ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Adab as-Salat: The Disciplines of the Prayer Second Revised Edition Chapter 1: On Purification In General As it has already been said, besides the outer appearance of the Salat , it has a reality, and apart from its exterior it has an interior. And as its outer form has its formal disciplines and conditions, its interior has its disciplines and conditions, too, which are to be observed by the sālik .

Thus, purification has also its outer form and formal disciplines, the explanation of which is out of the scope of these pages. The faqīh s (jurists) of the Ja'farī school (may Allah make high their words and raise their ranks) have explained them. As regards the inner disciplines and purifications, they shall be explained in general: It should be noted that the reality of the Salat is ascension to the Proximity, and reaching the Presence of Allah, the Almighty and Most High.

Thus, to attain this great objective and ultimate goal, one should practice certain purifications, which are other than the outer purifications. The thorns of this road and the obstacles in the way of this ascension are such impurities that if the sālik were marked by one of them, he would be incapable of ascending to the peak and completing the ascension. Such impurities are the hindrances in the way of the Salat and the plagues of Satan.

But what is a help to the sālik in his journey and is a discipline of the Presence is the condition of this reality. The traveler to Allah has first to remove the obstacles and impurities so that he may be purified and attain purity which belongs to the world of light. Unless all the impurities, outer and inner, open and hidden, are purified, the sālik will have no chance of attending the Presence (of Allah).

Thus, the first kind of impurities is that of the outer instruments and powers of the soul which may be polluted with obstinacies and acts of disobedience to “the Benefactor” [ waliyy un-ni'am ] this is an apparent snare of Iblīs . As long as man is trapped in this snare, he is deprived of being in Allah's Presence and attaining His Proximity.

No one may have the notion that without purifying the outside of his kingdom he can reach the state of the truth of humanity, or he can purify his inner heart, as this will be a Satanic vanity and of Iblīs' big tricks. This is because the heart's impurity and darkness will be increased by disobediences, which mark the triumph [ ghalabah ] of nature over spirituality.