All verbal worship is due to Allah and all physical acts of worship and financial sacrifices
The word Tahiyyah means, “Continuance, or endurance; or endless, or everlasting, existence” (Lane’s Lexicon, Root: 
Entry: 
).
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Rabi‘(rh) explained that when we say at-tahiyyatu lillah in Salat, we say, “O Allah, endless life is yours, and we attain life from that life.” (Darsul Quran, Al Nisa: 85-89, @ , 26 Dec 1998)
Also, at-tahiyyatu lillah means that all worships and pious intentions are exclusively for Allah and they are means of establishing a relationship with Allah the Almighty.
When the words at-tahiyyat, aS-Salawat and aṭ-ṭayyibat are read together, then in this context, the words take the meaning of verbal and physical worship and financial sacrifice.
Hazrat Zainul ‘Abidin Waliyullah Shah(ra) explained,
“Tahiyyah are those words of reverence by which kings used to be addressed. This tahiyyah did not just have titles of praise, it also included prayers for the protection of these kings. Because of this, the word tahiyyah was adopted, which is derived from hayat (life). The meaning of at-tahiyyat is that all of the titles of reverence and words of praise and prayers by which worldly kings and deities are addressed are only the right of Allah, meaning all worship of the tongue is only for Allah.” (Bukhari Commentary, vol. 2, pp. 231)
Very early on, the Companions(ra) used to pray for Allah in the way that subjects pray for a king. However, the Holy Prophet(sa) corrected them and taught that they cannot pray for Allah the way they used to pray for kings. Also, he taught them that only Allah is deserving of the type of praise that subjects would wrongly give to their kings.
Hazrat Abdullah ibn Masud(ra) narrated,
“When we prayed with the Prophet(sa) we used to say, “Peace (as-Salam) be on Allah from His slaves and peace be on so and so.” The Prophet(sa) said, “Don’t say peace be on Allah, for He Himself is The Source of Peace (As-Salam), but say, at-tahiyyatu lillahi waS-Salawatu waṭ-ṭayyibatu...” (Sahih Bukhari, Book 10, Chapter )
Explaining these words, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Awwal(ra) said,
“At-tahiyyatu lillah means that all praise and gratitude that can be expressed by the tongue are only for God and should be only for God.” Explaining as-salawat, he(ra) said, “Gratitude expressed by the body and worship done by the body, like Sajdah, Hajj, fasting, and Salat, is also only for Allah.” Explaining aṭ-ṭayyibat, he(ra) said, “All worship through financial sacrifice is also only for Allah. … Gratitude expressed by financial sacrifice should only be for Allah.” (Khuṭbate Nur, pp. 462)
All three of these expressions have an emphasis on gratitude. Qa‘dah is a posture of tranquillity and contentment after Sajdah; it is fitting that we express in it our gratitude. After having experienced the favours of Allah Almighty in Sajdah, we say that now everything should be an expression of gratitude for the favours Allah Almighty has given us. We say that even if all our verbal and physical acts of worship and financial sacrifice were expressions of gratitude, they would be insufficient.
The order in these words describe the natural progression from faith expressed through words, then through actions, and then through financial sacrifice. This process is described in the Holy Quran as well, where it mentions, “those who recite the Book of Allah and observe Prayer and spend out of what We have provided for them” (35:30).
Hazrat Nuruddin(ra), explaining Qa‘dah in a sermon before Khilafat, said,
“By reflecting on the beauty and favours of God Almighty, our heart and mind create an excitement because of the greatness of God. Then, the effect of that excitement shows itself on the tongue when it starts expressing words of praise. Then, it affects our limbs, and we stand in respect, bow down, prostrate, and perform acts of reverence. This effect does not remain confined here, rather, it affects a person’s wealth, and he spends his beloved and pure wealth without hesitation for the pleasure of God. He includes his wealth in the worship of God done by his mind, tongue, and body, and this is called aṭ-ṭayyibat, which has been expressed with the words “financial sacrifice,” and it is the right of only Allah Almighty.” (Khuṭbate Nur, pp. 300)
These three stages describe a progression in difficulty. Verbal worship comes easiest, physical acts of worship require greater sacrifice, and the most difficult is financial sacrifice.
We present our worship to Allah Almighty as a gift.
Firstly, our worship is not a tax, it is a gift. When we give a tax, we do so because we are forced to. However, a gift is given willingly and with happiness. (Khuṭbate Ṭahir, vol. 4, pp. 1003, ) Also, in a tax, people try to give as little as possible. If they have to give part of their property or possessions, they find the worst portion they can to give. However, with a gift, we try to find the best thing we can give. (Khuṭbate Ṭahir, vol. 3, pp. 209, ) In the initial stages of spirituality, we do have to force ourselves to establish a basic discipline in worship. Sometimes, we try to do the bare minimum in fulfilling our spiritual obligations. In these stages, offering our worship as a tax is acceptable because it is better than offering nothing at all. This kind of behaviour is tolerable from someone in spiritual childhood who is just learning the ways of expressing love, but it is not acceptable from an adult. If a husband finds the cheapest thing he can get away with, and he gives it to his wife like an obligation he is trying to get rid of, we can call that a tax, but we cannot call it a gift. When we present any sacrifice to Allah Almighty, we should find in our heart a willingness to offer the best that we can. For it to be a gift, we should not feel regret that we could have given less, if anything, we should feel regret that perhaps we could have given more. Only then can it be considered a gift.
Secondly, our worship is not a sale, it is a gift. If a person gives a gift as if he is buying something and expects a gift in return, then this mentality is so disgraceful that it ruins the concept of gifts. (Khuṭbate Ṭahir, vol. 10, pp. 631-633, ) In the initial stages of spirituality, some are motivated when they hear stories of how people miraculously received financial rewards after their worship. Some people need materialistic incentives to move towards spirituality, but this approach is only tolerable as an initial stage of spirituality. Sacrificing with that intention can be called an attempt at a sale, but it cannot be called a gift. A gift is given without any expectation; rather, it is given with hope. When we buy something, we expect to receive something in return. We can force someone to give us what we purchased because that is our right. But we can never force someone to give us a gift in response to our gift. We give a gift in the hope that it will be accepted as a token of our love, hoping that we will receive a reciprocation of love. Love is given voluntarily. If a person expresses his love and then feels entitled to receive love in return, the idea of loving that person becomes repugnant. A sale is a transaction with guarantees in it. A gift can never be a sale because there are no guarantees in it. It is based on hope, not expectation.
Peace be on you, O prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings
Three points were just recited, 1. verbal, 2. physical, and 3. financial. Three prayers now follow them, 1. peace, 2. mercy, and 3. blessings. These three points and three prayers are correlated.
Verbal worship correlates with peace.
Physical acts of worship correlate with mercy.
Financial sacrifices correlate with blessings.
(Risalah Durud Sharif by Hazrat Muhammad Ismail Halalpuri(ra), pp. 219-220)
This style of correlation is also found in many places in the Holy Quran.
