Prayer

After ending the prayer, we are often in a rush to join the rat race of life, and get back to work, and the endless list of chores. But in our hurry we miss out on a great deal of blessings and opportunities that take no more than a few moments.

The Prophet said: “The angels invoke blessings on any of you who remains in his prayer place as long as he does not invalidate his ablution, saying, ‘O Allaah, forgive him; O Allaah, have mercy on him.’” [Maalik, Al-Bukhaari and others]

We all are acquainted with the tasbeeh, and the regular duaa; ‘Allahumma antas salaam..’ and the rewards for saying such. But nonetheless here is a brief reminder;

Muslim narrated from Ka‘b ibn ‘Ujrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Dhikrs after the prayer, the one who says them or does them after each obligatory prayer will not be disappointed: thirty-three tasbeehahs, thirty-three tahmeedahs and thirty-four takbeerahs.”

Al-Mugheerah ibn Shu‘bah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to say, following every obligatory prayer: “Laa ilaaha ill-Allah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, lahu’l-mulk wa lahu’l-hamd wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadeer, Allaahumma laa maani’ lima a’tayta wa laa mu’ti lima mana’ta wa la yanfa’ dhaa’l-jadd minka al-jadd.” (There is no god except Allah alone with no partner or associate, His is the sovereignty and to Him be praise and He is able to do all things. O Allah, none can withhold what You give and none can give what You withhold, and no wealth or majesty can benefit anyone for from You is all wealth and majesty).” (Bukhari)

But how about the less common dhikhr? Let’s take the time to memorise these adhkaar so that we may reap the benefits in the hereafter;

Ibn ‘Umar said: Whoever says following every prayer and when he goes to bed, ‘Allahu akbar kabeera ‘adad ash-shaf‘i wa’l-witr, wa kalimaat Allah at-taammaati at-tayyibaati al-mubaarakaat (Allah is Most Great the number of the even and the odd, and the blessed, pure, perfect words of Allah)’ three times, and ‘Laa ilaaha ill-Allah (there is no god but Allah) the same number of times, they will be light  for him in his grave, and light on the jisr (bridge), and light on the siraat (bridge over Hell), until they admit him to Paradise, or until he enters Paradise.’

(Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 29256, with a Sahih isnad)

Short and simple, easy to say and remember, but how many of us will make the effort? We seldom realise that the grave is a reality, and it is dark, and will be even more so for one who fails to enlighten it before death overtakes him. And how about the ‘Jisr’ and the ‘Siraat’? The Siraat as we know; it is thinner than a hair yet sharper than a blade. Some will be able to race across, their lights guiding them, and others will fall to the depths of hell. As for the jisr, some scholars say it is the siraat and others say it is the Qantara between hellfire and paradise on which muslims will retract their rights from each other if they were wronged. Nonetheless whichever of the two it is, we will need light to guide us across.

“On the Day you see the believing men and believing women, their light proceeding before them and on their right, [it will be said], “Your good tidings today are [of] gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein you will abide eternally.” That is what is the great attainment. On the [same] Day the hypocrite men and hypocrite women will say to those who believed, “Wait for us that we may acquire some of your light.” It will be said, “Go back behind you and seek light.” And a wall will be placed between them with a door, its interior containing mercy, but on the outside of it is torment.” (Surah Hadid 57:12-13)

So let us learn this short duaa, and implement it, so that we will be amongst those believers who possess a light to guide them.

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “There are two qualities, whoever adheres to them they will admit him to Paradise. They are simple but those who do them are few.” They said: What are they, O Messenger of Allah? He said: “To praise Allah, magnify Him and glorify Him following every obligatory prayer, ten times each; and when you go to bed, glorify Allah and magnify Him and praise Him one hundred times each. (That will be) two hundred and fifty on the tongue and two thousand five hundred in the Balance.

(Collected by Ahmad, It was classed as hasan by the commentators on al-Musnad.)

We know that praising Allah and glorifying Him holds immense weight in filling our scales, and it is beloved to Allah. So what further encouragement do we need to spare a few moments to praise Allah, thanking Him for His innumerable bounties that He has bestowed upon us? Paradise is waiting, its gates are calling, its scent is tempting…but what will we do to earn the paradise of our Lord?