The month of Rajab is associated with Salaah and Me’raj. The 27^th of Rajab is quite famous for the Me’raj of Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam. Allah Ta'ala states in the Quraan,

اتل ما اوحى اليك من الكتاب واقم الصلوة   ان الصلوٰة تنهى عن الفحشاء والمنكر   ولذكر الله اكبر

Recite what has been revealed to you from the Kitaab and establish Salaah, Verily Salaah prevents a person from immoral behaviour and evil, And the Zikr of Allah is greatest.

The command of reciting the Quraan Sharif and establishing Salaah is directly addressed to Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam. Salaah is such a form of worship that it prevents a person from lewdness and all forms of evil which generally people regard as evil. It prevents one from having a hard heart, terrible tongue, swearing, humiliating others, etc. Lastly, Allah mentions that His Zikr is the greatest thing.

In this verse there are three main subjects namely the recitation of the Quraan Sharif, Salaah with the benefits of Salaah and finally the Zikr of Allah Ta’ala. The object is Salaah which has been brought in the centre. In order to make our Salaah valuable, one will have to recite the Quraan Sharif. Tilaawat does not refer to Tafsir (commentary) of the Quraan Sharif. Many modernist want to study the Tafsir of the Quraan Sharif, but very little Tilaawat is made. The starting point is Tilaawat of the Quraan Sharif.

THOSE INVOLVED IN THE EFFORTS OF DEEN ARE NEGLIGENT IN THEIR TILAAWAT

Many of our friends and even those teaching Hifz classes are not reciting the Quraan Sharif. Some are even conducting Tasfsir classes in the Darul Uloom but recitation of the Quraan Sharif is neglected. Mufti Ahmad Khanpuri D.B. states that he had visited some Madrasahs in India where Ustaads are teaching Kitaabs of Ahadith to senior year students yet they aren’t reciting the Quraan Sharif. Tilaawat of the Quraan Sharif is a basic important aspect that deserves its due importance.

Mufti Saheb further states that a certain principal had requested Maulana to speak on the importance of performing Salaah with Jamaat. He addressed the Ustaads who said that it was their private affair. Salaah is a public affair which is performed with Jamaat, it is not a private affair.

IKHLAAS

Similarly, many people have a misconception on Ikhlaas. They feel that Ikhlaas simply means that nobody must see our actions. If this was the meaning of Ikhlaas, Allah Ta'ala wouldn’t have made Salaah with Jamaat an act that is Waajib. Allah Ta'ala would have said that Salaah must be performed in the inner recesses of one’s home. Allah Ta’ala would not have commanded to travel to Makkah Sharif to perform Haj. Allah Ta'ala would have commanded us to built a little Ka’aba, Mina, Muzdalifa and Arafaat in our garden and perform Haj there. Over and above that we would have been commanded to raise our walls a few meters higher so that nobody sees us performing Haj whereas the entire world is watching us on the occasion of Haj carrying out the rituals of Haj.

In conclusion, Ikhlaas doesn’t mean that nobody should see you. Ikhlaas means that whether people see you or not, it must be done for Allah Ta'ala. What is Riya (doing actions for show)? Riya is to do something with a worldly motive behind it. For example, a person that is performing Salaah is aware that a wealthy man is around so he performs a lengthy Salaah to impress him, or according to Mullah Ali Qari R.A, a person carries out a certain action with a corrupt motive behind it.

If a person does an act of Riya for a Deeni reason then it is not Riya. For example, it is mentioned that the Riya of the Sheikh is superior to the Ikhlaas of the Mureed.” The Mureed that is referred to here is a new Mureed that doesn’t really know much. Normally, the Sheikh performs his Tahajjud secretly but now exposes his actions in front of his Mureeds. So, the Sheikh is not carrying out these actions to show but rather to encourage the Mureeds.

This is outwardly Riya but it is not only permitted rather it is praiseworthy. There is great reward for such Riya. Our Sheikh explains that a certain person performs his Ishraaq Salaah regularly, and the people have generally left the Masjid by then. One day, the Masjid was not empty so this person did not perform his Ishraaq as he felt that the people will see him. In this situation, he didn’t do an action but got the sin of Riya as he omitted Ishraaq because he didn’t want to show that person.

Some good friends have mentioned that they are praised by people when they give Bayaans. Should they stop their actions due to such praises? These people should merely refresh their Niyyat before every Bayaan by saying to themselves that this is being done solely for Allah Ta'ala. After correcting one’s intention, if one still thinks that his actions are done for show, it is Wasaawis (the whisperings of Shaytaan) as Shaytaan keeps one away from good actions. Also, ensure that make Taubah and Istighfaar at the end of every action.

Anyway, in this verse we are commanded to recite the Quraan Sharif. We should get into the groove with Ramdaan just a stone’s throw away. Sadly, there are those friends that don’t even make one Khatm in the month of Ramdaan. There are even those that do not even touch the Quraan in the month of Ramdaan whereas the basic right of the Quraan is that at least one Khatm of the Quraan should be completed in the month of Ramdaan whilst another Khatm must be completed during the remainder of the year.

