ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Salat (Prayer): The Mode of Divine Proximity and Recognition The Importance of Salat and Meeting Allah The highest aim and goal of the divine scholars and those who tread the path of worship is the meeting with Allah and vision of the divine, a meeting which can neither be expressed in words nor penned on paper. For, a vision of the divine is the work of Allah Himself.

And the work of Allah, like His Being, does not have any method (kaifiyyah) like other mortals, and therefore it cannot be expressed. He introduced Himself to His servants and manifested His Own Self on their hearts. By setting aside the veils of negligence and forgetfulness, ignorance, disobedience, immorality, evil ethics, etc. a person prepares his heart to receive this divine manifestation.

Purity of heart and sincerity in intention illuminates the divine light further and becomes the cause for the servant to achieve great heights in the field of divine recognition and reach his ultimate goal i.e. meeting with Allah. Imam Zainul Abidin (‘a) invokes, إِلهِيْ، فَاسلُكْ بِنَا سُبُلَ الْوُصُوْلِ إِلَيْكَ.

وَسَيِّرْنَا فِيْ أَقْرَبِ الطُّرُقِ لِلْوُفُودِ إِلَيْكَ … وَأَلْحِقْنَا بِالْعِبَادِ الَّذِيْنَ هُمْ بِالْبِدَارِ إِلَيْكَ يُسُارِعُوْنَ، وَبَابَكَ عَلى الدَّواَمِ يَطْرُقُوْنَ، وَإِيَّاكَ فِيْ اللَّيْلِ يَعْبُدُوْنَ… وَقَضَيْتَ لَهُمْ مِنْ وَصْلِكَ الْمَآرِبَ، وَمَلأَْتَ لَهُمْ ضَمَائِرَهُمْ مِنْ حُبِّكَ، وَرَوَّيْتَهُمْ مِنْ صَافِيْ شِرْبِكَ، فَبِكَ إِلَى لَذِيْذِ مُنَاجَاتِكَ وَصَلُوْا، وَمِنْكَ أَقْصى مَقَاصِدَهُمْ حَصَّلُوْا… فَأَنْتَ لاَ غَيْرُكَ مُرادِيْ.

وَلَكَ لاَ لِسِوَاكَ سَهَرِيْ وَسُهادِيْ، وَلِقَاؤُكَ قُرَّةُ عَيْنِيْ. وَوَصْلُكَ مُنى نَفْسِىْ … وَرُؤْيَتُكَ حَاجَتِيْ. “O Allah! Make us tread the path that leads to Your meeting, and make us travel on the road that is nearest to You… attach us with those servants of Yours who are in haste to reach You.

Those who incessantly knock on Your door, and worship only You in the night…You have fulfilled their desire by allowing them Your meeting, and You have filled their hearts with Your love, and have quenched their thirst with Your pure drink. Thus, because of You, they enjoyed the taste of Your supplications (munajat) and have achieved their farthest aims (i.e. Allah)… Then only You, O Allah, are my aim. And my being awake and up in the nights is only because of You and not for anybody else.

Your meeting is my love and Your sight, my desire.

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