Seyyid Hossein Nasr writes in his Ideals and Realities of Islam...
Seyyid Hossein Nasr writes in his Ideals and Realities of Islam: “In the canonical prayers man stands before God as the representative of all creatures. He prays for and in the name of all beings.” Amongst the many sayings of the Prophet on the subject are: “Salaah is the spiritual ascension of the faithful where he communes with Allah.” “The good deeds wipe out the evil deeds of a man.
The salaah and patience (sabr) are the best of deeds.” Salaah is a spiritual activity where the person performing it is totally immersed, mentally and physically, in the remembrance of God.
اتْلُ مَا أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ ۖ إِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ تَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنْكَرِ ۗ وَلَذِكْرُ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ ۗ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ *** Recite that which has been revealed to you of the Book and keep up prayer; surely prayer keeps (one) away from indecency and evil, and certainly the remembrance of Allah is the greatest, and Allah knows what you do.
(29:45)*** َلِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ جَعَلْنَا مَنْسَكًا لِيَذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ عَلَىٰ مَا رَزَقَهُمْ مِنْ بَهِيمَةِ الْأَنْعَامِ ۗ فَإِلَٰهُكُمْ إِلَٰهٌ وَاحِدٌ فَلَهُ أَسْلِمُوا ۗ وَبَشِّرِ الْمُخْبِتِينَ And to every nation We appointed acts of devotion that they may mention the name of Allah on what He has given them of the cattle quadrupeds; so your god is One God, therefore to Him should you submit, and give good news to the humble,(22:34) الَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ اللَّهُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَالصَّابِرِينَ عَلَىٰ مَا أَصَابَهُمْ وَالْمُقِيمِي الصَّلَاةِ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنْفِقُونَ *** (To) those whose hearts tremble when Allah is mentioned, and those who are patient under that which afflicts them, and those who keep up prayer, and spend (benevolently) out of what We have given them.(22:35)*** طس ۚ تِلْكَ آيَاتُ الْقُرْآنِ وَكِتَابٍ مُبِينٍ Ta Sin!
These are the verses of the Quran and the Book that makes (things) clear (27:1) هُدًى وَبُشْرَىٰ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ A guidance and good news for the believers, (27:2) الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَهُمْ بِالْآخِرَةِ هُمْ يُوقِنُونَ Who keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, and of the hereafter, they are sure.(27:3) لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا وَمَا تَحْتَ الثَّرَىٰ His is what is in the heavens and what is in the earth and what is between them two and what is beneath the ground.
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