SALÂH  - SALÂT - SALAWÂT

صلوات - صلاة

 

There are two meanings of the word of salâh in the Arabic language:

1) Without exception has the meaning of du'â, which is the salâh and salâm to the Prophet Muhammad (ASM). The du'â ordered to be offered for Muhammad ‘Alayhissalâtu Wassalâm by Allah through the âyah (33:56).

2) The ‘ibâdah of the five daily prayers that is fardh for all the Muslims and ordered by Allah within many âyahs of the Qur’an in which manner it should be performed has been shown by Prophet Muhammad (ASM).

Salawât is the plural of salâh.

In Arabic, the word صلاة ‎ ends with ة (ta marbutah), which can be pronounced either as "t" (if it is in the middle of a sentence or when used together with a word) or an "h" (if it is at the end of a sentence or alone). For that reason, in the sentences, this word may be seen as “salât”. For example: ‘Alayhissalâtu Wassalâm (Salâh and salâm be upon you).

 

“Now see! That being is offering du’â for eternal bliss in such supreme salâh, with such sublime ‘ibâdah, that it is as if this island, or even the whole world, were performing salâh and supplicating together with him. For the ‘ubûdiyyah, he performs contains within itself not only the ‘ubûdiyyah of the ummah but also that of all the other prophets’ mystery of ‘ubûdiyyah by the mystery of conformity. Moreover, he performs his supreme salâh and offers his supplications in such a vast jamâ‘ah that it is as if all luminous and perfect men among the son of Âdam, from the time of Hazrat Âdam down to our age, saying "amen" to his supplications through following him! {From the time of the munâjât of Ahmad (ASM) down to the present, all the salâts and the salawâts of the ummah are an eternal amen to his du'â, a form of universal participation in it. Reciting each salawât is an amen to his du'â and offering salâh and salâm to him in the course of each salah by each member of the ummah, and offering du'â to him after the iqâmah -according to the Shâfi'î madhab- these too are a powerful and universal amen to his du'â for eternal bliss. So the eternity and the everlasting bliss desired by all men with all of their strength, through their language of being of humanity fitrah, is requested in the name of humanity by the Ahmad (ASM) himself, and the luminous segment of humanity says "amen" after him. Is it at all possible that such a du'â should not be accepted?} He is offering du'â for eternity, a need so universal, that not merely the people of this earth, but also the inhabitants of the samâwât and the entirety of creation are participating in his supplications through their language of being, "Yes, O our Rabb! Grant, accept his du'â; we too desire it." Look! He petitions for everlasting bliss with such touching sadness, in so yearning, so longing, and so pleading a fashion, that he causes the whole of the universe to weep and thus to share in his du'â.” The Words ( 81-82 )

 

“The effect of du'â is great. Especially if the du'â gains universality and persists, it almost always has a result, indeed, its result is continuous. It may even be said that one of the reasons for the creation of al-‘âlam is du'â. That is, after the creation of the universe, the du'â of chiefly mankind, and of them principally the Islamic world, and the sublime du'â of Muhammad the Arabian ‘Alayhissalâtu Wassalâm as the leader of the Islamic world were a cause of it being created. That is, Al-Khâliq of al-‘âlam knew that in the future Muhammad (asm) would ask for eternal happiness and for a manifestation of the Ilahî Names in the name of mankind, indeed, on account of all beings, and He accepted that future du'â and created the universe.

Since du'â possesses this great importance and extensiveness, is it at all possible that the du'âs offered all the time for one thousand three hundred and fifty years by three hundred million of mankind and by uncountable numbers of blessed beings from among men, jinn, malâikah, and rûh beings for all-encompassing Ilahî rahmah, eternal happiness, and the accomplishment of the aim regarding the Person of Muhammad ‘Alayhissalâtu Wassalâm would not be accepted? Is it in any way possible that their du'âs would be rejected?

Since these du'âs have acquired universality, extensiveness, and continuousness to this extent and have reached the level of the language of latent ability and fitrî need, for sure, as a result of the du'â, the Person of Muhammad the Arabian ‘Alayhissalâtu Wassalâm is at such a rank and degree that if all minds were to gather together and become one mind, it could not completely comprehend the haqiqah of that rank.

