Sad, laam, waw (yeh)

Since salaat is an important part of Deen, we will deliberate on it in detail:

1) As sala: the middle of the back: the place where an animal’s tail grows or the

begining of the slope of the hip: both sides of the tail are called salawaan: the

plural is salawaat or aslaa: * sala: yaslu: salwa: means to strike the sala(as

mentioned above): salautuhu:I struck him on the sala.

2) Sallal farasa tasliah is said when the number two horse in a race is running very

close to the number one horse: the horse in front is called saabiq: and the one in

second position is called almusalli:

*Taj

page 1035

thus salla means to follow behind almost touching the one in front: one of Hazrat Ali’s

tale says: sabaqa rasulul laahi wa salla abu bakrin wa sallasa umaru wa khbatatna fitnah:

the Prophet SAW went first (i.e. died) followed closely by Hazrat Abu Baker: and then

Hazrat Umar also passed away: leaving the devils making us lose our sense*.

 

3) The Tajul Uroos says salia wus tala means attachment: i.e. to be attached or stuck to

someone: that is why Raghib has said, that the Qur’an when it says: lum naku minal musalleen:

74:43 we were not among the miusalleen ‘ it means we were not the followers of the

prophets: Qurtabi writes therefore salaat would mean linked to the orders of God: to

remain within the bounds or limits set by God and be attached to the Book of God: as

such, tasliah would mean to follow the one in front almost in tandem but never to go past

the one in the front but to follow it.

 

4) These explanations make the meaning of salaat clear: but first a preamble must be

borne in mind: what is the connection between God and his banda (slave) or man:

God is the name of that personality which is the most complete, most consolidated,

most lofty and most beautiful: He has granted a personality to human beings too: and

called it “Rouhana’ (see heading ‘rooh’): this personality is limited and lower in

stature as against God: for developing its personality it has to keep the personality of

God before it as the ideal: we cannot understand anything about God, but the traits He

has described about Himself in the Qur’an, if reflected by us, is cause for developing

our personality: the Qur’an has described the traits of God as “asmaa’al husna” (the

good names) : therefore it is incumbent upon man to keep these traits before him as

Beacons and to follow them faithfully.

The first prayer that we have been taught by the Qur’an (or the attainment of the

purpose that has been suggested for us as life’s raison d’ etre)

*Taj

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page 1036

is :ihdinas siratam mustaqeem: 1:5 that is, the desire to find that energizing way

which can take us to take us to the destiny of life: surah Hoodh says :inna rabbi ala

siratim mustaqeem :11:56 my Rab (Lord ) is on the right path: that is the same path

on which God is running the whole universe: we can traverse this path by adhering to

the Book of God: therefore salaat means to reflect the traits of God (so far as it is

humanly possible) by adhering to the Book of God.

 

5) Surah Noor says : alum tara innal laaha yusabbihu lahu mun fis samawati wal ardi

wat tairu saf faat, kullun qad al-ima salaatahu wa tasbeehahu: 24: 41 have you not

noted that Allah is the One who is worshipped by whatever is in the earth and the

heavens: and birds with wings spread out: each one knows its salaat and tasbeeh: that

is everything in the universe knows its salaat and tasbeeh very well: everything in the

universe knows what its duties are: which path it must traverse and what is its destiny:

its times for struggle are which: these things have been called their salaat and tasbeeh:

and to fulfill this task a man has to follow the wahi (as given in the Qur’an) : wa

yuqeemoonas salaat: 2:3 ) i.e. to follow and obey God’s laws.

But it is not possible to act on the program given by the wahi individually: this can

only be done through a collective system:

Page 1037

 

This is the reason why the Qur’an has used plurals for these words: so much so, that it

has mentioned the duty of an Islamic state to be: allazeena inn makkannahum fil ardi

aqamus salaata wa aatuz zakaata wa amaru bil ma’roofi wa nahau unil munkar: 22:41

