Islaah-e-Nafs/Self-Reformation and Perfection in DeenMawaa’iz and Naseehat/Lectures and Advice

Concentration in Salaat

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Salaat

“Most certainly, it (Salaat) is difficult but on those who are humble, those who know that they will be meeting their Rabb and that they will be returning to Him.” (Qur’aan)

This aayat indicates a wonderful prescription for simplifying Salaat. Performance of Salaat is difficult since the mind is constantly assaulted by distractions and stray thoughts which destroy concentration. This aayat diagnoses the cause which makes Salaat difficult and offers the remedy for eliminating the difficulty.

The mind of man is accustomed to unrestricted freedom in the realms of thought. Since the bodily parts are subservient to the mind, the latter dictates unrestricted freedom for them as well. However, Salaat imposes complete restriction on the movements of the body. The body is fettered and not permitted the freedom the mind desires for it. The restrain placed on the bodily parts affects the mind, hence it revolts. Thus, the difficulty experienced in Salaat is the result of the mind’s ‘motion’ in thought. The fluttering of the mind in valleys of thought makes Salaat difficult.

The remedy for the mind’s agitation is sukoon (rest). The mind’s agitation should be substituted with rest. In fact, the term khushu’ mentioned in the aayat means ‘peace of the heart’ or the mind at rest. Since thought is the motion of the mind, severance of thought will be the rest of the mind.

Experience has shown that it is almost impossible to banish the plethora of thoughts in which the mind is involved. Attempts to clear the mind of the variety of thoughts assaulting it end in failure. Expulsion of a variety of thoughts can be achieved in only one way. Since the mind cannot attend to two different directions of thought at one and the same time, the variety of thoughts entering the mind in rapid succession can be eliminated by focussing the mind on a single direction.

When the concentration of the mind is engrossed in a single thought or direction, all other thoughts will recede and disappear automatically. The motion of the mind will then cease, and the state of rest will permeate it.

That single thought which this aayat advocates is the Meeting with Allah. Engrossing the mind’s attention in this thought will render Salaat easy and perfect.

(The Majlis Archives)