And so, O Muslims! The shafî’ you have on the Day of Resurrection is thus; in order to attract the shafâ’ah of this shafî’ towards yourselves, follow his Sunnah!...

If you say: Since he is Habibullah1 , what need does he have of all these salawât and du'â?

The Answer: This Being (ASM) is connected with the happiness of all his ummah and shares in every sort of the happiness of each member of it, and he is anxious at every sort of their calamities. Although in regard to himself the degrees of happiness and perfection are endless, since he desires ardently the numberless kinds of happiness of the numberless members of his ummah for an unlimited time, and is saddened at the numberless kinds of their wretchedness, he is surely worthy and needy for endless salawât and du'â and rahmah.” The Letters ( 354-355 )

 

“O unhappy man struggling within boundless impotence and endless want! You should understand just what a valuable means and acceptable shafî’ is Rahmah. For Rahmah is the means to a Sultân Zuljalâl in Whose army both the stars and minute particles serve together in perfect order and obedience. And that Zuljalâl One and Sultân of Pre-Eternity and Post-Eternity has istighnâ in His essence, He is in absolute istighnâ. He is Ghanî without limit being in no respect needy of the universe and beings. The whole universe is under His command and direction, utterly obedient beneath His majesty and grandeur, submissive before His sublimity. That is Rahmah for you, Oh man! It raises you to the presence of the One absolutely lacking any need, the Eternal Sultân, and makes you His friend, addressee, and well-loved ‘abd. But just as you cannot reach the sun, are far from it and can in no way draw close to it, although the sun's light gives you its reflection and manifestation by means of your mirror, in the same way, you are infinitely distant from the Most Pure and Holy One (Zhât Al-Aqdas), the Sun of Pre-Eternity and Post-Eternity, and cannot draw close to Him, but the light of His Rahmah makes Him closer to us.

And so, O man! He who finds this Rahmah finds an eternal unfailing treasury of nûr. And the way to find this treasury is the Sunnah of Ar-Rasûl Al-Akram ‘Alayhissalâtu Wassalâm; who was the most brilliant exemplary and representative of Rahmah, its most eloquent tongue and herald of that Rahmah, and was described in the Qur'an as Rahmah li’l ‘Âlamîn2 and following it.

And the means to this embodiment of Rahmah who is Rahmah li’l ‘Âlamîn is salawât. Indeed, the meaning of salawât is Rahmah. And salawât which is the du'â of Rahmah for that embodiment of Rahmah is the means of reaching that Rahmah li’l ‘Âlamîn. So, make salawât the means to the Rahmah li’l ‘Âlamîn for yourself, and at the same time make Him the means to the Rahmah of Ar-Rahmân.

The whole Ummah in all their great numbers uttering salawât with the meaning of Rahmah for the One who is Rahmah li’l ‘Âlamîn ‘Alayhissalâtu Wassalâm proves brilliantly what a valuable Ilahî gift is Rahmah, and how broad is its sphere.

To Conclude: Just as the most precious jewel in the treasury of Rahmah and its doorkeeper is Ahmad ‘Alayhissalâtu Wassalâm, so too is its first key “Bismillahirrahmanirrahîm”. And its most easy key is salawât.” The Second Station of The Fourteenth Flash-Sixth Mystery

 

The comparison at the end of the tashahhud اَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى اِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ اِبْرَاهِيمَ3 is not appropriate to the rules of comparisons. Because Muhammad ‘Alayhissalâtu Wassalâm is a place of manifestation for more rahmah than Ibrâhîm ‘Alayhissalâm and is greater than him. What is the mystery of it? And, what is the hikmah for the salawât of this sort being appropriated to the tashahhud?

Since early times the whole ummah repeats the same du'â in each salâh… Whereas if a du'â is accepted once, that is enough. Millions of people, whose du'âs are accepted, offering du'â persistently and especially if that thing has attained the promise of Allah... For example, although Janâb-i Haqq has promised عَسَى اَنْ يَبْعَثَكَ رَبُّكَ مَقَامًا مَحْمُودًا4 , in the du'â handed down as a tradition, وَابَعَثْهُ مَقَامًا مَحْمُودًا الَّذِى وَعَدْتَهُ 5 is said after every adhan and iqâmah; the whole ummah offers du'â for that promise to be fulfilled. What is the mystery of its hikmah?

