The Letter Sod
I. The So/at (The Formal Prayer)
Allah said:
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"And seek help in patience and As-Salat (the prayer) and truly, it is extremely heavy and hard except for Al-Khashi'un [i.e. the true believers in Allah - those who cbey Allah with full submission, fear much from Hi, punishment, and believe in His Promise (Paradise) and in His Warnings (Hell)]." (2:45)
"O you who believe! Seek help in patience and As-Salat (the prayer). Truly, Allah is with As-Sabirun (the patient)."” (2:153)
In addition, Allah said,
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"And enjoin As-Salat (the prayer) on your family, and be patient in offering them [i.e. the Salat (prayers)]. We ask not of you a provision (i.e. to give Us something: money): We provide for you. And the good end (i.e. Paradise) is for the Muttaqun (the pious)." (20:132)
Furthermore, in the Sunon it is narrated;
"Whenever the Messenger of Allah would be concerned about a matter, he would turn to prayer.”
We In addition mentioned using the prayer as a cure for various types of illnesses before these illnesses progress.
The prayer brings about sustenance, preserves the health, discards harm, eradicates illness, strengthens the heart, radiates the face with light, brings joy to the soul and dissipates laziness. In addition, the prayer energizes the limbs, sustains power, opens the chest, nourishes the soul, brings light to the heart, protects the bounty, shields
from the anger (of Allah), brings about blessings, takes one away from Satan and draws him closer 10 the Most Beneficent.
In general, the prayer has a profound effect in preserving the health of the body and the heart. The prayer In addition discards harmful substances. No two persons would catch a type of disease or suffer an affliction, but whoever prays among them would suffer the minimal effects of the illness or the affliction.
The prayer has a profoundly wondertul effect in repelling the evils of this life, especially when the prayer is given its due right inwardly and outwardly. Certainly, the evils of this life and the Next Lite would be most effectively repelled while their good wouid be most effectively brought forth through prayer. The secret in this is that the prayer is the connection with Allah. The closer the connection is between the slave and his Lord, the more open the doors of all types of good will be for him. while closing the ways to evil. In this case, the tools of success will descend on the slave from his Lord, along with good health, many bounties and riches. comfort, delight, joy, happiness and the good things of life,
2. Sabr (Patience)
Sabr, patience, is one half of Faith, which is half patience and half praise and thankfulness. Some of the
So/of said, "Iman has two halves, one half patience and one half praise (and appreciation)." Allah said:
"Verily, in this are indeed signs for every steadfast, grateful (person).” (34:19)
To Faith, Sabr is just like the head to the body. There are three types of Sabr. First, there is the Sabr while performing Allah's Commands, so that one does not ignore [or get bored with] them. There is a Sabr with shunning the prohibitions, so that one does not violate them. There is In addition a Sabr with the appointed destiny and decisions of Allah, so that one is not enraged because of them. When one acquires all three types of Sabr, his Sabr will be complete and the delight of this and the Next Life will be whole, along with gaining and winning in both lives. No person shall achieve these great prizes except by passing on the bridge of Sabr, just as no person will reach Paradise except by passing over the Sfrot (the bridge over hell). Umar said, "We achieve the best living by Sabr."
When one thinks about the grades of perfection achieved in this life, he will realize that all of them are connected to Sabi. On the other hand, when one thinks about the blame worthy types of failure that one can and should avoid, he will realize that they are all connected to impatience. For instance, courage, honor, generosity and preferring others with good things are patience for a short time only (meaning this life is short).
Much of the illnesses and the sicknesses that attack the body and the heart are a result of impatience. In addition, Sabr is the best preserver for the health of the heart, the body and the soul, as it is the great distinction and the biggest cure. If Sabr only carries the reward of Allah being with the patient slaves and His love for them, it would be sufficient. Allah loves Sabr and supports its people:
"Certainly, victory comes with patience” In addition, patience is good for its people.
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"But if you endure patiently, verily, it is better for As-Sabirun (the patient)." (16:126)
Further, patience is the tool to achieve success.
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"O you who believe! Endure and be more patient (than your enemy), and guard your territory by stationing army units permanently at the places from where the enemy can attack you, and fear Allah, so that you may be successful." (3:200)
3. Sobir (Aloe)
Sabir has many benefits, especially the Indian Sabir, as it rids the body of bilious excrements in the brain and the optic nerves. When the Sabir is used as an ointment on the forehead and the cheeks, after blending it with rose oil, it helps relieve headaches. It In addition helps relieve the sores and cankers that appear in the mouth and nose and helps against black bile and depression.
The Persian Sabir sharpens the mind and brings firmness to the heart, and In addition releases from the body bilious mixtures and the phlegm that accumulates in the stomach, when one takes two spoons of Sabir mixed with water.
Caution: drinking Sabir in cold weather might cause diarrhea with blood.
4. Sawm (Fasting)
Fasting is a shield from many illnesses of the soul, the heart and the body and has tremendous benefits. Fasting In addition preserves the health and rids the body of harmful substances while preventing it from consuming what might harm it, especially when one fasts in the best times that the religion states or when the body needs it. Fasting relieves the muscles and the rest of the body and ensures regenerating its strength. Fasting In addition has a characteristic that should make one eagerly prefer it, that is, bringing joy and relief to the heart sooner or later (i.e. on the Last Day). Fasting is the best resort for those suffering from excess bodily moistures and substances and In addition protects and preserves their health.
Fasting is a type of spiritual and physical remedy. When the fasting person observes various rulings and guidelines regarding the Fast, his heart and body will benefit from the Fast the most. In addition, the body will get rid of the harmful foreign substances that his body 1s susceptible to receive, along with getting rid of the harmful substances that have already penetrated the body. The Fast In addition helps the fasting person to stay away from what he is supposed to avoid and to implement and
seek the goals behind the Fast and what it is supposed to achieve for him. Fasting does not only entail abstaining from food and drink. There is another goal that fasting seeks to achieve which made it an act that Allah will specity its reward [only on the Day of Judgment]. The Fast is In addition a shield between the slave and what
might harm his body and soul sooner or later, and this is why Allah said,
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"O you who believe! Observing As-Saum (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqun (the pious)." (2:183)
Fasting is a shield and a protection making it a type of tremendously beneficial diet. Another goal that the Fast seeks to achieve is the heart being busy with Allah, thus enlisting and recruiting the various powers of the body to implement what Allah loves and the requirements of worshiping Him. We mentioned some of the secrets of the Fast when we mentioned the Prophet's guidance on this subject.