When we say “peace be on you, O prophet,” we pray that any reward we receive for our verbal worship descend on the Holy Prophet(sa) in the form of peace. When we say “and the mercy of Allah,” we pray that any reward we receive for our physical acts of worship descend on the Holy Prophet(sa) in the form of mercy. When we say “and His blessings,” we pray that any reward we receive for our financial sacrifices descend on the Holy Prophet(sa) in the form of blessings. This sentiment of prayer is in line with a Durud of the Promised Messiah(as) where he(as) prayed,
“My Lord, whatever you intend to give me of rewards, give it to the Holy Prophet(sa). Then, forgive me by Your favour.” (Ruhani Khazain, vol. 18, pp. 204)
At first, this prayer may seem difficult because of how great a sacrifice it is. It is easier for us to sacrifice our time or our wealth in the hope of reward from Allah, but the thought of sacrificing the reward itself may have never crossed our mind. However, the highest point of love is where we find a willingness to sacrifice everything for someone we love. For example, many times, when people make major financial contributions, they want to make that sacrifice on behalf of their late parents. They think of how they only have wealth because of how much their parents sacrificed for their education and upbringing. They think of all the hardships their parents went through to raise them, and they wish their parents could have enjoyed the same comforts they now can. When they finally have the chance to make a major financial contribution for the sake of Allah Almighty, the only desire they have in their hearts is that the reward of that sacrifice somehow go to their parents. They remember that it was their parents who instilled the spirit of sacrifice in them, so this sacrifice actually belongs to them. They remember that it was their parents who raised them with the education needed to earn wealth, so this wealth actually belongs to them. Their desire to give their reward has no reservations in it. Their greatest happiness would be in knowing their sacrifice was accepted, and all of the reward went to their parents.
“A man said to Allah’s Messenger(sa), “My mother died, will it benefit her if I give in charity on her behalf?” The Prophet(sa) replied in the affirmative. The man said, “I have a garden, and I make you a witness that I give it in charity on her behalf.” (Sahih Bukhari, Book 55, Chapter )
As our love for someone grows, so does our desire to sacrifice for them. We are willing to sacrifice our time, our wealth, even our life for someone we love. But the most valuable thing we have is the reward we hope to receive from Allah Almighty for our actions. We may find a willingness to sacrifice our life for many people because we hope for a reward from Allah Almighty for that sacrifice. However, if we look in our heart, we will not find a willingness to sacrifice our reward for anyone. Only when our heart is filled with an overwhelming anguish to somehow express our love for someone, only in the most extreme expression of that love, there we find a willingness, and in fact a desire, to sacrifice our reward for them.
When we think of how much we have gained through the Holy Prophet(sa), we realize that it is only through him(sa) that we have learned the ways of loving Allah Almighty. Hazrat Musleh Mau'ud(ra) explained that some people are so exalted in their nearness to Allah Almighty that we cannot truly recognize them until we have recognized Allah Almighty. However, there is a stage higher than that. That stage is where we cannot truly recognize Allah Almighty unless we recognize that person. Rejection of that person results in disbelief in God. (Anwarul ‘Ulum, vol. 4, pp. 628-629, Taqdire Ilahi)
That person is the Holy Prophet(sa). We have recognized our Allah by following the example of the Holy Prophet(sa). When we recognize the Holy Prophet(sa) as our spiritual father and realize the blessings we have received through him(sa), then a love for him(sa) is born that is greater than we could ever have for our parents. Every reward from Allah Almighty is a reminder that He gave this to us through our following the example of the Holy Prophet(sa), and if we had rejected him(sa), we would never have received it.
When we recite the prayers in Qa‘dah, we should remember the stages of verbal worship, physical worship, and financial sacrifice that we have gone through. First, our heart is moved to express itself through verbal worship. When we say, “Peace be on you, O prophet,” we think of the effort we have made to make all of our verbal worship only for Allah, and then we pray that any reward of that effort descend as peace on the Holy Prophet(sa). Second, our heart is moved to express itself through physical acts of worship, and this is more difficult. When we say, “and the mercy of Allah,” we think of the greater effort we have made to make all of our physical worship only for Allah, and then we pray that any reward of that effort descend as mercy on the Holy Prophet(sa). Third, our heart is moved to express itself through financial sacrifice, and this is more difficult. When we say, “and His blessings,” we think of the even greater effort we have made to make all our financial sacrifices only for Allah, and then we pray that any reward of that effort descend as blessings on the Holy Prophet(sa).
These prayers are not a sacrifice; they are a pleasure that can only be felt by a person who loves the Holy Prophet(sa) more than he loves himself.
When we say, “Peace be on you, O prophet,” we speak in the second person, but that does not mean that we address the Holy Prophet(sa) directly. To understand the wisdom in this style of expression, we can look at how we pray for people when we visit the graveyard.
When the Holy Prophet(sa) visited a graveyard, he prayed,
“Peace be upon you, O inhabitants of the grave!” (Tirmidhi, Book 10, Chapter )
For this reason, whenever we visit a graveyard, we also say, “Peace be upon you, O inhabitants of the grave!” We say this because the remains of the people buried there remind us of them in such a way that we feel as if they are in front of us. This feeling does not mean that they are really present or that they can hear us. It is simply a natural expression of how we feel at that time and place.
Salat is also a reminder of the Holy Prophet(sa). Every word we say and every action we perform is in meticulous following of the example of the Holy Prophet(sa). We strive to observe Salat in the same spirit with which the Seal of the Prophets(sa) would recite it. Our Salat is blessed if it carries the impression of his(sa) seal. We pray in the second person because Salat reminds us of him(sa) in such a way that we feel as if he(sa) is in front of us. In Qa‘dah, when we sit in a posture of tranquillity and contentment because of what we have gained from Allah Almighty in prostration, we express our happiness and gratitude to Allah. Then, we express our gratitude and love for the Holy Prophet(sa) by praying for him in a uniquely personal way, in the second person.
In one way, the general Durud (O Allah, bless Muhammad and his people) is more personal because we refer to the Holy Prophet(sa) by his name, but it is less personal because we refer to him in the third person. This specific Durud in Qa‘dah is less personal because we refer to the Holy Prophet(sa) by his status of Prophet, but it is more personal because we refer to him in the second person.
Hazrat Ghulam Rasul Rajiki(ra) explained that there is a reason for using the words “O prophet” rather than “O Muhammad”, and for having it in the second person. When a believer reaches the final part of Salat, he has reached that lofty status of spirituality for which prayer has been called the ascension of the believer. Now he does not just see the person of Muhammad(sa), he sees Muhammad(sa) in the glory of prophethood. Witnessing the light of prophethood, he sees the truth of the secret of prophethood as if it is in front of him, and he expresses this state by speaking in the second person and saying, “Peace be on you, O prophet.” (Hayat-e-Qudsi, pp. 614-615)
Peace be on us
One of the etiquettes of prayer is to observe Durud before we pray for ourselves. Whether we pray for ourselves in Qiyam, Ruku‘, Sajdah, or any other time, we should always follow the pattern of prayer that Qa‘dah has taught us. That pattern is that we should first glorify Allah Almighty, then we should observe Durud, then we should pray for ourselves.
“The Messenger of Allah(sa) heard a person supplicating during prayer. He did not mention the greatness of Allah, nor did he invoke blessings on the Prophet(sa). The Messenger of Allah(sa) said: “He made haste.” He then called him and said, “If any of you prays, he should mention the exaltation of his Lord in the beginning and praise Him; he should then invoke blessings on the Prophet(sa); thereafter he should supplicate Allah for anything he wishes.”” (Abu Dawud, Book 8, Chapter )
It is a natural expression of submission to Allah Almighty that if we find that Allah loves someone more than He loves us, then we also love that person more than we love ourselves. The purpose of worship is to lose ourselves in the Being of Allah Almighty and become a reflection of Him. This is why the Holy Prophet(sa) said,
“None of you will have faith till he loves me more than his father, his children and all mankind.” (Sahih Bukhari, Book 2, Chapter )
Since Allah Almighty loved the Holy Prophet(sa) most in all mankind, we also do the same. Since Allah Almighty sends blessings on the Holy Prophet(sa), we also do the same.
“Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet. O ye who believe! you also should invoke blessings on him and salute him with the salutation of peace.” (33:57)
The meaning of Islam is submission, and Salat is an exercise in submission. When we develop the quality of submission to Allah Almighty, then preferring the Holy Prophet(sa) over ourselves comes naturally. To act against this urge is to act against submission to Allah. That is why prayers are only truly accepted when they carry an expression of submission by being accompanied by Durud.
