SPIRITUAL PRAYER:Prayer and Mehraj, Prayer of the greatests

Prayer and Mehraj

It is the declaration of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) that ‘Prayer is the Mehrāj (Ascension to the heavens) of

the Believer’.

When we look for the definition and meaning of the word ‘Mehrāj’ we find that ‘Mehrāj’ is actually an

alternative word used for ‘the discovery of the unseen world’. When we study the details of the Holy

Prophet's Mehrāj we get a taste through the conscious mind of the realms existing in the unseen world.

The Holy Prophet, after being released from the grip of time and space, physically arrived at Masjid-e-

Aqsa. All the prophets present there Prayed behind the leadership (Imāmat) of the Holy Prophet. He then

made his presence at the Heavens, the first Heaven, second Heaven, third Heaven, fourth Heaven, fifth

Heaven, sixth Heaven, seventh Heaven, and then at the throne of Allah Himself. He met with the people

residing in the Heavens. He observed the state and condition of Heaven and Hell. He conversed with the

angels and then he was granted such a stage during his Ascension where there remained only the distance

of two bows or even less between him and Allah. Allah conversed with His servant about whichever

Secrets He wished, and also said that what the heart saw was not false.

From the study of this light-filled miraculous incidence we can deduce that the word Mehrāj means ‘the

discovery of the unseen world’. Mehrāj was the Mehrāj of the Holy Prophet. For his descendants the

Holy prophet has declared Prayer as Mehrāj. When a believer stands for Prayer, in his mind that door

opens up from which he can enter into the unseen world and become familiar with it. He witnesses the

angels. After being enclosed in a circle of light (Noor) and liberated from time and space he reaches the

height of the Heavens and then he arrives at the Throne of Allah where he bows down in subjection to

Allah. A believer who attains the stage of Mehrāj in Prayer is showered with the light (Noor) of Allah's

attributes.

It must be emphasised that every one of the Holy Prophet's descendants has the ability to spiritually go on

Mehrāj up to the Throne of Allah. Through Prayer any one of his descendants can converse with the

angels, visit Heaven and progress to achieve the utmost limit which is to become a devout servant and

have intimate knowledge of Allah. Such a believer attains the honour to sight the High Throne, and Allah

Himself. His ears hear the voice of Allah and his heart becomes acquainted with Allah's closeness. The

Holy Prophet's Mehrāj was on a spiritual and physical basis and is such a rank which is unique and

exclusive only to the Holy Prophet. Hażrat Ibrahim's access was up to Bait-ul-Mahmood. After Bait-ul-

Mahmood come the stages of Hijab-e-Azmat, Hijab-e-Kubrya, and Hijab-e-Mahmood. After Hijab-e-

Mahmood comes Maqam-e-Mahmood and this is the stage that the Holy prophet ascending to on Mehrāj

where he conversed with Allah, and Allah said:-

‘And We revealed unto our servant that which We revealed. The heart lied not (in seeing)

what it saw’

(Sūrah An-Najm, 10-11)

Prayer of the Lover and the Beloved

To become acquainted with the reality of Prayer we have to have knowledge of our own soul. The Holy

Prophet (pbuh) has explained that without the presence of the heart, Prayer is not Prayer. Nor is it Prayer

if one is not free from evil suggestions and distracted thoughts. Such an act could only be called ‘physical

movement’ and there would be no spiritual value in this act. When a person establishes Prayer with the

depth of his soul he is released from the grasp of that mind which we call ‘the disobedient mind’. When

the grasp of the disobedient becomes weak the Heavenly mind, which is free from the limitations of time

and space takes control. When we incline towards Allah with the Heavenly mind, Allah's light (Noor)

starts descending upon us and in this state of Prayer we break our link with the fictional senses. This state

when one gets so absorbed in Allah's light and magnificence is called Istaghrāq.

Hażrat Ayesha Siddiqa narrates to us that when it was time for Prayer the Holy Prophet would not even

acknowledge the presence of those around him and it would seem as if they were all strangers to him.

