Allah is the greatest
The word “greatest” has to bring to our mind the other things that it is being compared to. For example, the statement “Allah is great” does not necessitate a comparison. In the statement “Allah is great”, the greatness of Allah can be expressed in and of itself. However, in the statement “Allah is the greatest”, the greatness of Allah is expressed in direct comparison to all other things.
When we stand before Allah presenting ourselves to Him, but our mind is thinking about someone else, then in that moment, that someone is greater to us than Allah.
Hazrat Musleh Mau’ud(ra) said,
“When Allahu Akbar is called he is warned: Stand with full attention because the One in Whose presence you are standing is the Greatest.” (Remembrance of Allah, pp. 43)
Saying “Allah is the greatest” seems like a statement of the obvious, but in practical application, it is not. Often, we actually believe others are greater than Allah. For example, when we stand before Allah Almighty in Salat, sometimes our mind is lost in thinking about someone else. We came to Salat with the purpose of reflecting on the beauties of Allah, but in reality, we find someone else’s beauty more worthy of attracting our attention than Allah Almighty. When we say “Allah is the greatest,” it’s not because we need a reminder of a concept, it’s because we need a reminder of a reality. When we say “Allah is the greatest,” we should think of what in our mind is competing with Allah for greatness. What is so attractive about that distraction and what is the cause of our boredom in Salat? The statement of “Allah is the greatest” is a comparison in application. When we say it, we should remind ourselves that the distraction which seems more attractive than Allah is not greater; rather, Allah is the greatest.
The repetition of “Allah is the greatest” allows us to break up Salat into segments where we renew our resolve that Allah is greater than anything else on our mind.
Hazrat Musleh Mau'ud(ra) said,
“A useful technique for them is to concentrate on one posture at a time. When they stand for Qiyam they should resolve not to let any thoughts disturb them up to the end of Ruku‘. Going in to Ruku‘ they should make the same resolution for the time up to the end of Ruku‘. They should do the same at every change of posture. This will give them great strength to overpower any distracting thoughts.” (Remembrance of Allah, pp. 49)
At each change of posture, we can ask ourselves what in that segment of Salat competed with Allah Almighty in our mind for greatness. Then, we can renew our resolve with a reminder that it is Allah, in fact, who is the greatest.
Body language is a universal human language. When we feel happy, the muscles in our face involuntarily express that happiness with a smile, we cannot resist it. Similarly, the muscles of our face are involuntarily tied to our emotions of fear, or anger, or sadness, etc. Our emotions are tied directly to specific facial expressions, and this language of the face is universal across cultures and centuries. This relationship between our emotions and our face is not one way, rather it goes both ways.
The Promised Messiah(as) said,
“If you do not know how to weep, then make a weeping face, and ultimately tears will follow themselves.” (Malfuzat (English), vol. 1, pp. 246)
Similarly, if we force ourselves to smile for long enough, a feeling of happiness will start to rise within us. Our emotions and our facial expressions are inseparable.
The rest of our body is also linked to our thoughts and emotions. This language of the body is so universal that we can even understand it in animals. We can immediately see if a dog is feeling vulnerable and afraid, or when it is feeling strong and aggressive. Similarly, we project confidence in our stance when we feel strong. This relationship between our emotions and our body also goes both ways. If someone is feeling vulnerable, he feels like protecting his body and closing up, but if he forces himself as an exercise to hold a spread posture that projects strength, then he will slowly start to feel more confident.
Some expressions of body language are more obvious, others are more subtle, but there is a universal language behind it. Some cultures are more conscious and expressive of body language than others. For example, among European cultures, Italians are more expressive with their body when they speak. Whether our culture is more expressive or not, we are all familiar with the more obvious expressions of body language, and we have an intuitive understanding of the more subtle expressions as well.
Salat is a conversation between a worshipper and his Creator. The meanings of Salat are not just conveyed through words, but also through the universal language of the body.
The Promised Messiah(as) said,
“God Almighty has kept a reciprocal connection between the soul and the body, and the body affects the soul. For example, if a person tries to cry as a formality, after all, he does start crying. Similarly, a person who tries to laugh as a formality eventually starts laughing. Similarly, the conditions that come upon the body in Salat, like standing and prostrating, also affect the soul. The extent to which he shows humility in his body is the extent to which it is created in the soul. Although God does not accept prostrations alone, but prostration has a connection with the soul. That is why the last station in Salat is prostration. When a person reaches the furthest station of humility, at that time, all he wants is to go into prostration. This condition is witnessed even in animals. When dogs love their master, they come and place their head on his feet, and they express their connection of love with prostration. From this, we clearly find that the body has a special connection with the soul. Similarly, the effect of the conditions of the soul becomes visible on the body. When the soul is sorrowful, its effects become apparent on the body as well, and tears and dejection become visible. If the soul and body do not have a reciprocal connection, then why does this happen?”
“The physical and spiritual lines run parallel. When humility is created in the soul, it is also created in the body. When humility is truly in the soul, then its effects automatically become visible in the body. Similarly, when the body is affected, the soul is also affected. That is why it is essential that when one stands before God Almighty in Salat, he should express humility and devotion with his being. Although, at that time, it is a type of hypocrisy, but slowly its effect becomes permanent, and that devotion and humility is truly created in his soul.” (Malfuzat (10 vol. edition), vol. 4, pp. 421-422)
Each posture in Salat conveys a certain sentiment and is a two-way street. In one way, each posture is an expression of the emotion that we are feeling. In another way, each posture helps to create the emotion that we wish to feel. For example, the posture of Sajdah can be an expression of the sentiments of humility we are feeling, or it can help create the sentiments of humility that we want to feel but are not feeling.
When we raise our hands at the beginning of Salat, it carries the symbolism of leaving everything behind and turning to Allah Almighty.
Hazrat Musleh Mau'ud(ra) said that when a believer raises his hands before prayer,
“He removes all other thoughts and becomes engrossed in thoughts of worshipping God. Aside from maintaining our attention, another wisdom in raising our hands in this way is that this gesture is a natural expression that is used for leaving everything else behind. With this gesture, a Muslim expresses that he has separated himself from all thoughts and work of the world and has turned his attention to his Lord. In a couplet, the poet Ghalib indicated to this movement of our hands, “The courtiers place their hands on their ears as they greet, by which they mean that we are not acquainted.” Thus, by this movement, a believer expresses that he cuts himself off from the entire world and has turned his attention towards his Lord.” (Tafsir-e-Kabir, vol. 1, pp. 110)
When we raise our hands to begin Salat, we should consciously express with our body the sentiment of leaving everything behind, of turning our attention away from the world. Combining this gesture with the statement of “Allah is the greatest” creates a complete intention. We leave everything that is insignificant behind with our gesture and we move forward towards the One who is Greatest with our words. When our body, our words, and our heart come together to turn our attention away from the world and towards Allah, then we begin Salat with a solid Niyyah (determination of the mind).