These are the people who on domination will establish salaat and give zakaat ( for the

meaning of zakaat, see heading zah, kaf, waw): at another place they have been called:

ar raki oonas saajidoon:9:112 i.e. those who do the ruku and sajdah: for the meanings

of ruku and sajdah see headings rah, kaf, ain and siin, jiim, daal): and this is the

reason that at another place mutual consultation has been mentioned for both, affairs

of the state and the establishing of the salaat: aqamus salaata wa amruhum shoora

bainahum:

they establish the salaat and their affairs are decided by mutual

consultation: and since all matters of the momineem are decided according to the

laws of God, that is why surah Airaaf says: tamas suk bil kitaab: and aqamatis salaat

have been kept toether 7:170 i.e. aqamatis salaat means establishing a society in

which all individuals follow the laws given by the Qur’an and thus be attached to the

book of God: for more details of this point in the Qur’an, ‘tawalla’ has come opposite

salla: 75:30:31 ‘tawalla’ means to turn away from the right path: find ways to

circumspect it: turn away from it: therefore salla would mean to follow the right path

as per God’s laws: to perform the duties according to the laws of God:

 

Allama Hameeduddin Farahi says salaat means to proceed towards a direction; to face or fix

the direction towards: to be attentive: (Mufardaatul Qur’an): surah Alaq says: araital

lazi yanha abdan iza salla: 96:9,10: i.e. when God’s banda or slave, want to discharge

his duties )(towards God) then this opponent tries to put obstacles in his way.

These duties are very vast and encompass every facet of life: as such, the Qur’an says

in surah Hoodh, that Hazrat Shoaib’s qaum said to him: as laatuka ta muruka un

natruka ma ba’eedu aaba-una au un naf’ala fi amwaalina ma nashaa: 11:87

Page 1038

 

Does your salaat tell you that we abandon what our fore fathers have been doing, or

we can not even spend our wealth as we wish to? that is, they could not understand

as to what sort of salaat (worship) was this (as preached by Hazrat Shoaib) that

encompassed even economics?

This too explains the meaning of salaat: i.e. to follow

the laws of God in every facet of life is the meaning of salaat: no matter how tall this

debate may become, the long and short boils down to this: whether man should

decide his matters of life according to his own wishes or according to the dictates of

God?

 

To decide all matters as per the celestial wahi is what establishment of salaat

is :my bringing aqamatis salsaat and itba-i jazbaat opposite each other this has been

further expostulated: it is said: fakhalafa min ba’dehim khalfun aza-us salaata wat

taba-ush shahwaat…. 19:59 (after the prophets) people were born who wasted the

salaat and started following their own evil desires: i.e. by following his own wishes

man wastes the salaat and by following the laws of God he establishes the salaat:

surah Anaamsays that whoever protects salaat has been described as akin to having

faith on the life hereafter and faith in the book of God: 6:93 that is why Ibn Qateeba

has said as salaat means Ad deen: *in other words establishing salaat means

establishing the Deen.

 

6) As sala also means fire and its fuel: sala asahu alun naar: means he turned his staff

soft by heating it in the fire: and straigthened it: salla also means he removed the fire

and moved it away: (Roohul Maani):

Looked at from this angle, salaat would mean to remove one’s faults: the Almanar

says that salaata qaulan wa amlan: is the acknowledgement of the truth that we need

the guidance of a personality that is faultless for removing our own faults: Qurtabi

says that salaat means to accept God’s subjugation and obedience.

*Alqartain Vol.1 page 13, Muheet and Aqrabal Muwarid also give this meaning.

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Page 1039

 

7) One meaning of salaat is to subjugate and make one lean towards self : this way salaat

would mean to conquer the universe (dominate it) and make it obedient (serve one’s

purpose):

 

8) Another meaning of as salaat is respect **: i.e. to pay homage to the Sustainer of the

worlds by one’s (good) deeds: this also makes the connection between aqamatis salaat

(establishment of salaat) and eeta-is zakaat (to give zakaat) that is, establish a system

according to God’s laws and to actually follow this program so that the entire mankind is

nurtured.

