A Commantery of Prayer Author : Muhsin Qara’ati Publisher’s Foreword Chapter 1 : What is worship ‘ibadah? Management in worship The visage of prayer The visage of worship [‘ibadah] Chapter 2: Intention [niyyah] The intention gives value to the deed Chapter 3 : Takbirah al‐Ihram Chapter 4 : Surah al‐Fatihah Which one is the straight path [sirat al‐mustaqim] Chapter 5 : Surah al‐Ikhlas Chapter 6 : Bowing Down [ruku‘] and Prostration [sujud] The prostrations of the saints of God Chapter 7 : Dhikr at‐Tasbih Chapter 8 : Qunut Chapter 9 : Tashahhud and Salam Presented by http://www.alhassanain.com & http://www.islamicblessings.com Bibliography Publisher’s Foreword In the Name of Allah, the All‐beneficent, the All‐merciful The precious legacy left behind by the Holy Prophet’s Household [ahl al‐bayt] (may peace be upon them all) and their followers’ preservation of this legacy from the menace of extinction is a perfect example of an all‐encompassing school [maktab], which embraces the different branches of Islamic knowledge. This school has been able to train many talented personalities by quenching them with this gushing fountain. This school has presented scholars to the Muslim ummah who, by following the Holy Prophet’s Household (‘a), have occupied the station of clarifying doubts and skepticisms brought forth by various creeds and intellectual currents both inside and outside Muslim society. Throughout the past centuries, they have presented the firmest answers and The linked image cannot be displayed. The file may have been moved, renamed, or deleted. Verify that the link points to the correct file and location. solutions to these doubts. Anchored in the responsibilities it is shouldering, the Ahl al‐Bayt (‘a) World Assembly has embarked upon defending the sanctity of risalah [messengership] and its authentic beliefs— truths which have always been opposed by the chiefs and leaders of anti‐Islamic sects, religions and trends. In this sacred path, the Assembly regards itself as a follower of the upright pupils of the school of the Ahl al‐Bayt (‘a)—those who have always been ready to refute those accusations and calumnies and have tried to be always in the frontline of this struggle on the basis of the expediencies of time and space. The experiences in this field, which have been preserved in the books of scholars belonging to the school of the Ahl al‐Bayt (‘a), are unique in their own right. It is because these experiences have been based upon knowledge [‘ilm] and the preeminence of the intellect and reasoning, and at the same time, they are completely devoid of blind prejudice, whim and caprice. These experiences address experts, scholars and thinkers in a manner that is acceptable to a healthy mind and the pure human natural disposition [fitrah]. In a bid to assist those who are in quest of truth, the Ahl al‐Bayt (‘a) World Assembly has endeavored to enter a new phase of these worthy experiences within the framework of Presented by http://www.alhassanain.com & http://www.islamicblessings.com research and translating the works of contemporary Shi‘ah writers or those who, through divine guidance, have embraced this noble school. The Assembly is also engaged in the study and publication of the valuable works of pious predecessors and outstanding Shi‘ah personalities so that those who are thirsty for the truth could quench their thirst from this refreshing fountain by listening and embracing this truth, which the Holy Prophet’s Household (‘a) has offered as a gift to the entire world. It is hoped that our dear readers would not deprive the Ahl al‐Bayt (‘a) World Assembly of their valuable opinions, suggestions and constructive criticisms in this arena. We also invite scholars, translators and other institutions to assist us in propagating the pure Muhammadan (s) Islam. We ask God, the Exalted, to accept this trivial effort and enhance it further under the auspices of His vicegerent on earth, H?adrat al‐Mahdi (may Allah, the Exalted, expedite his glorious advent). It is appropriate here to express our utmost gratitude to Hujjat al‐Islam wa’l‐Muslimin Shaykh Muhsin Qara’ati for writing the book, and to Mr. Mansoor Limba for translating it, as well as to all our honorable colleagues in accomplishing this task especially the dear ones in the Translation Office for undertaking this responsibility. ? Cultural Affairs Department Ahl al‐Bayt (‘a) World Assembly Foreword In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful The Cultural Center of Qur’anic Lessons was established in 1375 AHS (1996) with the aim of compiling, arranging and publishing the written, audio and visual works of Hujjat al‐Islam