The Holy Prophet would stand in Prayer for so long that his blessed feet would get swollen.

The Prayer of the Beloved Prophet (pbuh)

It is narrated in a Hadith that once the Holy Prophet (pbuh) arrived late for the Fajr Prayer. After Prayer

he told the people to remain seated. He narrated to them that last night when he was establishing Prayer

he went into a state of drowsiness. He saw Allah's splendour and beauty in front of him without any veils.

Allah asked him ‘Oh Muhammad! Do you know what subject these certain angels are conversing about?’

He replied ‘Yes, O Lord! They are conversing about those deeds which remove sins’. Allah asked ‘What

are they?’ He answered ‘To lift a step towards the mosque for congregational Prayer, to stay in the

mosque after the Prayer and to perform ablution despite intolerable conditions (such as very cold water).

There is happiness and welfare in the life and death of the one who does this. He will be purified from his

sins just like the day when his mother gave birth to him’. Allah then asked him ‘Oh Muhammad! What

are the stages?’ He replied ‘To feed people, to talk with a soft tone, to get up to establish Prayer when the

world is asleep’. Allah then ordered ‘Ask for anything from Me’. He answered ‘O Lord! I want divine

guidance to be able to do good deeds, refrain from evil deeds and to love the poor. Save me and have

mercy on me. When you wish to test a nation, lift me without testing me. I am the aspirant of Your love

and the love of the one who loves You and the love of every deed that takes me closer to Your love’.

Once the Holy Prophet was performing the Kasoof Prayer (the Prayer performed when there is a solar

eclipse) and remained occupied for a long time reciting the Qur’ān, bowing down and prostrating. During

this time his companions saw that he reached his hand forward. They then saw that he moved back a little.

Later when the people questioned him regarding this incident he told them:-

‘At that time those things were exposed in front of me of which you have been promised.

Paradise and Hell were displayed just beside this wall. I saw bunches of grapes hanging in

Paradise, I felt like breaking off a bunch. If I did break it you would have been able to finish it

until the Day of Resurrection. I then saw Hell and have never before seen such a terrifying

thing’

The Prayer of Hażrat Abu Bakr Siddiq

When Hażrat Abu Bakr Siddiq used to get up to perform Prayer he would get into a state of intense

weeping and the non-Muslim women and children within the radius of this soft and gentle atmosphere

would also start crying.

The Prayer of Hażrat Umar

Hażrat Umar used to cry with such force in Prayer that the sound of it would even reach the last row.

Once Hażrat Umar was leading the Fajr Prayer and the other companions of the Holy Prophet (pbuh)

were following behind him. Suddenly an unfortunate malicious person holding a dagger came forward

and stabbed Hażrat Umar in his blessed belly. Hażrat Umar fainted and fell to the ground. Despite the

occurrence of this horrific incident the Holy Prophet's companions praying behind Hażrat Umar remained

unaware of this. Hażrat Abdul Rahman bin A'uf stepped ahead and completed the obligations of Imāmat

(leadership in Prayer). Only after the completion of the Nafl Prayer did the companions of the Holy

Prophet realise what had happened and went to assist Hażrat Umar.

The Prayer of Hażrat Ali

When Hażrat Ali would make intention to Pray, his whole body would start trembling and the colour of

his face would change. He used to say:-

‘The time has arrived to implement that trust which was offered to the Heavens and the

Earth and which they did not have the courage to take on’

Once an arrow hit Hażrat Ali's thigh and went through to the other side of the thigh. When it was tried to

pull out the arrow he felt an awful lot of pain. One of the other companions of the Holy Prophet (pbuh)

suggested that the arrow be taken out when Hażrat Ali is Praying and so Hażrat Ali made intention and

started to Pray. He got himself so focused and engrossed in prayer that he became totally unaware of his

surroundings. During this time the arrow was easily removed and the wound was bandaged. In the

process Hażrat Ali did not even feel the slightest of pain.

The Prayer of Hażrat Hassan

Hażrat Hassan explained that there are three particular honours for the one who establishes Prayer:-

The first honour is that when a person stands up for Prayer, divine blessings form a cloud from his head

up to the sky from which divine light pours down on him like rain.