 

9) The above meanings of salaat, make clear that an obedient momin person performs

salaat by acting on God’s laws in every segment of life: there is no need for any

particular time, form or place for this (salaat): but there are some points in the Qur’an

where salaat has been used to denotr a particular act: for example: a) ya ayyohal lazeena

iza qumtum ilas salaati fagsilu wujuhakum wa aidikum ilal marafiqi wamsahu biru

oosikum wa arjulakum ilal ka’bain: 5:6 O, Believers, when you stand for salaat, then

wash your faces and forearms upto the elbows; and caress your hands over your head;

and wash your feet upto the ankles; and if you do not have water then do the

‘tayammuum’:

 

b) Surah Nisaa says: ya ayyohal lazeena amanu la taqrabus salaata wa antum sukara hatta

talamu ma taf-aloon: 4:43 O, ye Believers, do not go near salaat when you are in a stupor

(drunk or sleepy) until you comprehend what you are saying by mouth; then Tayammum

is mentioned: some think that it means to go to the mosques: but that is a different debate:

 

c) The Prophet SAW is told that: iza kunta feehim faqamtu lahumus salaata faltaqum taifatoon

minhum ma-aka wal yaakhuzu aslihatahum fa iza sajedu fal takunu min waraikum

wal-taati ta-ifatun ukhra lum yasallu falyusalla ma-aka li-yaakhuzu hizrahum

*Muhet **Taj

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page 10-40

 

wa aslihatahum…………4:102 and when you establish the salaat for them (along with

them) then one group should be armed and stand in salaat or prayer with you and when

they have performed the sajdah before God completed the salaat) then they should go to

the rear and the other group may offer salaat with you and they too should have their

weapons with them for their safety: after this, it is said: fa-iza fazaitumus salaata

fazkurullaha qayamaw wa qu-udaw wa ala junubikum fa iza ta-a-nuntum fa qeemus

salaat……..:

4:102 when you have performed (completed ) the salaat, then you should

remember (recite) Gods names, whether standing, sitting or lying down; and when you

are at peace then perform the slaat: the ayat before this says: fa iza zarabtum fil ardi fa

laisa alaikum junahun un taqsuru minas salaati inn khiftum un yaqtenakumul lazeena

kafiru…..:

4:101and when you are traveling , thenm there is no harm if you shorten your

salaat (prayer)and also if you fear that the kuffar (the Deniers) i.e. the opponents may

harm you (when you are busy in prayer): in this respect see also 2:239.

The manner in which the salaat can be shortened has been given in 4:102.

 

d) Surah Ma’idah says: wa iza naadaitum ilas salaatit takhazuha huzuwaw wa la-iba…:

5:58 …and when you call for prayers then the opponents make fun of it: suratul Jumuah

says: iza noodiah lis salaati min yaumil jumuati fas au ila zikrillahi wa zarul bai zaalikum

khairullakum inkuntum ta’la’moon; fa iza quziyatis salaatu fantasheru fil ardi wabtaghu

min fazlil laahi waz kurullaha kasiral la-ullakum tuflihoon….:

62:9:10 when the call to

prayer or salaat is given on the day of Friday or at times of salaat, then leave whatever

you are doing (even if it is business) and come to the “mention of Alla” (salaat):

if you knew the importance of this then you would have been able to understand how

good this is for you: and when the salaat is completed, then you can spread out in the land

and seek the benevolence of God: and mention Allah a lot so that you become successful:

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-page 1041

after this, it is said that these people are such that if they find some attraction, then they

run towards it and leave you standing alone: tell them whatever you can get of God is

better than any attraction or business: and Allah is the best Provider of Rizq: 62:11.

 

The above explanations show that the Qur’an has also used the word salaat to mean the

congregations of what we call ‘namaaz’: this word ‘namaaz’ is not Arabic but Persian:

note an important thing about these congregations: the worship of God does not mean the

sort of worship that we see in temples(that is biowing and scraping etc): according to the

Qur’an the worship of God is to obey his orders and act accordingly: this subjugation

will ,of course, encompass every sector of life: and its practical shape is the system of

state that is established according to the Qur’anic principles:

the formulators of such a

system it is said: walla nas tajeebu liraabbihim wa aqamus salaata wa amruhum shoora

bainahum wa mimma razaqnaahum yunfiqoon: 42:38 these are the people who obey their