PERFORMING SALAAH WITH ALL ITS REQUISITES

Secondly, Allah Ta'ala mentioned that Salaah should be performed, not just reading Salaah. Performance of Salaah actually means that Salaah should be performed with the requirements of Salaah. One should be in a state of cleanliness, his clothing should also be Paak, he should be facing in the direction of the Qibla, etc. Further, a person should increase the number of Tasbeehaat recited in Ruku or Sajda of Salaah even further. If he is habitual of reciting three Tasbeehaat, now increase it to five, making one’s Salaah more valuable. The Salaah should be performed with peace of mind and contentment of heart.

My Ustaad Hafez Muhammad Salloo Saheb R.A used to say that people say, “I have performed my Salaah.” We should be concerned whether our Salaah has been accepted or not. No one makes an application for his visa and then sits back complacent that he has made an application. He is worried all the time about the application whether it has been accepted or not. This applies to all our worldly things. A person will only know whether his Salaah is accepted when he goes in the Qabr, therefore a person has to be worried until he gets confirmation of acceptance. We should perform our Salaah and be concerned. Whoever has a concern will improve in his Salaah.

IS MY SALAAH ACCEPTED?

The Buzurgs have given us encouragement by saying that when we got the Taufeeq of performing the next Salaah, it is indication that the previous Salaah has been accepted. We shouldn’t be satisfied with that as well. We shouldn’t hold onto this aspect only. Hadrat Thanvi R.A has mentioned that if a person feels sleepy whilst reciting Quraan then he should close his Quraan and sleep. Some people took an incorrect meaning of it. They would commence recitation after Fajr and then go to sleep saying that we are feeling sleepy and Maulana Thanvi R.A. has commanded us to do so. Intelligence is required to understand Bayaanaat as well. If we take the literal meaning of the Bayaan then we will do the incorrect things. Intelligence is required in listening to Bayaans. When performance of Salaah is found then such a Salaah will prevent a person from lewdness and evil.

Many people are involved in evil, some are addicted to porn, looking at other women, etc. The answer to these problems lies in Salaah. For matters of Deen, big prescriptions are not required. A simple Panado is sufficient to solve the problem, which is our Salaah, Tilaawat, Zikrullah. These aspects are emphasised in the Quraan Sharif but we have so much of pride that we think what will these things do for us. What can Durood Sharif can do for us? How will Istighfaar help us? These are the solutions to our problems.

SOLUTION TO ALL PROBLEMS

In this verse Allah c mentions that your major problems pertaining to shameless acts, being involved with other women, watching porn, things that are detested by people, bad character, bad habits, giving others raw deals in business, etc. can be solved through Salaah. This is when our Salaah becomes a proper Salaah. Many of us don’t have time for Salaah in spite of all our problems.

In this verse Salaah has been placed between recitation of the Quraan and Zikrullah. This means that your Tilaawat and Zikrullah must be in place and then Salaah will automatically fall in place. When Salaah is in place, you won’t have to give up sins, rather sins will leave you. We are currently experiencing autumn when leaves are continuously falling. A person doesn’t have to take a stick and hit the leaves off the tree, rather one will get frustrated picking up the leaves.

A person tells his worker in the morning that there shouldn’t be any leaves lying on the ground when he returns in the evening. In the evening there are just as many leaves on the ground. The employer gets upset but the worker says, “Boss! I have done my job but these leaves don’t stop falling.” This is how sinning will leave a person. By being punctual with Salaah, Tilaawat and Zikrullah all our evil habits will come to an end. A person that is addicted to porn, always filled with anger, etc. is an indication that one’s Salaah is not in order. One’s Salaah is not in order because a person doesn’t make Tilaawat and Zikrullah. Each one should take stock of himself in regards to Tilaawat, Zikr, and Salaah.

On the occasion of the conquest of Baitul Muqaddas, the enemies said that the only way of overpowering the Muslims is by getting them involved in sins. They were small in number, without sufficient clothes and food, eating dry roti. The Taliban of our times also eat a piece of dry Roti when hungry and drink water thereafter. In this manner they defeated the super powers of the world. These were the inside qualities. Anyway, the enemies said that in order to defeat the Sahaaba we must get them involved in sins so that the assistance of Allah Ta’ala is removed. The Muslim army had allocated a particular place for Salaah and they would walk five times a day from their camp to this place for Salaah. The enemies put their most beautiful girls, laden with jewellery on their path. These girls were instructed to fulfil the desire of any man that wished to have his desires fulfilled. They remained there for approximately a week but no one approached them. These young girls said that they treated us as though we are trees on the roadside, they didn’t even look at us from the side of our eyes. This is the result of making one’s Islaah. For our Islaah, Allah Ta’ala has blessed us with our Salaah which is nothing ordinary. It is a great gift from Allah Ta'ala. May Allah Ta'ala make us realise and understand it. Ameen!