Hazrat ‘Umar ibn Al-Khaṭṭab(ra) narrated, “Indeed the supplication stops between the heavens and the earth. Nothing of it is raised up until you send Salat upon your Prophet.” (Tirmidhi, Book 3, Chapter )
When a prayer for ourselves is accompanied by an even more fervent prayer for blessings on the Holy Prophet(sa), then that prayer becomes an expression of submission to Allah Almighty.
“Peace be on us” or “peace be on you” is a prayer that we commonly observe. However, in Qa‘dah, it becomes an extraordinary prayer because of its placement. Earlier, the intensity of our love had made us want to sacrifice our rewards for the Holy Prophet(sa). Here, we see that our love makes us want to sacrifice our prayers for the Holy Prophet(sa). We pray for peace on ourselves only after we have prayed for peace on the Holy Prophet(sa). In fact, we offer a more comprehensive prayer for the Holy Prophet(sa) than we do for ourselves by not just praying for peace, but also that the mercy and the blessings of Allah be upon him(sa).
This prayer teaches us to make all of our prayers extraordinary. Whenever we need to pray for ourselves, no matter how desperate we are, we should forget about ourselves for a moment and pray first for the Holy Prophet(sa) with greater fervency than the prayer we offer for ourselves. Imagine how beautiful that prayer is in the sight of Allah Almighty. He sees how anxious we are and how urgently we need something, but just out of our love for Allah, we forget about our need for a moment and first pray with greater sincerity for that person who was the most beloved to our Allah. This approach makes our prayer an expression of love for Allah Almighty.
and on the righteous servants of Allah
In a discourse before Khilafat, Hazrat Nuruddin(ra) mentioned the following story from the poetry in the Masnavi of Rumi(rh),
“There (once) was a merchant. And he had a parrot, imprisoned in a cage-- a beautiful parrot. (Now) when the merchant prepared for a journey (and) was about to travel to India, ...he said to the parrot, “What present from the journey do you want, so that I may bring it to you from the region of India.” The parrot answered him, “When you see the parrots there, explain my situation (and) say, “The parrot so-and-so, who is yearning to see you, is in my prison by the decree of the heavens. She sends you greetings of peace and wants justice, and desires a remedy and the path of right guidance. She said, “Is it proper that I, in (such a state of) yearning, should give (up my) life here (and) die in separation? Is it right that I (should be) in (such) strict bondage, while you (are) sometimes on the green grass (and) sometimes on the trees? Is the faithfulness of (true) friends like this, (that) I (am) in prison and you (are) in the rose garden?”...The man of trade accepted this message (and agreed) that he would deliver the greeting from her to (her own) kind. When he reached the farthest regions of India, he saw some parrots in a wilderness. ...he delivered the greeting and returned that (which he had been given in) trust. Among those parrots, one parrot trembled greatly, fell, died, and stopped breathing… The merchant finished his trading (and) returned to (his) home... The parrot said, “Where is (this) slave’s present? Tell what you saw and said!”...He replied, “I told your complaints to a group of your fellow parrots. “That one parrot-- her heart broke from getting wind of your pain, and she trembled and died”...When she heard about what that parrot did, she then trembled, fell, and became cold. When the master saw her fallen like this, …he threw her out of the cage. The little parrot flew to a high branch... The merchant ...said, “O nightingale, share a portion (of wisdom) with us in explanation of the situation. What did (that parrot) do so that you learned (something), prepared a trick, and burned us (with sorrow)?” The parrot answered, “She gave me advice by her (very) action, meaning, “Escape from (attachment to) elegance of voice and joyful expansion [of your breast in song]. Because your voice is keeping you in shackles.” She herself acted dead for the sake of (sending me) this advice, Meaning, “O (you who) have become a singer to (both) commoners and the elite: become ‘dead’ like me so that you may find deliverance!” (Masnavi, Book 1, The Merchant and the Parrot, translation from )
After mentioning this story, Hazrat Nuruddin(ra) said,
“Similarly, when we send peace and salutations on the prophets and on “the righteous servants of Allah,” its purport is, “O souls that have attained salvation! O holy and chosen people of God! You have attained salvation and, having come in accordance with the verse, “Allah is well pleased with them, and they are well pleased with Him” (5:120), you have attained the nearness of God. Please, somehow tell us a way by which we can be saved from the bitterness and sins of this world and, becoming chosen, we can also come under the shade of the pleasure of God.” (Irshadate Nur, vol. 1, pp. 377, Hayat-e-Nur, pp. 317)
When we pray for peace on the righteous servants of Allah, we can picture ourselves as the bird in the cage sending greetings of peace to the birds in the garden.
I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant/worshipper and Messenger
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Rabi‘(rh) explained that when we bear witness, we should ask ourselves what personal knowledge we have of Allah Almighty based on which we are in a position to give testimony. What new knowledge have we gained about Allah Almighty that we are justified to again give testimony in Salat that there is none worthy of worship except Allah? (Khuṭbate Ṭahir, vol. 15, pp. 577-581, )
In Thana’, we said that “there is none worthy of worship except You,” but here we say that we “bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah.” Our bearing witness here means that we have seen something from that time up until now. Thana’ brought us to the point of ihsan, where we worship Allah as if we are seeing Him. The testimony here is a culmination of what we have witnessed in that state of ihsan. When we say “I bear witness”, we can think of what we saw of Allah Almighty in the glorifications of Qiyam. We can think of the ‘Azmat (greatness) of Allah Almighty that we saw in Ruku‘. We can think of the heights of Al-A‘la (the Most High) that we saw in Sajdah. When we give testimony based on what we witnessed in Salat, that testimony carries weight.
Similarly, we “bear witness that Muhammad is His worshipper and Messenger.” In Salat, we experience so many blessings of obedience of the Holy Prophet(sa) that when we reach Qa‘dah, we pray for him as if he(sa) is in front of us. Just before this Shahadah, we prayed for the Holy Prophet(sa) in the second person. When we bear witness to his(sa) truth, our testimony carries weight because it is based on what we have witnessed in front of us. When we say, “I bear witness that Muhammad is His worshipper and messenger,” we declare that we have experienced such blessings in the words of worship in Salat that they could only have been taught to us by a true worshipper of Allah.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Rabi‘(rh) said that this testimony in Qa‘dah is not theoretical, it is based on experience. (Dhauqe ‘Ibadat, pp. 512)
Our experience of the blessings in Salat bear witness to the unity of Allah and the truth of His messenger.
This testimony can also serve as a self-analysis on the quality of the Rak‘at we just completed. The statement “I bear witness” is subjective; it can only be as true as our experience is. If our Salat was a means of experiencing the presence of Allah Almighty, then the words “I bear witness” will be a true and heartfelt testimony. If our Salat went by in distraction, then “I bear witness” will be an empty testimony. The words “I bear witness” are entirely a reflection on ourselves. In that reflection, we can see with clarity the reality of our Salat.
When we say that “there is none worthy of worship except Allah,” we are saying that we are a worshipper of only Allah Almighty. Immediately after this, we say that “Muhammad is His worshipper [
]. We say that we are a worshipper of Allah, but then we are told what a true worshipper is, and we are reminded that the greatest worshipper of Allah Almighty was the Holy Prophet(sa). Thus, the spirit with which the Holy Prophet(sa) worshipped Allah Almighty is the standard of excellence for our worship. So what is the difference between our worship and the worship of the Holy Prophet(sa)?