Rab (Sustainer or Lord) and establish the salaat: and their affairs are decided by mutual

consultation: and whatever We give them, they keep available for mankind: the

connection between the obedience of God, establishment of the salaat and mutual

consultation in matters is to be noted:

it is obvious that for mutual consultations there will

have to be congregations or meetings and these congregations in themselves will be a sort

of establishing the salaat: but another reality has been kept in mind: as mentioned earlier,

man manifests his emotions by physical motions and these are entirely reflex movements:

sadness, anger, hasppiness, surprise, adamancy, yes and no are all emotions which are

displayed by physical motions of the body automatically:

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-page 1042

it is similar with the emotions of respect and obedience: for showing respect, a man’s

head bows automatically: the head is bowed in obedience: although the noble Qur’an

keeps the veracity and spirit of the acts , and not the forms itself, it does not prevent the

forms where the motions signify some act: provided that the form itself is not thought to

be everything: the forms of sajdah etc that are before us in the salaat or namaz, are also

for this purpose:

it is also obvious that when these movements that display some emotion

are collective then they must also be uniform: otherwise there would seem to be

disharmony and chaos: to keep discipline in the display of emotions of respect and

obedience and faithfulness is in itself a very big discipline of self: this then is the strong

manifest of forms of acceptance and obedience which the Qur’an describes as a

necessary part of the meetings and consultation of the group of momineen: ( we also

begin our public meetings with recitations from the holy Qur’an, although this is done

only ceremoniously) wallazzeenas tajabu lirabbihim wa aqamus salaata wa amruhum

shoora bainuhum: in view of the importance of these congregations, the Qur’an has called

them kitaban mauqoota:

 

4:103 particularly fixed duty: and the second meaning is: a duty

which is discharged timely: the timeliness for the congregations is essential: as such the

ayat of Surah Juma which has appeared before, says that when the call for this

congregation is given , then leave aside all business and come immediately to it: and until

it has been completedo not attend to any other busines: let it not be that your ameer (head)

is presenting important affairs or expostulating their importance and you are engaged in

business : (wa tarakooka qa-ima)

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-page 1043

The life of the momineen is spent in obedience of God’s laws; morning , day and night,

but the fixation of timings for congregations is necessary: whether these congregations

are usually held as a matter of routine or during emergency periods: the human mind,

being superstitious at that time, while believing other things to be ‘lucky’ or ‘unlucky’

had also attributed these qualities to the times during the day and night: like such and

such should be done at time the sun is rising for it to be extra lucky and not to do

anything at sunset because that time was nahas or unlucky!

Or nothing should be done at

twilight: the Qur’an, while demolishing other beliefs about things being lucky or unlucky

has also shown by setting timings for prayer during night and day shown that no time is

lucky or unlucky: as far as the prayer congregations are concerned: aqimis salaata

lidulukas shamsa ila ghasaqil laili wa qur’anal fajr…..: 17:87 and from ‘dulukas shams’

i.e. the entire time from morning to evening, you can establish salaat till the darkness of

the night: especially when the sun rises, it is overhead or reaches the middle of the day,

and when the sun begins to set and actually sets :

by pointing to these timiings it intended

to end the superstitions that so and so time was lucky or so and so time was unlucky: wa

aqimis salaata tarafin nahari wa zulfin minas sabeel: 11:114 establish salaat at both ends

of the day and parts of the night.

 

These timings have been mentioned especially with the word salaat: but in order to

establish Deen and the struggle of the group of momineen , all times of the day and night

have been mentioned: see 3:190, 20:130, 50:39 and 52:49.

In surah Noor, the salaat of fajr and ishaa have been mentioned where it is said that your

servants should ask your permission before coming in at times of privacy:

Paghe 1044

i.e. min qablis salaatil fajr wa heena tazaoona siyabakum minaz zahirati wa min ba’di

salaatil ishaa: 24:58 before the morning prayer (fajr) or early morning, and when you take

off your shirts in the afternoon (due to the heat and want to rest- as is done throughout

Arabia)b and after the salaat of ishaa (i.e. at night): this shows that during the Prophet

SAW’s period at least prayer or salaat for two times were fixed: i.e. why the Qur’an has

mentioned them by name.

