Silent Prayer

Few days ago, I installed the newest app in android, askislam and listened to various session of question and answer by Huzoor. And this answer happens to be one of the most inspiring Q & A for me.

The question is : How should one pray when one is in a state of misery?

And this is Huzoor’s Answer :

Sometimes, the state of misery and distress become an unspoken prayer in itself. The prayer are not always spoken. Sometimes, the state is so miserable, that you look at that person  and you show mercy. This is why Allah Ta’ala has mention in the Holy Qur’an two types of people; One as beggars – not beggar in the normal sense, but beggar in the sense that who have to ask questions, because they have been forced to the extend by misery that  they can’t survive unless they ask for resistance. Then there are Mahroom, who can’t even ask because of their self-respect would stand in the way and whatever may happen to them, they will not spare their hands to others. So Allah says, the moo’minin – the believers-, should look after both these classes. They should not wait for anybody to ask. If somebody belong to this class, as he would not spare his hands, extend his hand to other for mercy,  they should go to him and extend their hands to him for mercy. If Allah wants us to behave like that. how can it be possible for Allah not to behave like that to us?

Every situation does not demand prayer, the situation can be of such nature that you have not spoken a single word , but Allah has shown mercy to you. If there is such nobility that is implied in Mahroom. Mahroom means a man who has such honor as they will not extend his hands to anybody. So if you do not pray due your misery to Allah but go running to people for aid and help and cry and try to attract people’s attention,  then you out of the category of Mahroom. Then it is not the state of praying, in which you find yourself. It is a different state in which I am not concern of. I’m telling you that ideal thing in that situation is to depend on Allah and do not cry out  to people and try  to winning their favours and so on.  Be patient and wait.

The Holy Quran : Chapter 70: Al-Ma`arij [70:26] المعَارج

And there is a prayer by Hazrat Moses, which is also significant in the sense that it described such a situation where man cannot ask for anything, but doesn’t know what is good for him. Sometimes he is so confused and baffled that he doesn’t know what is good and what is bad for him. In that state too, one cannot ask for anything, So Hazrat Moses was very clever in this respect. His prayer was very interesting, and they so often repeated in the Holy Qur’an that Allah must have enjoyed the prayer.

So he says:

“O my Lord, I don’t know what is good for me. I’m just a beggar sitting in your way. Give me alms as you please.”

He was not asking for anything. After that  prayer everything was given to him. A home, a wife, security, an employment, and prophethood. And the prayer is so silent and so short as if nothing has been asked. So the state of misery can be turn to a silent prayer.

Date : 5/17/1984 Location: The London Mosque Author : Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad Language: English The recording can be found  here : http://www.askislam.org/practices/praying/question_77.html