The second honour is that angels gather on all four sides of the person and encircle him.

The third honour is that one angel says ‘Oh, one who is praying, if you could see who is in front of you

and who you are talking to, I swear on the Lord you would not salute (say Salām at end of Prayer) until

the Day of Resurrection’.

The Prayer of Hażrat Anas

When Hażrat Anas prayed he used to get so engrossed in Prayer. Because of his engrossment the length

of time between standing and prostration was so prolonged that people used to think that he had forgotten

to prostrate.

The Prayer of Hażrat Abdullah-bin-Zubair

When Hażrat Abdullah Bin Zubair established Prayer he used to recite a large number of Sūrahs from the

Holy Qur’ān. When standing in Prayer it would look as if he were a pillar. When he would prostrate he

would stay in that position for so long that the pigeons of the Holy Kaba would come and sit on his back.

The Prayer of Awais Karni

Hażrat Awais Karni would not sleep all night. He would say that it is surprising that the angels, who

worship Allah all the time never get tired, and us, being the best of creation get tired and have a peaceful

sleep.

The Prayer of Zain-ul-Abideen

One day Zain-ul-Abideen was performing Prayer in the mosque when all of a sudden the thatched roof

caught fire and set it all in flames. Despite this, Zain-ul-Abideen kept steadfast and focused in Prayer.

Watching this incidence, all the people gathered and shouted out to him but he remained unaware of what

was happening. Once he had finished his Prayer he came outside the mosque where the people asked him

why he did not act in response to their shouting out so loudly. Zain-ul-Abideen told them that while they

were trying to save him from this worldly fire, he was actually standing in the court of Allah.

The Prayer of Rabia Basri

Hażrat Rabia Basri used to spend a large portion of the night Praying. She used to say that her reason for

performing Prayer was not to achieve reward but rather that on the Day of Resurrection in front of all the

prophets, the Holy Prophet (pbuh) would be able to proudly say that this Prayer is of a woman from

amongst my descendants.

The Prayer of Hażrat Sufiyan Sawri

Once Hażrat Sufiyan Sawri was busy establishing Prayer near the Holy Kaba. While he was prostrating

an enemy cut off the toes of his feet. After he head saluted (said Salām) in both directions he saw blood

on the floor and felt pain in his feet, and only then did he realise that someone had cut off his toes.

The Prayer of Hażrat Muslim-bin-Bashar

Hażrat Muslim-bin-Bashar had a very domineering personality, so much so that when he would enter the

house the people at home would go into complete silence due to fear of him. But when he prayed he

would get so deeply engrossed in Prayer that no matter how much noise the children made, he would not

have the slightest knowledge of it.

Once Hażrat-bin-Bashar was in his room making intention to pray when accidentally one of the corners of

the room caught fire. Despite this, he remained preoccupied with Prayer. After he had saluted, his family

informed him that all the people in the village had gathered to put out the fire and yet you did not leave

Prayer even though in a time like this it is allowed to break the intention of Prayer. Hażrat-bin-Bashar

replied that if he had known what was happening he certainly would have broken the intention.

The Prayer of a Woman

Hażrat Abdullah-bin-Mubarik relates to us an incidence which occurred in his childhood regarding a

woman who spent a lot of time in worship:-

“During Prayer a poisonous spider stung her forty times but she offered no resistance.

When she finished prayer I asked her why she did not move the spider away. She replied:

‘Oh son! You are still a child. How was it possible, I was preoccupied in the work of my

Lord, how could I have done my own work?’”

The Prayer of a Saint

Hażrat Abu-Alkhair-Aqtah had a cyst in his foot. Doctors suggested that his foot be amputated but Hażrat

Abu-Alkhaira-Aktah did not agree to this. His disciples advised the doctors to cut the foot off while he is

Praying because at that time he has no awareness of himself at all. And so, while he was Praying, his foot

was cut off. Only when he had finished his Prayer did he realise that his foot had been cut off.

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