeing Him is the goal of every seeker of the path and is only attained if one has wuquf qalbi.