Prophet Muhammad — 45: The Voluntary Way To Draw Close To God
Islamic Perspectives - Muslim JournalsArab News
& Information - By Adil Sheikh Muhammad Al-Ghazali
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was always full
of gratitude to God, expressing it right from the
moment he woke up before dawn, using fine, clear and
most expressive words: "My Lord! Whatever blessing I
or anyone of Your creatures is enjoying this morning
comes from You alone, as You have no partners. All
praise and all thanks are due to You. My Lord! I have
started this day enjoying Your blessings, sound health
and protection. Perfect the blessings, health and
protection You bestow on me in this life and in the
life to come."
Prophet Muhammad recommends us to glorify God and
praise Him as we wake up: "Whoever says as he wakes
up, ‘Praise be to God who has created sleep and
alertness; praise be to God who has returned me safe
and sound; I bear witness that God brings the dead
back to life and that He is able to do everything,'
will be answered by God who says, ‘My servant tells
the truth.'" It is great indeed that a human being
should praise the Creator of the universe and God
listens to the praise, accepting it and admitting that
person to His service.
The Prophet says: "When any of you wakes up in the
morning he should say: ‘We have come into this morning
when all dominion belongs to God, the Lord of all
worlds. My Lord! I appeal to You to grant me the
goodness of this day: its gifts, help, light, blessing
and guidance; and I seek Your shelter from any evil in
it or in the days to come'. When the evening
approaches he should say the same."
People live in a dark cave whose walls are made of
their own real or imaginary problems. It is sad to
find intelligent minds unable to see further than the
walls of such a cave and beating hearts feeling
nothing other than the darkness of such a narrow cave.
Muhammad, God's messenger who knows his Lord well
denounces such humiliating isolation. He says: "Every
morning a caller addresses mankind, saying: "O You
creatures! Glorify the Holy Sovereign".
What I would like to say here is that it appears that
only Muhammad's heart has listened to this caller who
urges mankind to tear away the curtains that keep them
in ignorance and turn back toward God, the Holy
Sovereign of the universe. His creative reminders are
the result of his absorbing glorification of God and
keen awareness of His greatness.
The great majority of scholars do not consider it a
duty of a Muslim to repeat the glorifications and
supplications we have quoted or will be quoting. They
are only recommended. This is certainly true. However,
I feel that it is necessary to reflect at length on
such glorifications and passionate supplications when
one's heart is slackening and the relation with God
weakens. They are highly effective in giving us the
right concept of God and making us aware of the
significance of His great attributes.
When faith is not based on enlightened vision it is
ineffective. When conviction is only marginal, it
cannot control behavior or keep wanton desire in
check. Indeed, the Prophet's companions were able to
attain the summit of faith and change the course of
history, replacing constitutions and morality with
what were infinitely better ones, only because they
were close to the Prophet, watching his life and
guided by his light. They thus allowed his exemplary
sincerity and love of God to fill their hearts as they
filled his. Such is human nature. To my mind,
listening to the Prophet as he addressed his
supplication, and feeling his emotion as he appealed
to God are bound to enlighten hearts and minds,
motivating them to draw closer to God.
This type of glorification and supplication is only
recommended, not a duty. But there is a measure of
close contact with God that is a binding duty. This is
related to the mosque and obligatory prayers. It is a
duty incumbent on every Muslim to stand before God
five times in every 24 hours to perform our obligatory
prayers. Offering them in congregation in the mosque
may be either a duty or an urged recommendation. The
place of the mosque in Muslim society is high indeed.
People who are careless about their prayers may find
talking about it strange, because they prefer to
pursue their desires.
With the first light of dawn Muslims aim toward the
mosque. To strengthen their resolve the Prophet says:
"Give those who walk to the mosque in the darkness of
the night the happy news that they will have perfect
light on the Day of Judgment." And we read in the
Qur'an: "On the day when you see all believers, men
and women, with their light spreading rapidly before
them and to their right." (57: 12) "They will say: Our
Lord! Perfect our light for us and forgive us. You
certainly have power over all things." (66: 8)
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