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Rabi‘(rh) said,
“The Holy Prophet(sa) did not say, ‘O Allah, besides You and besides me, everyone else in the world is nothing.’ Generally when people say, “there is none worthy of worship except Allah,” in reality, they are saying, “O Allah, there is only Your Being and my being, nothing else.’ But the Holy Prophet(sa) showed with his(sa) entire life that, ‘I am also nothing, there nothing except Allah.’” (Dhauqe ‘Ibadat, pp. 499)
When we bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, then we negate everything other than Allah Almighty. Not only should the world become nothing, but we should also become nothing ourselves. It is easier to let go of the world than it is to let go of ourselves. When we say, “I bear witness that Muhammad is His worshipper,” we should ask ourselves if our statement of Shahadah as an worshipper was like the Shahadah of the greatest worshipper(sa) of Allah.
We raise our index finger when giving testimony to the unity of Allah. We thus give a physical symbol of that unity along with our words. This symbol adds emphasis to the expression and reminds us that everything except Allah Almighty is nothing.
When only Allah is left, and His Unity is established in our hearts, there is no room for love for anyone else. The world disappears, and the desire to impress people also starts to disappear. We disappear, and our arrogance also starts to disappear. If we still see any importance in ourselves as we sit in front of Allah Almighty, then we should have raised two fingers instead of one: one for Allah Almighty and one for ourselves. When we “bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah,” we should look in our heart to see if our existence has any importance in that moment. If it does not, then our index finger gives true testimony that indeed there is only The One and no one else.
The Holy Prophet(sa) said,
“It (the index finger) is harder on Satan than (being beaten with) iron.” (Musnad Ahmad, narrated by ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar, )
O Allah, bless Muhammad and his people, as You did bless Ibrahim and his people. You are indeed the Praiseworthy, the Glorious. O Allah, prosper Muhammad and his people, as You did prosper Ibrahim and his people. You are indeed the Praiseworthy, the Glorious.
If we don’t have a personal attachment with the Holy Prophet(sa), then the name Muhammad will not mean much to us. Durud will feel like a formality because we’re praying for someone we don’t really know. When we see people become emotional at a Siratun Nabi Jalsa or when they’re talking about the Holy Prophet(sa), we’ll feel awkward, like we’re missing out on something. We want to develop this attachment with the Holy Prophet(sa), but sometimes we don’t know how. The solution is simple; it is reading the biography of the Holy Prophet(sa). This method of developing an attachment is so simple that if we read the biography of any historical figure, by the time we finish, we will feel like we know them personally.
This method is so effective that it can be seen in the lasting influence that even fictional characters have on us. When we read a novel or watch a movie that immerses us in its world, we feel like we live in that world. Sometimes when we’re daydreaming, we imagine that world, or even ourselves as being in that world. A good story follows a method for taking us on its journey. We begin our journey by identifying with the main character in the exposition. We live through all of their struggles in the rising action. In the climax, we feel their victory as if it is our victory. By the end of the story, we feel as if we have been on an epic journey with people who we now know. If the story is a tragedy and it is told well, then we are so saddened when the main character dies that we cry. We feel as if we lost someone we knew personally. We know that this character does not exist, we know this is fiction and that every character is imaginary, but knowing all of this, we still cry. This is the power of narrative. When we follow a character through the journey of their life, we develop such a strong personal attachment with them that it can stay with us for years.
If this is the effect that a fictional story can have on us, a nonfiction story can have a far more significant impact. When we read a well-written biography of any historical figure, it immerses us in their era, and we feel like we lived their life with them. If we see the legacy of that person in the world today, it takes on a more personal value. If, as a minimum, we take this simple approach to our reading of the biography of the Holy Prophet(sa), it will be of immense spiritual benefit. When we read about his birth and childhood, we should immerse ourselves in the culture and society of Arabia in that century. As we read about his(sa) youth, we should imagine navigating the streets of Mecca. We should become an ordinary person living day to day life in Arabia. As we read about his(sa) prophethood and all of the trials he(sa) went through, we should imagine that we were there at every step ready to offer any sacrifice, that we experienced each event as if it were an event in our own lives. When we read about his(sa) demise, we should feel the loss personally and mourn his(sa) passing.
Hazrat Musleh Mau'ud(ra) said,
“There are many people who are called Muslims and who express faith in the Holy Prophet(sa), their entire lives go by, but they never realize that a very great calamity came upon them with the demise of the Holy Prophet(sa). This is because they did not see the era of the Holy Prophet(sa). They do not see him(sa) in the way that the Companions(ra) saw him(sa). As far as loss goes, those who came afterwards suffered the same loss that the Companions suffered. However, the Companions felt it because they saw with their own eyes what was accomplished by the coming of the Holy Prophet(sa), and they saw with their own eyes the danger that existed if he(sa) had not come. Since those who came afterwards did not see this with their own eyes, so although they believe in the Holy Prophet(sa) and there is sincerity in them, but the demise of the Holy Prophet(sa) does not seem to them to be an occurrence in their life, except what Allah wills. There are some servants of Allah Almighty who did not see the Holy Prophet(sa), but they consider his(sa) demise to be an occurrence in their life. His(sa) demise seems to them to be an occurrence in their life, just as it was felt by the Companions in whose presence he(sa) was. This is what, in reality, is a sign of perfect faith. I do not boast, but it is the favour of Allah Almighty on me that, with regard to love for the Holy Prophet(sa), I have always felt his(sa) demise as if he(sa) was alive in my lifetime and he(sa) passed away in my lifetime.” (Khuṭbate Nikah, pp. 611-612)
When we pray for a family member who has passed away, it can make us emotional because the prayer itself reminds us of the pain of loss that we suffered. Similarly, Durud itself can be emotional if it becomes a reminder of the loss we suffered in our own lives. When we say the name Muhammad(sa), it reminds us of all the experiences that we had with him(sa), and the experience of his passing. Praying for him(sa) becomes an expression of our mourning his(sa) loss. That becomes a very personal Durud. When we say the name Muhammad in Durud, it should remind us of a person who we know personally.
Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad(ra) narrates that on one occasion the Promised Messiah(as) was pacing in Masjid Mubarak alone. He was quietly humming something while tears were streaming from his eyes. A companion was able to hear that he(as) was reading the couplet that Hazrat Hassan ibn Thabit(ra) wrote at the demise of the Holy Prophet(sa). The couplet was: “You were the pupil of my eye, now that you have died my eye has become blind. I care not who dies now, for I feared only your death.” When a person enquired as to why he(as) was so perturbed, the Promised Messiah(as) said, “While reading this couplet, I wished in my heart that it was I who had composed this couplet.” (Sirate Ṭayyibah, pp. 22-23)
Allahumma Salli ‘ala Muhammad means, “O God, magnify Mohammad in the present world by exalting his renown and manifesting his invitation [to El-Islám] and rendering permanent his law, and in the world to come by accepting his intercession for his people and multiplying his reward” (Lane’s Lexicon, : 
Entry: 
).
We pray that the Holy Prophet(sa) be magnified in this world and the next. Magnification in this world is through the people of the world accepting the truth of his(sa) prophethood. Magnification in the hereafter is by his(sa) intercession being accepted by Allah Almighty.
Allahumma barik ‘ala Muhammadin wa ‘ala ali Muhammad means, “Continue Thou, or perpetuate Thou, (O God,) to Mohammad and to the family of Mohammad the eminence and honour which Thou hast given them: ... or continue to bless or beatify” (Lane’s Lexicon, : 
Entry: 
).
