4 - Salute the King & Expel the Intruder

Now you have officially entered Salah when you proclaimed "Allahu Akbar." You lower your gaze to the place of your Sujood (prostration) and you now place your hands right over left and close to your heart/lower chest. Why?

Imagine that you have walked into a royal palace and you enter upon a group of people standing in the distance. Some in the grou fix their gaze boldly at you with their arms comfortably at their sides. The other group stands with their gaze to the ground and their hands clasped in fromt of them. Just from the way they stand; you will easily be able to distinguish the royalty from the palace servants, wouldn't you?

It is not befitting of us, as servants, but to stand in a position of humility when we face Our Lord. It is humbling when we remember who we really are before Him. But let us remember that the humility due Allah is a dignifying humility because, in essence, it liberated us from the undue humility to felow man. As the Prophet (pbuh) said, "The one who humbles himself before Allah is elevated (by Allah) in honor!"

It is only proper now, to salue The King:

"How perfect You are O Allah, praise be to You. Blessed is Your name and lofty is Your position and non has the right to be worshipped except You."

There are several salutes to choose from which the Prophet has taught us. Each one adds a unique aspect to our prayer. Varying our salute with teach prayer aids in better focus and concentration during these sacred moments.

Expelling the intruder:

As you stand in Allah's hands, during such sacred moments, during such a grand encounter, no one is more envious of you than Shaitan (Satan). So his mission is to steal every sweet moment you might have with the One you love, to steal every reward! So that you will finish your prayer, but only 1/3rd has been accepted, or 1/5th of 1/9th or 1/10th since the sobering reality of the matter is: Only the parts of Salah you are mindful of are accepted by Allah. (One will come on the Day of Judgement with over 90 years of Salah under his belt, but to his devastating surprise, only 6 years will have been recorded to his name, or 5, or 4..)

It is because of Satan that we begin to drift. Do you not notice that every wordly thought, matter, issue, predicament suddenly makes it way to your thoughts in Salah? Items you have lost for days are months are suddenly remembered and maybe even found! Even the design on the prayer rug start to tell all sorts of entertaining stories! What do you do? You try to fight him and refocus. But he comes back. You fight him again. He comes back like a fly that will not leave you alone.

What is the solution for we are so weak!? We seek the help of your Beloved from the evils of his creature. With His Name is barakah! With His Name is total protection from all harm. Thus, before we proceed in your prayer any further, we formally express with confidence: "Aoothu billahi mina-shaitan arrajeem" (I seek Allah's protection from Satah the accursed). Feel its power as you say it!

Regarding April Fool

Narrated by Al-Tirmidhi, 235.
He said: This is a Hassan Hadeeth.
Also narrated by Abu Dawood, 4990.

Fire Waterfall

This park was gazetted as a national park in 1890. It is world famous for its rugged terrain, waterfall and century-old pine trees. It covers 1200 sq km and the "fire" waterfall of El Capitan is one of the most spectacular of all scenery. The spectacular view of the waterfall is created bythe reflection of sunlight hitting the falling water at a specific angle. This are sight can only be seen at a 2-week period towards the end of February. To photograph this rare event, photographers would often have to wait and endure years of patience in order to capture them. The reason is because its appearance depend on a few natural phenomenons occurring at the same time and luck. 1st, Is the formation of the waterfall - The water is formed by the melting of snow and ice at the top of the mountain. It melts between the month of December and January and by the end of February there might not have much snow left to melt. 2nd, is the specific angle of the sun ray hitting the falling water - The sun's position must be exactly at a particular spot in the sky. This occur only in the month of February and at the short hours of dusk. If it is a day full of clouds or something blocking the sun, you can only take pictures of your own sorry faces on the waterfall. It coincides with the fact that the weather in the National Park at that time of the year is often volatile and unpredictable. It compounds to the difficulty of getting these pictures.

3 - Upon "Allahu Akbar"

So what really happens at "Allahu Akbar?"

- But before we go into what really happens.. Have you ever wondered why we start our prayer with "Allahu Akbar?'" Why don't we say "SubhanAllah", for instance? "Allahu Akbar" is the key phrase because with it we affirm that Allah, before Whom we are about to stand, is greater than anything occupying us at that moment. He is greater than our job, greater than our business, greater than our sleep, our bills, our family and our children, greater than all that troubles or preoccupies us. And why do we raise our hands with it? We raise our hands to throw all of that behind us. We raise our hands, as a gesture of complete surrender.

- When one stands to pray Allah commands, "Raise the veils from between Me and my servant!" From the instant you proclaim "Allahu Akbar", Allah now sets His Beautiful Glorious Face to yours ready and engaged, with you. And He doesn't turn away from you... unless you do- That's when either you turn away with your head/sight, or drift in heart and mind back to wordly matters. and if you turn or drift, He calls to you: "(your turn) To what is better than I??" and orders for the veils, to draw back down.

- When you announce "Allahu Akbar," imagine that you are before the cameras and the red "ON THE AIR" button has now been switched on. But it is not ordinary people who are watching you, it is The King Himself. In His hands is everything you are and everything you will ever be. In His hands is the entire universe, running in perfect order. Nothing, however big or small, escapes His control. How will you stand? Feel your heart race!

- Upon "Allahu Akbar" and as we proceed to recite; any bad deeds committed by our faculties suddenly begin to float up... up until they reach our head and shoulders. Subsequently, with every Ruku (bow) and Sujood (prostration) we move to, these sins fall off and away, scattered and gone! (All the more reason for us to hold in those humbling positions longer before our Lord.)

- With "Allahu Akbar", thingss we were permitted to do just moments before suddenly become forbidden... Like food, drink, talk, unnecessary movement. What happened? What is different now? Well, these acts are not befitting of a meeting of this nature. For the servant has answered the call and now stands in humility before his Master. You are on a much higher levell now. Focus.

Are you still drifting? This is why we repeat these great words, "Allahu Akbar" as we move to each position. It is a reminder, and a new chance to refocus.

Friday Prayer

Sahih al-Bukhari
Friday Prayer - كتاب الجمعة

Sunnah.com reference: Book 11, Hadith 31
English reference: Vol. 2, Book 13, Hadith 30
Arabic reference: Book 11, Hadith 915

Eating Manners

Sahih al-Bukhari

Food, Meals - كتاب الأطعمة

English reference: Vol. 7, Book 65, Hadith 288
Arabic reference: Book 70, Hadith 5430

The Dwarf Horse - Koda