Question for you: why does Allah ask us to worship Him?
This verse of the Qur’an clearly states the independence of Allah from any entity; dead or alive; abstract or actual. There is not a single situation in which Allah needs us. There is no ounce of worship that Allah needs from us.
So in answer to our question above - why does Allah ask us to worship Him – this commandment is entrenched deep in the mercy and wisdom of our Creator. Allah asks that we worship Him because it is us who benefit from the worship we offer. Worshipping Allah is not just a fast-track ticket to Paradise; the physical, spiritual, and emotional benefits are what we - as mortal beings dependent upon Allah’s
mercies - seek to gain when we worship our Creator.
For this article, by worship, we mean salah. Let us explore some of these beautiful benefits of salah. Firstly, why is it important to understand the benefits of salah? Because our salah becomes more intentional. Our adherence to the five daily salaah is insha Allah (God willing) renewed and refueled, yes, but more than that, our expectations can flourish too. Every ambitious person sets goals, and every
so often, these goals change, adapt, and most importantly, exceed previous goals and expectations.
Social media is rife with the power of manifestation when in fact, the very philosophy of Islam embodies this idea of reaping what one expects from their Creator. If one is hopeful in the mercy and grace of Allah, it is mercy and grace that they reap. If one is despondent and in denial about the mercy and grace
of Allah, then it is according to their expectations that they receive. Similarly, one who begins to comprehend the full nature and power of salah, will expect – and in turn, receive - such an eminent caliber of benefit and achievement from their salah. May Allah make us worthy!
While the benefits of salah are many, in this article, we will highlight three spiritual gains of salah. In the next article, we will explore them further and how they can be achieved! When we talk about spirituality, what we mean is a person’s ability to process the world around them and discover meaning and significance. Leader in the positive psychology movement, Dr Emmons argues that spirituality is a type of human intelligence that provides a ‘framework for one’s... inner life.’
It is hard to disagree with this from an Islamic perspective. All worship including salah is so more than its physical movements and in fact all actions in Islam are judged according to intentions. This establishes the superiority of the interior over the exterior but how exactly does salah provide a framework for one’s inner life?
Three Benefits
1. Relinquishing worry and anxiety
The world is so consuming and exhausting that sometimes life is about surviving rather than living. What salah does is offer a practical and holistic means of living by encouraging us to relinquish control.
2. Taqwa (God consciousness)
Salah is a conversation between the Creator and the creation. It is a conversation between Allah and yourself. The more a person prays and the more effort s/he makes to improve his prayer, the more conscious he becomes of God’s presence.
3. A journey of love
Ibn al-Qayyim said: Loving Allah is the life of hearts and nourishment of souls without which a heart will not feel happiness, blessings, success or life.”
In short, loving Allah is pure worship and a salah is how such a relationship can be established, nourished and sustained.
While the above descriptions are short, we don’t want to take too much of your time at once. We will let you ponder on these few lines before exploring these benefits further in part two and how you can become mindful with your prayer practice. Hopefully, reaping these benefits and many more.
Minara, with love and duas