Beauty of Prayer/Salah

“Among the acts of devotion and worship (‘ibâdat) there is none that brings the servant closer to the angelic spiritual stations of ‘those drawn near to God’ (the muqarrabûn), which is the highest station of the Friends of God – whether of angel or Messenger or prophet or saint or person of faith – than the act of prayer.”

Lest one despair of ever realizing – at least as something more than a memorable hâl – such a true inner state of prayer, the Shaykh immediately follows this description with another imagined speech of God to his angels, a speech which underlines the extraordinary dignity and rarity of any human achievement in this realm of prayer :➡ ⬇

“…For I have placed between this servant of Mine and the ‘station of Proximity (to Me)’ (maqâm al-qurba) many veils and immense obstacles, including the goals of the carnal soul; sensual desires and passions; taking care of other people, property, family, servants and friends; and terrible fears.

Yet (My servant) has cut through all that and continued to strive until he prostrated himself [clearly more than bodily motions are involved in this sense of sujûd] and drew near (to Me) and became one of the muqarrabûn. So look, O My angels, at how specially favored you are and at the superiority of your rank, although I did not test you with these obstacles nor obligate you to undergo their pains. And realize the rank of this servant, and give him all that he is due for everything that he has undergone and suffered on his path (toward Me), for My sake!”