Shaykh Muhsin Qara’ati,. During the many years of its activity, apart from publishing new books by the author, the Tafsir‐e Nur [Commentary of Light] in particular, this institute has also presented a book in its edited version, which had been published by other publishers. Presented by http://www.alhassanain.com & http://www.islamicblessings.com Among the works of the writer on the subject of prayer is the book, Tafsir‐e Namaz [A Commentary on Prayer], which was initially published by the Performance of Prayer Headquarters. Pursuant to the view of the honorable officials at the Headquarters, subsequent editions of the said book were supposed to be published by the Cultural Center of Qur’anic Lessons. It is necessary to note that this book has been edited and earlier typographical errors have been corrected as far as possible. Nevertheless, we look forward to receiving the views and suggestions of our dear readers who we invite to communicate with us at this address: Cultural Center of Qur’anic Lessons P.O. Box 14185/586 Tehran Islamic Republic of Iran ? Preface In the Name of Allah, the All‐beneficent, the All‐merciful ْال َع َال ِم َين َر ﱢب ِ اَ ْل َح ْم ُد الطﱠ ِاھ ِر َين َوآلِ ِه ُم َح ﱠم ٍد َونَبِيﱢنَا َسيﱢ ِدنَا َعلَى ﷲ ُ َو َصلﱠى أَ ْج َم ِع َين أَ ْع َدائِ ِھ ْم َعلَى ﷲ ِ َولَ ْعنَة ُ All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, and may the blessings of Allah be upon our Master and Prophet, Muhammad, and his pure progeny, and may the curse of Allah be upon all their enemies. I was glad to be present at the holy shrine of Imam ar‐Rida (‘a) and to have started writing this booklet, the drafts of which I had prepared earlier, prior to the beginning of the (Iranian) New Year 1374 AHS (which commenced on March 21, 1995). In line with the efforts made after the [victory of the] Islamic Revolution in establishing the performance of Islamic prayer [salah] in schools, universities, military garrisons, and other public places, I also decided—after writing the books, Partu‐ye az Asrar‐e Namaz [Radiance of the Secrets of Prayer], Hamrah ba Namaz [In the Company of Prayer] and Yeksad va Chahardah Nokteh Darbareh‐ye Namaz [One Hundred and Fourteen Points about Prayer]—to write about a commentary on Presented by http://www.alhassanain.com & http://www.islamicblessings.com the recitals [adhkar] in prayer such as the takbir [recital of Allahu akbar at the beginning of the prayer] and the recital of Sural al‐Fatihah and another surah, bowing down [ruku‘], prostration [sujud], tashahhud and salam so that we could understand better what we are uttering to God in this regard, and have a conscious and gnostic involvement in the act of worship. Before embarking on the subject proper, let us first take a cursory glance at “Worship [‘ibadah] and Servitude [‘ubudiyyah]” which is the soul of prayer as well as all other devotional duties so as to better internalize its sublime station in our lives. ? Muhsin Qara’ati Chapter 1 : What is worship ‘ibadah? Worship [‘ibadah] is the purpose behind our creation. The Qur’an states: “I did not create the jinn and humans except that they may worship Me.”[1] If the work we are doing is for the sake of seeking the pleasure of God, then it is an act of worship. It is so even though it may be a business or professional venture, the pursuit of knowledge, marriage, service to people, or anything that is meant to meet our needs or that of society. That which makes an action an act of worship [‘ibadah] is the sacred motives behind its ِص ْب َغة ُ) [performance and in the parlance of the Qur’an, it has the “divine baptism” [sibghat Allah [2].(ﷲ ِ Natural disposition [fitrah] and worship [‘ibadah] Some of our actions or activities are based on worship [‘ibadah] while others are anchored in natural disposition [fitrah]. A habit can be meritorious such as sports or not meritorious such as smoking. But if an action was anchored in natural disposition—that is, if it was done based on the natural disposition and pure mold which God has bestowed on the constitution of every human being—then it would always be meritorious. Presented by http://www.alhassanain.com & http://www.islamicblessings.com The merit of natural disposition compared to worship is that time and place, gender and race, and age and condition have no effect on it, and every human being, on account of his being a human, possesses it. An example of this is the affection given to one’s child that is not true only to a particular generation and period rather, it is common for every parent to do so.[3] Issues such as form and style of dress or food are governed by habit and they vary in different times and places.