 

As far as reciting something during prayer, we have already seen that the Qur’an has said

that you must know what you are saying or reciting: 4:43 at another place ,it is said: wala

tajhar bisalaatika wala tukhafit bihaa wabtaghi baina zalika sabeela: 17:110 and do not

recite during your salaat in a loud voice or too quietly but adopt a way in between: some

think that here salaat means common prayer or zikr (mention) not namaaz (salaat): but

this does appear to be right: there is an explicit explanation about zikr (mention ) in the

Qur’an: 7:205 that it should be done quietly at heart: zikr (mention) means the zikr of the

laws of God, therefore this salaat can only be namaaz: Qurtabi has said it means qir’at or

recitation.

 

The above shows that salaat means the congregations of salaat or prayer: for it the verb

that is used is salli or yusalli: it means that when the Qur’an says aqimus salaat, it means

the establishment of Deen i.e. the formation and strengthening of the system of God’s

laws): the obedience of God’s laws: the discharge of duties that are incumbent on a

momin: but at some places they do mean the congregations of salaat which are

themselves a part of Deen: at the relevant places one has to see as to what aqaamatis

salaat means: similarly wherever ‘musalleen’ has appeared, it will have to be seen

whether the entire group of momineen is meant or only those who take part in the salaat

congregation: because the Qur’an has also mentioned ‘musalleen’ who are at the

height(peak) of humanity : see 70:22:35 and those have also been mentioned for whom

there is destruction: 107:407.

 

Page 1045

 

Salla alaih: Raghib says it means to respect: to pray for: to encourage: to nurture: to

develop: to allow no ill or chaos to be created*.

Keeping these meanings in mind, those places in the Qur’an where this root has appeared

with ala’s salah , for example: in surah Ahzaab the group of momineen has been told:

huwal lazi yusalli wamalaiklatahu ….33: 43 God and the malaikah (forces of the universe)

encourage you: provide the means for your sustenance: develop your efforts: has been

said about those momineen who do not worry or flounder if faced with difficulties while

establishing the Deen: they do not lose courage but instead fight those difficulties stolidly:

oolaikah alaihim salawatun mir rabbihim 2:157 these people are worthy of

commendation before God: they have the support of God: God encourages them: and

makes their efforts yield good results: develops them: this is about the common

momineen: about Hazrat Muhaammed SAW himself it is said: innal laaha wa

malaikatahu yusallloona alun nabi…: 33:56 God and his malaika encourage the Prophet:

after this it is said: ya hayyuhal lazeena aamanu sallu alihi wa sallimu tasleema:

33:56 O,

Group of Momineen, you too must assist the Prophet in making his program successful:

help him in his efforts: and it can be done in a practical way by obeying him fully: 4:65

respect him: about the momineen it is said at another place: wa azzaruhu wa nazaruhu:

7:157 those who respected and agreed with him: those who helped him: by : wat tabaun

nooril lazi unzila ma’ahu: 7:157 followed the (beacon like) Book that we have revealed

with( through) him: this is how momineen should discharge the duty of sallu alaihi :

This is the salatun of God and His malaika on the party of the momineen and on the

Prophet himself: and this is the momineen’s salaat and salaam on the Prophet:

*Raghib and Taj.

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-pagec1046

Note how great an action plan is called for by the order of sallu aliaihi wa sallimu

tasleema: i.e. by the complete obedience of God’s laws to super impose this Deen

on all the deens of the World and which was brought to us by Hazrat Muhamnmed

(Peace be upon him): on the other hand the Prophet SAW has been told to accept

whatever wealth the momineen bring to him as infaaq fi sabeelillaah from their earnings:

wa salli alaihim inna salaataka sakanun lahum 9:103 and encourage them: because your

encouragement and appreciation is cause for much satisfaction to them: they consider this

infaaq fi sabeelilaah as: qurubaatin indallahi wa salaatir rasool: 9:99 i.e. to be closer to

God and encouragement and commendation from the prophet: for the meaning of

‘Closeness to God’ see heading qaf, rah, beh.):

 

11) In the Hebrew language, salawaat also means the places of worship of the Jews: ayat

no.22:40 uses this word in this meaning.

 

Source