A Clean Heart?

During one of our lessons my Ustadh, Maulana Anwar Sahib, mentioned an incident which he experienced whilst offering Salaah in the Masjid.

My Ustadh would mention this story on many occasions to inform us and educate in regards to the religion and to show us the importance to understand the teachings of religion to ensure that the individual is actually following the true teachings of the religion and not just his whims and desires.

He mentioned, on one occasion when I was offering Salaah in the Masjid I saw an individual whose back was exposed whilst in Sajdah due to the short top he was wearing. I was offering Salaah behind him and when I completed my Salaah and he had completed his I approached him and told him politely, 'brother, I believe that your Salaah has become invalidated because your back was visible during Sajdah. However, it is best if you seek advise from a learned scholar just to confirm.'

Hearing this the brother became very annoyed and said, 'Dil Saaf Hona Chahye', translated as 'the heart needs to be pure'.

By this statement the individual was implying that these 'small' things don't matter, what actually matters is your intentions and the purity of your heart. If within your heart you have a clean intention then these things are trivial.

My Ustadh would relate this story and then inform us how many people's understanding religion is misplaced and through this misplaced understanding how people's actions become invalidated.

Indeed, one's heart needs to be pure and clean. Yet this does not mean that the teachings of the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم can be overlooked and misinterpreted. It is therefore essential that one learns the teachings of Islam in light of the Qur'an and Sunnah; an important lesson for any individual but more so for a student of knowledge.

Make your Food Salaah

Whilst is Darul Uloom we came across a Hadith which stated along the lines that if Salaah time due and a person was hungry then he should eat first and the same for a person who needed to relieve himself from the call of nature.

The Hadith was explained in some detail whilst the conclusion was that you should not make your Salaah your food.

Meaning that a hungry person who is offering Salaah would make his Salaah his food by constantly thinking of eating and awaiting the end of the Salaah so he could fulfil his need to eat. Therefore, his entire Salaah would primarily be without concentration and his attention would have been on food.

However, some after graduating, whilst in the company of my respected teacher, Maulana Imran Sahib, this Hadith was brought up and Maulana Imran Sahib gave me an explanation, whilst quoting someone, which shows another perspective and the true purpose of this Hadith.

He said:

'Do not make your Salaah food but instead make your food Salaah'

This was in response to those people who take this Hadith to avoid offering Salaah whilst they are hungry and hence giving food preference and priority.

Indeed our Salaah should not be an opportunity to think of our meal and need to eat but at the same time when we are asked to eat it should be such that our food should become Salaah...

With every morsel that we take our attention and concern should be of Salaah and therefore our food becomes Salaah.

This Hadith has been stated for those people who are extremely hungry and cannot wait any longer, or that waiting will cause distractions within their Salaah. However, whilst resolving to eat first, one should eat enough to suffice him to offer Salaah.

Therefore, in such cases one's food should become his Salaah and not vice versa.