As-salamu `alaykum wa rahmatullah
“… And it has been prescribed for the servant to repeat these actions and words (i.e. repeat recitation of al-Fatiha, rukoo’, sujood etc, in the prayer) as it is a source of nourishment for the heart and soul. There is no strength in them (the heart and soul) except through this.
Its repetition is just like repeatedly eating food – mouthful after mouthful until a person eats his fill, and drinking again and again until his thirst is quenched. If a hungry individual only took one mouthful of food and then pushed his food away, what will that mouthful do for him? In fact, it may even cause him to become hungrier!
For this reason, one of the Salaf said: ‘A person who prays but does not find tranquillity in his prayer is like a person who is hungry… food is brought to him but he only takes one or two handfuls. What will it then do for him?!'”
[Asrar al-Salat, Ibn al-Qayyim]
Most of the time, a person’s level of Iman, khushu’ (humbleness), and depth of spirituality increases in stages, and doesn’t occur overnight or with one act of ‘Ibadah alone. For this reason, Allah legislated that the soul undergo repetitive acts of ‘Ibadah for it to attain higher levels of Iman; so in the case of prayer, a slave offers it no less than 5 times a day and if they feel themselves lacking in spiritual nourishment, they should increase in nafl (supererogatory) salah until their soul begins to feel nourished and the empty voids are all filled. The same with other acts of worship and the soul will soon taste the sweetness of Iman (faith) and climb up from rank to rank in the Sight of Allah.
Reblogged this on ummhurayrah.
Repetition in Prayer. I often wondered why people say if you say such n such a prayer say 100 times,,,such and such will come true. I have not understood the relation between repetition of a Dua or Dikr for a no of times to get what you want. Please can you explain this concept too.
Unless it’s a hadith, I wouldn’t really be ready to act upon such news. There are narrations from the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) that encourage us to repeat certain adkhar and words of remembrance (e.g. after prayers, morning and evening adkhar etc), and other hadith which state a reward, for example: “Whoever says Subhan’Allah al-‘Adhim wa bi hamdihi (Glory and praise be to Allah the Almighty), a palm tree will be planted for him in Paradise.” [al-Tirmidhi, hasan sahih]
In the case of such authentic hadiths, there is of course much wisdom in the repetition and what Ibn al-Qayyim has stated above does come into it as well as other wisdoms which we are not aware of, wallahu a’lam. But be wary of the unauthentic reports or statements which have no basis as they are widespread nowadays.
Jazak Allah Khaire for clearing this doubt I had. To me it always seemed to be as if one was bribing Allah Ta’Allah. May Allah bless you.
Barakallahu Feeki!
SubhanAllah, May Allah keep you content ukhti. This is exactly what I was looking for.
And keep you content, ameen.