The Answer: There are three aspects and three questions within this question.

First Aspect: Hazrat Ibrâhîm ‘Alayhissalâm, indeed, cannot reach Hazrat Muhammad ‘Alayhissalâtu Wassalâm. But his descendants (Âl) were prophets. Muhammad ‘Alayhissalâtu Wassalâm’s descendants (Âl)6 are awliyâ. As for the awliyâ, they cannot reach the prophets. The evidence of the du'â for the Âl is accepted in a shining manner is this:

Among three hundred and fifty million, the masters and guides (Murshid) of the tarîqah and the paths of haqiqahs — in the great majority — being from among the awliyâ those who are from the descendants of only two of the Âl of Muhammad ‘Alayhissalâtu Wassalâm, that is, Hasan (ra) and Husayn (ra), and their being the place of manifestation for the hadith عُلَمَاءُ اُمَّتِى كَاَنْبِيَاءِ بَنِى اِسْرَائِيلَ 7 . Foremost Ja'far as-Sâdiq (ra), Ghawth al-A'dham (ra) and Shâh Naqshband (ra), each of who guides the majority of the ummah to the way of haqiqah and haqiqah of Islam, are the fruits of the acceptance of such du'â for Âl.

Second Aspect: The hikmah for salawât of this sort being appropriated to the salâh is to recall one’s joining and accompanying to the great caravan of the prophets and awliyâ, who are perfect, most luminous and mustaqîm of the eminent members of mankind, to such great jamâ’ah, who are as powerful as the hundredfold ijma’8 and hundredfold tawâtur and whose being confused is not possible on the way opened up and taken by them, on as-sirât al-mustaqîm. And with that recollection, being saved from doubts of shaytan and evil wahm. Evidence that this caravan is the friends and accepted creatures with the art of the universe's Owner, and their opponents and enemies are the rejected creatures of His is the arrival of aid from the ghayb always to the caravan while the calamities consistently falling from the samawât to its opponents from the time of Âdam.

Yes, just as all the opponents like the people of Nûh, Thamud, 'Ad, Pharaoh and Nimrod received slaps from the ghayb that will cause us to perceive Allah’s wrath and torture, so did all sacred heroes of the great caravan like Nûh ‘Alayhissalâm, Ibrâhîm ‘Alayhissalâm, Mûsâ ‘Alayhissalâm and Muhammad ‘Alayhissalâtu Wassalâm wondrously and extraordinarily become the place of manifestation for the miracles and Rabbânî favours from the ghayb.

Although a single slap demonstrates anger and a single bestowal demonstrates love, thousands of slaps to opponents and thousands of bestowal and aid arriving at the caravan testify and prove self-evidently as clearly as daylight, the rightfulness of the caravan and its going on as-sirât al-mustaqîm. The âyah صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ اَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ9 in Surah al-Fâtiha looks to the caravan and the âyah غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَ لاَ الضَّالِّينَ10 looks to their opponents. The subtle point we have explained here is clearer at the end of Surah al-Fâtiha.

Third Aspect: The mystery of hikmah of asking for something that will certainly be given, by such repetition is this: The thing sought, for example, the 'Station of Mahmûd' is a tip. It is a branch of an immense haqiqah comprising great and important haqiqahs like thousands of Stations of Mahmûd. And it is a fruit of the most important result of the universe's creation. To ask such a tip, branch and fruit through du'â is to ask implicitly the coming into existence of that immense general haqiqah, and of al-‘âlam al-baqâ, which is the largest branch of that tree of creation, and of the resurrection and qiyâmah, which are the greatest result of the universe, and the opening up of the Abode of Bliss. And, by such asking, it is to participate in the ‘ubûdiyyah and du'âs of mankind, the most important causes of the existence of Jannah and the Abode of Bliss. And for such an infinitely great aim, these infinite du'âs are indeed so few. Also, the Station of Mahmûd being given to Hazrat Muhammad ‘Alayhissalâtu Wassalâm is a sign of his great shafâ’ah for all ummah. Also, he is concerned with the happiness of all his ummah. Therefore, his asking from all ummah for their infinite salawât and du'âs of rahmah is hikmah itself.

The Sixth Ray