We pray that the blessings on the Holy Prophet(sa) never decline, whether in this world or the next. We pray that they continue forever and that they always continue increasing.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Khamis(aba) said,
“In summary, in Allahumma Salli ‘ala Muhammad, we pray for the prevalence of his(sa) Shari‘ah, and that it remain established forever, and that the ummat be favoured by his(sa) intercession. In Allahumma barik, we pray that his(sa) honour, greatness, splendour, and eminence be established forever.” (Friday Sermon, )
The emphasis of our prayers in Durud is for the success of the mission of the Holy Prophet(sa). The objective of Durud is that our prayers be devoted to the purpose that the Holy Prophet(sa) spent his(sa) life in prayer for. In this day and age, when we observe how the mission and the honour of the Holy Prophet(sa) are under attack from every direction, our hearts should be filled with pain that people are attacking the person who spent his life praying for their salvation; they are reviling the person who is more beloved to us than our own parents. Our Durud should be filled with this restlessness, and this should be our driving force to bring the world to love the Holy Prophet(sa).
The Promised Messiah(as) said,
“I wish to ask a question of those people who have a pain in their hearts for Islam, those in whose hearts is its honour. Has any worse era passed in which such abusive language and insults were used against the Holy Prophet(sa), and such defamation was done against the Holy Quran? I am then filled with great sorrow and heartfelt anguish at the condition of Muslims, and sometimes I become restless in this pain, that they do not even have the sense left to feel this disgrace. Did Allah Almighty accept that there be no honour for the Holy Prophet(sa)? In response to this much abusive language, would He still not establish any heavenly movement by which the mouths of opponents be closed and the grandeur and purity of the Holy Prophet(sa) be established? When Allah Almighty Himself, and His angels, send Durud on the Holy Prophet(sa), then at the time of such defamation, imagine how important the expression of that blessing is. Allah Almighty has manifested that blessing through this Movement.” (Malfuzat (10 vol. edition), vol. 5, pp. 13)
The Durud of the Promised Messiah(as) during dark nights created a clamour in the world which brought about a revival among Muslims. He was granted the greatest status among the followers of the Holy Prophet(sa). His example taught us that after the glorification of Allah, the best way of earning the pleasure of Allah Almighty is through Durud.
The Promised Messiah(as) said,
“It was by means of Durud, and because of observing it abundantly, that God granted me these statuses.” (, vol. 7, no. 8, pp. 7, 28 Feb 1903)
The Promised Messiah(as) devoted his life to the mission of the Holy Prophet(sa). When we observe Durud, it should be how the Promised Messiah(as) taught us to observe Durud. It should be out of our personal love for the Holy Prophet(sa), and to spread a love for him(sa) throughout the world. We should pray that the Holy Prophet(sa) be magnified in this world and the next, and that the blessings of Allah Almighty on him(sa) continue to increase forever.
) You Did Bless Ibrahim(as) and His PeopleFor insight into the use of the word as/like, we can see how it has been used in another prayer we are familiar with. The Holy Quran teaches us to pray for our parents in the words,
“My Lord, have mercy on them both as they had mercy on me in my childhood by raising me.” (17:25, translation from Ruhani Khazain, vol. 23, pp. 210)
In this prayer, we do not pray that Allah Almighty limit His infinite mercy to only be equivalent to the mercy that a parent has on their child. But then the question arises, why do we make this comparison in the first place? Why do we pray that Allah Almighty have mercy on our parents as they had mercy on us? The reason is so that we have a clear idea in our own mind of what the concept of mercy is. Before we pray for mercy, we have to know what mercy is. The best example of mercy in this world is the love parents show to their children. This is why the attributes of Allah Almighty for mercy, Rahman and Rahim, come from the same root as the word for the womb of a mother. By reminding ourselves of the mercy our parents had on us in raising us, our heart is moved by how great that mercy is. As a result, we think of how much greater the mercy of Allah Almighty is.
The Holy Prophet(sa) said,
“Allah created one hundred units of mercy on the Day He created the heavens and the earth. Each one of them can contain all that is between the heaven and the earth. Of them, he put one on earth, through which a mother has compassion for her children and animals and birds have compassion for one another. On the Day of Resurrection, Allah would make full use of mercy.” (Sahih Muslim, Book 50, Chapter )
If we hadn’t been reminded of the mercy that parents have in their hearts for their children, we wouldn’t have had a point of reference to visualize so clearly how much greater the mercy of Allah Almighty is. When we pray for our parents, all we need to say is “My Lord, have mercy on them both.” With these words, the prayer is complete and we have asked for everything. The addition of “as they had mercy on me in my childhood by raising me” is for us; these words are there to help us in our prayer.
In Durud, all we need to say is “O Allah, bless Muhammad and his people,” and we have asked for everything. When we say “as You did bless Ibrahim and his people,” these words are to help us in our prayer. Hazrat Ibrahim(as) is referred to by Allah Almighty as an excellent model, and the Holy Quran has honoured him and his people by mentioning them as examples of how the mercy of Allah Almighty has descended in the past. Through our daily recitation of the Holy Quran, these examples are always present in our minds. The mention of Hazrat Ibrahim(as) and his people in Durud connects what we have gained from our daily recitation of the Holy Quran to what we pray for in Durud.
We do not pray that Allah Almighty limit His mercy to only be equivalent to the mercy that He showed to Hazrat Ibrahim(as) and his people. We are reminded of their blessings as a point of reference for how much greater the blessings of Allah Almighty will be on the Holy Prophet(sa) and his(sa) people. The Holy Prophet(sa) is the greatest of all prophets, and Allah Almighty has addressed his(sa) people with the words, “You are the best people raised for the good of mankind” (3:111). The words “Ibrahim(as) and his people” are a point of reference for praying for far greater blessings on “Muhammad(sa) and his people”.
As mentioned in commentary of “and blessed is Your name” under the chapter on Thana’, one approach to prayer is to mention the attribute of Allah Almighty that is relevant to the acceptance of that prayer. At times, the relevant attribute is mentioned at the beginning of the prayer. In other cases, the relevant attribute is mentioned at the end of the prayer. For example,
“Our Lord, let not our hearts become perverse after You have guided us; and bestow on us mercy from Yourself; surely, You alone are the Bestower.” (3:9)
“My Lord, forgive and have mercy, and You are the Best of those who show mercy.” (23:119)
In Durud, the attributes mentioned at the end are each relevant to the prayers we offer. The attribute of Hamid is connected with our prayer for Hazrat Muhammad(sa), and the attribute of Majid is connected with our prayer for his(sa) people.
The name Muhammad and the attribute of “the Praiseworthy” are connected, and they come from the same root of hamd, which means “praise”. The word Muhammad means “A man praised much, or repeatedly, or time after time: ...endowed with many praiseworthy qualities.” (Lane’s Lexicon, : 
Entry: 
) The attribute of Al-Hamid means “He who is praised, or praiseworthy” (Lane’s Lexicon, : 
Entry: 
). It is Allah Almighty, as “the Praiseworthy,” who endowed the Holy Prophet(sa) with many praiseworthy qualities. In Durud, when we pray that Allah Almighty magnify those praiseworthy qualities for the world and exalt the renown and honour of the Holy Prophet(sa), we seek blessing through the attribute of “the Praiseworthy.”
The “people of Muhammad(sa)” and the attribute of “the Glorious” are connected. The meaning of the word majd, when used about people, is, “glory, honour, dignity, or nobility, transmitted by one’s ancestors”, 
and 
are [transmitted] by one’s ancestors; but 
...and 
may belong to a man without ancestors who possessed these qualities” (Lane’s Lexicon, : 
Entry: 
). Our honour and nobility are transmitted to us by our spiritual father, the Holy Prophet(sa). The words ali Muhammad indicate to this because our identity in this prayer is as the “people of Muhammad.” We don’t have any identity separate from our being his(sa) children. In Durud, when we pray that Allah Almighty exalt the renown and honour of the people of Muhammad, we are only speaking of that honour that was transmitted to us by our spiritual father. Any other honour we have that is separate from him(sa) is not lasting and is not worth being exalted. The words “people of Muhammad” remind us that our honour is majd: it is transmitted to us by our spiritual father(sa). Mention of the attribute of “the Glorious” reminds us that it is Allah Almighty who is the true source of all honour and dignity. The attribute of Al-Majid means, “The Glorious, or Great, or Great in dignity, who gives liberally, or bountifully: or the Bountiful and beneficent” (Lane’s Lexicon, : 
Entry: 
). As “the Glorious,” Allah Almighty has given us the honour and nobility that comes with being the spiritual children of the Holy Prophet(sa). In Durud, when we pray that Allah Almighty exalt the renown and honour of the “people of Muhammad,” we seek the exaltation of only that honour which was transmitted to us by Hazrat Muhammad(sa). When we pray for the exaltation of that honour, we seek blessings through the attribute of “the Glorious.”
