101
my faith
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ISLAM
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believe
" and expect that your moral sense will remain
sharp. It is easy to be forgetful and become engrossed in
the business and cares of life. Through neglect or even
deliberate disobedience, the moral sense can also become
so blunt that the ugliness of vice may seem beautiful and
attractive. There is need then for a code or pattern of
behaviour that is a natural outcome of your beliefs, a code
or pattern that will not leave you to grope or wander about
aimlessly. Throughout the day and throughout the year,
Islam provides such a pattern of behaviour and the institu-
tions of control and dynamism to strengthen the innate
goodness of the human being and keep him on the straight
way. The most important institution in this regard is the
Salah
. There is no word in English to translate
Salah
. It is
not merely 'prayer in the limited sense of the random turn-
ing to Allah in invocation and supplication. The Arabic word
for supplication is
du'a
.
Salah
may only be performed in a prescribed form and
under certain conditions as assigned to it by the Blessed
Prophet Muhammad [s]. Any change in its form nullifies it.
The compulsory
Salah
is connected to definite times of day.
It should not be delayed or abandoned deliberately. The
abandoning of
Salah
threatens to put a person outside the
pale of Islam. It is also connected to a fixed geographical
direction - the Ka'bah in Makkah.
Salah
is thus bound to
nature and its movements, to space and time. It creates a
natural rhythm in one's lifestyle. We may note that the
development of astronomy among Muslims was condi-
tioned by the need for accurate definition of space and
time. Again you can see in this the truth that it is impossible
to be a Muslim and live in a state of ignorance and barbar-
ity.
Salah
consists of precise bodily postures - standing, bow-
ing, prostrating and sitting - which are a vivid indication of
man's relation to his Creator - a relation of uprightness, rev-
erence, submission and gratitude. In the midst of your daily
activities and preoccupations,
Salah
comes as a regular
reminder of your relationship with Allah, your place in the
scheme of things, your responsibilities and your ultimate
goal. Through the prescribed reading of the Qur'an in
Salah
, you link yourself constantly with the Source of all
creation and you stand firmly within the worldview of Islam.
Salah
keeps your moral sense sharp and prevents it from
