ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books The Radiance of the Secrets of Prayer Let’s Engage in Prayer! After intention { niyyah } which is the decision to perform the act of worship for the sake of God and to establish prayer with the aim of seeking nearness to Allah, we embark on the prayer itself. Along with “presence of heart” { hudhur-e qalbi }, mental preparation and total attention to the Lord, we recite the takbir , “ Allahu akbar ” {God is the greatest}.

This attentiveness and presence of heart serves as the spirit of prayer. “Allahu Akbar” {God is the greatest} God is superior and greater than we think and imagine, and superior than what our pens and tongues can describe. His grandeur is beyond our understanding, cognition and comprehension. Whatever He wills is realized immediately. His command is obeyed. He created the universe with its natural phenomena and human beings from nothing.

He nourishes and guides everything, and the life and existence of all living species (plants and animals) are in His hand. To Him is the return of all things created by Him. It is He who dispenses with honor and disgrace. He is self-sufficient but everything depends on Him. He fashions man in the womb of his mother. He endows guided instincts in his nature { fitrah } as a trust. He heals the sick. He gives strength to the weak. Everything is perishable and passes away except His Essence.

On the Day of Resurrection, the reckoning, book account, reward, and punishment are done by Him. It will be manifest on that day that power belongs to Him and all others can do nothing, and those who turned their faces to other than Him are lost and defeated.[^1] Our prayer commences with the Name of that Magnificent Lord. After the intention, we recite the takbirat al-ihram ,[^2] which signifies the commencement of our prayer. Allahu akbar!

Allahu akbar is the crux of our school’s { maktab } belief { ‘aqidah }. Prayer begins with Allahu akbar and ends with rahmat Allah {mercy of God}. Prayer needs attention of the heart as well as eulogy and salutation of the tongue. We listen to the praises and invocations, while we worship with the movements of our bodily limbs and organs.

Prayer begins with the Name of Allah, and it is not like the idol-worshippers, taghuti s and Christians who begin their activity with the name of their idols, the taghut s and kings or Jesus ( ‘a ).