(After Durud, we can observe any of several different prayers that the Holy Prophet(sa) is narrated to have observed at the end of Salat, including 2:202 and 14:41-42 of the Holy Quran.)
Our Lord, grant us good in this world as well as good in the world to come
The Promised Messiah(as) said,
“Such people, who solely rely on and trust their own sources of earning a livelihood, what need do they have to pray and seek help from God Almighty? One only is in need of prayer when all other means are not available except His alone; only such a person supplicates from his heart. Thus, the prayer: “Our Lord, grant us good in this world” is only recited by those who consider God as their True Lord, and they have firm belief that all other false gods are completely worthless before Him.” (Tafsir Hazrat Masih Mau'ud, vol. 2, pp. , 2:202)
The Promised Messiah(as) said,
“one must turn the world and all that belongs to it into a means of serving the Faith. No one must think that the aforementioned implies that an individual should have no relation whatsoever with worldly affairs. This is not what I mean, nor does Allah Almighty forbid a man to engage in worldly matters. In fact, what Islam does forbid, is asceticism. This is the way of cowards. The more diverse a believer’s worldly associations, the more they advance in higher ranks, because their prime objective is religion, and the world along with its wealth and honour serves the Faith.
Hence, the fundamental point is that the world must not be one’s ultimate objective. As a matter of fact, in pursuing worldly affairs, the primary purpose must be religion, and the world ought to be pursued in a manner that serves the Faith. For example, when a person travels from one place to another, they will take a mount and pack their provisions. They do this because their actual purpose is to reach their final destination, not because they seek the mount itself or the provisions for the journey. In the same manner, one ought to strive in the world, but only so that this may serve the Faith.
Allah the Exalted has taught us the following prayer:
“Our Lord, grant us good in this world as well as good in the world to come, and protect us from the torment of the Fire.”
In this prayer, the world has been given precedence, but what ‘world’ exactly? It is the good of this world (hasanatud-dunya) which becomes a means by which to reap good in the hereafter. The fact that we have been taught this prayer clearly demonstrates that in attaining the world, a believer ought to have in view the good of the hereafter. The words hasanatud-dunya as mentioned here encompass all the best means by which a Muslim believer ought to pursue the world. Pursue the world in every such way that leads to benefit and goodness, not in a manner that causes pain to another human being, nor in a manner that is disgraceful or ignoble amongst the people. Engaging in the world in such a manner would definitely enable one to reap the good of the hereafter (hasanatul-akhirah).” (Tafsir Hazrat Masih Mau'ud, vol. 2, pp. , 2:202, Malfuzat (English), vol. 2, pp. 264-265)
and protect us from the torment of the Fire
The Promised Messiah(as) said,
“The hellfire does not only refer to the fire that will burn on the Day of Judgment. Rather, one who lives a long life is able to witness that there are thousands of fires in this world. Those who have experienced this will know that there are all kinds of different fires that exist in this world. Various forms of calamities, fear, sorrow, poverty, illnesses, failures, fear of humiliation and deprivation, numerous kinds of grief and sorrows, afflictions relating to one’s wife, children, etc. and ties turning sour with near relatives all constitute as fire. Therefore, a believer prays to be saved from every kind of fire. If one has attached himself to God Almighty, they should pray to be saved from all kinds of calamities which can cause one to experience difficulty and hardship in their life and are in a likeness to fire.” (Tafsir Hazrat Masih Mau'ud, vol. 2, pp. -372, 2:202)
My Lord, make me observe Prayer
The words 
and 
mean setting our Salat upright after it has fallen.
Explaining this meaning, the Promised Messiah(as) said,
“Allah the Exalted states: 
(al-Baqarah, 2:4). Meaning, he sets upright the Prayer. Here, ‘to set upright’ has been stated. This also alludes to the forced effort that is specific to a righteous person. When such a person begins the Prayer, he must ward off countless evil whisperings, due to which his Prayer falls repeatedly as it were, and he must hold it up. When he says Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest) to begin the Prayer, a swarm of evil temptations rush to dissipate his heart’s concentration. These thoughts lead a person to a far off place, causing him distress, but he goes on fighting to the death in order to acquire this concentration and contentment in Prayer. With great anguish, such a person forever remains concerned about keeping erect his falling Prayer.” (Malfuzat (English), vol. 1, pp. 28)
“There are some who in the Prayer desire to rid themselves of evil distractions immediately, although 
(He establishes the Prayer), indicates something quite the opposite.” (Malfuzat (English), vol. 1, pp. 29)
When we say “My Lord, make me observe Prayer,” we reflect on how fallen our Salat is, and we beg Allah Almighty to set it upright. Praying that Allah Almighty improve our Salat right at the end of our Salat carries a special meaning. If our Salat went by in distraction, then we sometimes wait until after Salat is finished to think about how poorly it went. When we do that, those negative feelings of regret are not channeled into a positive effort, and we are left with an overall bad experience of Salat. Instead, we should do an analysis of the Salat we just observed when we say these words. If it went poorly, then now is the time to allow ourselves to feel regret over the opportunity we lost. We should embrace that feeling of regret and channel it into prayers that Allah Almighty set our prayer upright.
The Promised Messiah(as) taught that we should pray,
“O Allah the Exalted, the Omnipotent, the Possessor of Majesty, I am a sinner, and the poison of sin has affected my veins to such an extent that I am devoid of emotion and attention in prayer. Forgive me my sins with Your blessing and grace, and forgive me my lapses, and soften my heart, and place Your greatness, Your fear, and Your love in my heart, so that my hard-heartedness may be dispelled, and I am granted attention in my prayer.”
The Promised Messiah(as) continued,
“However, he should be mindful of his death. He should consider the remaining days of his life to be few and see his death as near. This is the way of attaining attention in prayer.” (Fatawa Hazrat Masih Mau'ud, pp. 37, published in 1935)
If we make the prayer of “My Lord, make me observe Prayer” an opportunity for sincere repentance, then our fallen Salat can become a blessing in disguise. However fallen the standard of our Salat was, the greater the helplessness with which we beg Allah Almighty to set our prayer upright. If we take time to pause at these words, it is possible to make up for everything we lost right at the very end of Salat.
Conversely, if our Salat went well by the grace of Allah, then this is a prayer that is said with pleasure, not with regret. We pray that Allah Almighty make this standard of Salat into our constant reality and that we improve our Salat even more. We beg Allah Almighty never to let us lose this standard and fall back into distraction.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Rabi‘(rh) said about this prayer,
“As long as one is alive, he should continue with this prayer. Despite being established on worship, trials come upon worshippers and situations arise where they stumble. Some such worshippers have been mentioned in Ahadith who worshipped their whole lives, but at some point, for some reason, they stumbled and fell far away from God.” (Khutbate Tahir, vol. 10, pp. 367, )
Whether our Salat went poorly or well, these words are an opportunity to analyze the Salat we just observed before we end.
and my children too
As parents, we are spiritually raising our children; this is what makes us unique as believers.
The Promised Messiah(as) said,
"The philosopher Plato has written that it is the father who brings the soul from the heavens to the earth, but it is the teacher who takes it from the earth and again makes it reach the heavens. A father’s relationship is only with the mortal body. But a spiritual guide, especially that spiritual guide appointed by God to give guidance, his relationship is with the soul that does not die. So when he fosters that soul and is the means of its spiritual birth, then if he is not called a father, what will he be called?" (Malfuzat (10 volume edition), vol. 2, pp. 364)
Anybody can be a biological parent, but not everyone is a spiritual parent for their children. When we observe this prayer of, “make me observe Prayer and my children too”, we strive to foster their spirituality.
Ultimately, we have no power to make our children truly established on Salat. We can make our children regular in the outward observance of Salat, but the journey is their own after that. We can bring them to the prayer mat, but once they are there, they alone have to find their Creator. They will only find value in Salat if they choose to reach out to Allah Almighty with all their heart and Allah Almighty reaches them, “Eyes cannot reach Him but He reaches the eyes.” (6:104). Their hearts will only be attached to Salat if they experience, at least once, the pleasure of communion with their Creator.
The Promised Messiah(as) said,
“All I wish to say is that one ought to fervently and passionately pray to God Almighty that, just as He has granted us diverse forms of pleasure in fruits and other things, may He enable us to experience, even once, the sweet taste of Prayer and worship. One never forgets the taste of a thing.” (Malfuzat (English), vol. 1, pp. 159-160)
When we say, “and my children too,” we have to know that we are helpless in giving them a taste of the pleasure of Salat. All we can do is beg Allah Almighty to extend to them the same and greater blessings that he has allowed us to experience.
The words “and my children too” are an extension of the prayer, “make me observe Prayer,” they continue the same sentiment. If our words, “make me observe Prayer,” were filled with pleasure over how blessed our Salat was, then with that same feeling, we beg Allah Almighty to give our children the experience of that bliss as well.
If our words, “make me observe Prayer,” were filled with regret over how poorly our Salat went, that same pain is the fire behind the words, “and my children too.” When we think of how great our own struggle is against our lower self and how many obstacles satan places on this path, then our parental instinct is to want to carry our children in our arms along this path and protect them from every trial, but we cannot. Only Allah Almighty can take them into His arms, and with the words “and my children too,” we beg Allah Almighty to take them into His arms.
This prayer extends to our wife as well, because the word 
can signify “Women; [because they are the sources of offspring;]” (Lane's Lexicon, Root: 
Entry: 
).
The Promised Messiah(as) said,
“Allah Almighty has taught the prayer, 
“Make my wife and children righteous.” Along with making a pure change in ourselves and praying, we should continuously pray for our children and wife as well.” (Tafsir Hazrat Masih Mau'ud, vol. 7, pp. 215, )
Our Lord! Do accept my prayer
(The meaning of the expression “Our Lord,” when followed by “and,” has been covered under the chapter on “Our Lord! and Yours is the Praise.” Please refer to that chapter for commentary on these words.)
The word “accept” carries an expression of humility. With this word, we acknowledge that our prayers and sacrifices are not worthy of being accepted in and of themselves. Rather, if they are accepted, it is by the grace of Allah Almighty.
Hazrat Musleh Mau'ud(ra) said,
“Taqabbal is from the verbal form of Tafa‘‘al, and Tafa‘‘al carries the meaning of forced effort. Thus, they say, ‘Do have mercy on us Yourself by accepting this sacrifice.’” (Tafsir-e-Kabir, vol. 2, pp. )
We sometimes comfort ourselves with the assumption that our prayers are accomplishing something in and of themselves. We imagine that each time we say, “my Lord forgive me,” a few of our sins are forgiven. We imagine that the more prayers we offer for forgiveness, the more of our sins are forgiven, as if prayer is a system of action and reaction. This assumption is false because prayers don’t do anything in and of themselves; they are nothing more than a plea. Allah Almighty accepts or rejects as He wills. This assumption stifles our relationship with the living God because such prayer ceases to be an interaction; such prayer is nothing more than inputting formulas into a machine. To attribute automatic reaction to our prayers assumes that they are an independent means to an end, not the desperate plea that they are. We have to let go of the misconception that our prayers will save us; we have to give up on everything except the grace of Allah. When we stop thinking we are in control and submit to Allah Almighty, then we will be able to observe prayer with true desperation.
When we pray, “Do accept my prayer,” we acknowledge that our prayer is worthless in and of itself; it only has worth if it is accepted by Allah Almighty. At the end of Salat, we reflect on the effort that we made in offering Salat, and then we pray that Allah Almighty give it worth by blessing it with His acceptance.
Also, our Salat is not a favour that we do to Allah Almighty; it is Allah Almighty who has favoured us by teaching us Salat. “They think they have done you a favour by their embracing Islam. Say, ‘Deem not your embracing Islam a favour unto me. On the contrary, Allah has bestowed a favour upon you in that He has guided you to the true Faith, if you are truthful.’” (49:18). When we observe Salat, we do not offer Allah Almighty a favour; we offer Him a gift. The difference between a favour and a gift is that in a favour, the receiver is humbled. But in a gift, the giver is humbled. For example, when someone does us a favour, he can remind us of that favour to hurt our feelings if he later gets angry at us. When we accept a favour from someone, we make ourselves vulnerable by accepting it. However, in a gift, it is the opposite. It is the giver who is humbled. The giver of a gift is vulnerable because he offers a token of those feelings that he ordinarily does not reveal. The value of his gift is only in how effectively it conveys the love behind it. When we give a gift to someone, we offer a token of our love in the hope that it will not be rejected. A person who does not reject our gift does us a favour. Our happiness is in the happiness with which they accept it, and our sadness is in the thought that they may reject it. When we offer our prayers and our sacrifices to Allah Almighty as a gift, we don’t do so with a sense of confidence in how great our gift is; anyone who offers a gift with such sentiments does not understand the etiquettes of expressing love. Rather, we do so with a sense of humility and vulnerability. If it is accepted, we are filled with happiness and a sense of gratitude because we are the one who has been favoured with acceptance.
The words “Do accept my prayer” carry an expression of humility wherein we acknowledge that our Salat and our submission is not any favour that we do to Allah. Rather, it is nothing more than a token of our love that we humbly offer to Him in the hope that it is worthy of being accepted.
Our Lord, forgive me and my parents and the believers on the day when the reckoning will take place
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Rabi‘(rh) said,
“Here, a balance has been created. Where we prayed for our children, we have been reminded to pray for our parents as well. In, “and my parents,” we don’t pray for the establishment of Salat because in many cases they have passed away. This is why we won’t find prayers for the establishment of their Salat, but we will find prayers for their forgiveness.” (Khuṭbate Ṭahir, vol. 10, pp. 369, )
In both the previous and in this prayer, we first pray for ourselves, then we extend to others the prayers we offer for ourselves. The words “and my parents and the believers” are an extension of the prayer, “forgive me,” they continue the same sentiment.
The Holy Quran has described it as a sign of maturity that we broaden our prayers and remember the generation ahead of us and behind us.
“And We have enjoined on man to be good to his parents. His mother bears him with pain, and brings him forth with pain, and the bearing of him and his weaning takes thirty months, till, when he attains his full maturity and reaches the age of forty years, he says, ‘My Lord, grant me that I may be grateful for Your favour which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and I may do such good works as may please You. And establish righteousness among my progeny for me. I do turn to You; and, truly, I am of those who submit to You.’” (46:16)
on the day when the reckoning will take place
Hazrat ‘A’ishah narrated that the Holy Prophet(sa) said,
"None will be called to account on the Day of Resurrection, but will be ruined." I said "O Allah's Messenger(sa)! Hasn't Allah said: 'Then as for him who will be given his record in his right hand, he surely will receive an easy reckoning? (84.7-8) Allah's Messenger(sa) said, "That (verse) means only the presentation of the accounts, but anybody whose account is questioned on the Day of Resurrection will surely be punished." (Sahih Bukhari, Book 81, Chapter )
Allah Almighty has repeatedly said in the Holy Quran that the believers will be given without reckoning.
Explaining the verse, “Allah bestows His gifts on whomsoever He pleases without reckoning,” Hazrat Musleh Mau'ud(ra) said,
“The disbelievers have been told, ‘Whatever you have been given, you will be questioned as to how you spent it. However, the believers will be given in a way that they will not be asked for any reckoning. Thus, whatever you have been given is the way employees are given, and by misappropriating it, you become the object of punishment. However, whatever the believers will be given will be as a gift is given, and it will be completely at their disposal.’ In reality, there are two types of treatment, one is as friends and the other is as employees. In friendship, the feeling of being an outsider no longer remains, so Allah Almighty says, ‘We will give to the believers without reckoning and we will treat them the way a friend treats a friend.’” (Tafsir-e-Kabir, vol. 2, pp. 461, )
If we offer our prayers and sacrifices to Allah Almighty as a transaction rather than a gift, we think like an employee and feel entitled to a reward for everything we give. We keep an account of everything we give, and on the day of reckoning, we can expect to be treated as an employee and required to account for everything we were given. However, if we offer our prayers and sacrifices to Allah Almighty as a gift, we become like a friend and we give without reckoning. We can then hope that no accounting will be taken from us on the day of reckoning.
When parents give to their children and children give to their parents, they give as a natural expression of love. They would consider it an insult to keep account of what they give because accounting has no place in pure expressions of love. When parents or children start keeping account of everything they give, it is a sign of some dysfunction in the relationship. The only way we can pass “on the day when the reckoning will take place” is if we pass “without reckoning.” Salvation can only happen through love. This is what we seek when we offer this prayer at the end of Salat, we beg to be brought under the category of love. If we wish to receive from Allah Almighty without reckoning in the hereafter, we have to learn to give with love and without reckoning in this world.
Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah
“Peace be on you” is a prayer that we commonly observe. However, when it is said here, it takes on a special symbolism because of its placement at the end of Salat.
The Promised Messiah(as) said,
“For connection with Allah Almighty, it is necessary that there be an immersion. I repeatedly tell my Jama‘at to be established on this. People must cut themselves off from the world, and their hearts must turn cold to its love. An innate passion for Allah Almighty and an immersion must be born in their nature. Until this happens, they cannot achieve firmness. Some mystics have written that when the Companions(ra) would observe Salat, they would be so immersed that when they finished, they could not recognize one another. When one comes from some other place, the Shari‘ah has commanded that he say Assalamu ‘alaikum. This is the reality behind saying Assalamu ‘alaikum when we finish Salat. When a person starts prayer and says Allahu akbar, it is as if he has left this world and has entered a new world. He has reached a stage of immersion. When he returns from it, then he meets the world with Assalamu ‘alaikum wa rahmatullah.” (Malfuzat (10 vol. edition), vol. 7, pp. 42-43)
At the beginning of prayer, we raised our hands to symbolize that we were leaving the world behind. Our greetings of Salam on returning to the world at the end of prayer are true if we had really left at the beginning. To understand the spiritual exercise of leaving this world, we can use the seclusion that is observed at the end of Ramadan as an example. In the same way that we leave our family and possessions behind and go into seclusion for ten days in Ramadan, we also leave the world behind each time we raise our hands and begin Salat.
Ibn Qayyim(rh) explained that one purpose of i‘tikaf (seclusion) is to prepare ourselves for the loneliness of the grave; it is to make our hearts find peace in Allah Almighty rather than in people. (Provisions for the Hereafter, Mukhtasar Zad al-Ma’ad, pp. 125) The solitude of the grave is not literal; it is a metaphor for leaving the world and being alone with Allah Almighty. When we enter our tent of seclusion in the Masjid, it is empty and there is nothing we can distract ourselves with. Our only preoccupation is the worship of Allah Almighty. There is no friend whose company can comfort us and no activity that can entertain us. When we observe i‘tikaf (seclusion), we imagine the loneliness of our tent to be like the loneliness of our grave. If we find that seclusion to be hopelessly boring and miserable, it is because all of our comfort and peace is in the distractions of the world. When we left the world behind, we left our peace behind. We can then imagine how we will feel when we leave the world behind forever and enter the solitude of the grave.
The Holy Prophet(sa) said,
“So increase in remembrance of death, the severer of pleasures. For indeed no day comes upon the grave except that it speaks, saying: “I am the house of the estranged, I am the house of solitude” (Tirmidhi, Book ).
To achieve immersion in Salat, we should imagine that the rectangle of our prayer mat is the rectangle of our grave. Once we have entered it, everything outside ceases to exist. If the solitude of our Salat is miserable, the solitude of i‘tikaf (seclusion) will also be miserable, and the solitude of the grave will be even more miserable. During Salat, we should search for Allah Almighty with a sense of urgency, knowing that if we fail to find Him in this grave, we will be lost in that grave.
The mystics have often said, “die before you die.” We all eventually enter the solitude of the grave where we will have left everyone in the world behind forever. If we never experienced communion with Allah Almighty, then our grave will be filled with unbearable loneliness, and the punishment of hell begins there. Our time in our grave will be miserable, similar to how our time on our prayer mat in this life was miserable. The misery we experience in Salat is a taste of the misery that likely awaits us in the punishments of the hereafter. One of the purposes of Salat is to prepare us for that solitude of the grave. When we raise our hands and begin our prayer, we should imagine that moment of death and we should leave this world. Everything outside the rectangle of our prayer mat should be left behind, and now there is only Allah. If we can die before we die, we can achieve immersion in Salat. When we find our Allah in the solitude of our prayer mat, we can look forward to communion with our Allah in the solitude of the grave. The pleasure we experience in communion with Allah Almighty in Salat will be a taste of the pleasure that likely awaits us in the rewards of the hereafter. At the end of Salat, when we say “peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah,” we should ask ourselves if we are now coming back to a world that we had left, or if we were here the whole time.
Hazrat Musleh Mau'ud(ra) said,
“When a Muslim says “Assalamu ‘Alaikum wa Rahmatullah” at the conclusion of his Prayer, he is stating that he had gone to express his obedience and servitude to God and has now returned. He is saying that he is bringing the message of peace and blessings for his fellow Muslims. Since he was always physically present at that place, the only meaning can be that his spirit was prostrating in the presence of God—he was so busy in worship that he was cut off and absent from the world. Saying “Assalamu ‘Alaikum…” at the conclusion of Prayer indicates that it is essential for a Muslim to be alert in safeguarding his Prayer, because he is, at that time, present in the court of God Almighty, Who says about Muslims that: “...and they keep a watch over their Prayer.” (6:93) Satan wants to disrupt their Prayers but vigilant Muslims safeguard their Prayers from his attacks.
Everybody should, therefore, guard his Prayers. When you offer Prayer, keep in mind that you have entered in the presence of God. When you return you should give glad tidings to those to the right and those to the left that you have brought peace and blessings for them. But if someone has never gone to God’s presence, and has always remained engrossed in his own thoughts, he will be telling a big lie when he says “Assalamu ‘Alaikum wa Rahmatullah.” He is trying to tell people that he is returning from God, whereas he never went there.
Make every effort to safeguard your Prayers. Put up a strong resistance to Satan for he is trying to keep you away from God. Remember that even if your entire Prayer is spent in a constant struggle and you do not yield to Satan, Allah will consider you present in His audience. But if you yield, He will let you go. Continue your struggle; you will succeed in the end.” (Remembrance of Allah, pp. 53)