Prayer : a port in every storm(spirituality)

Source : osmannuritopbas.com
Prayer, as the most exceptional form of worship,
is also the most exceptional form of seeking
refuge in Allah. Therefore, when one faces any
kind of hardship, trouble, tribulation, suffering,
and pain he is supposed to turn to prayer
immediately. This is the tradition which the
Prophet (pbuh) often put into practice. Hudhayfa
said:
“The Prophet used to turn to prayer whenever he
faced a difficulty.” (Ahmad, Abu Dawud).
Abu Darda said:
“The Prophet used to go into the mosque
whenever a storm broke out, and would stay
there until it was over. He also used to pray
during the eclipse of the moon or the sun.”
We may here elaborate on the eclipse of the
moon or the sun. The day when Ibrahim, the son
of the Prophet (pbuh), died was a day when the
moon was eclipsed. Due to this coincidence
some of the companions said:
“– The moon eclipsed on the same day when the
son of the Prophet (pbuh) died.”
Yet the Prophet (pbuh) disapproved of this and
said:
“Neither the moon nor the sun eclipses upon
one’s death!” (Muslim, Kusuf, 29).
On the other hand, the daughter of Abu Bakr
asked Aisha, wife of the Prophet (pbuh), during
an eclipse of the sun:
“Is this a sign of rage or doomsday?”
Aisha answered:
“Yes.”
Amr bin As narrates as follows:
“The sun had already eclipsed. The Prophet
(pbuh) stood up for prayer. He stood so long
that we thought he would never bow down. Yet
he bowed down, but he again was so long that
we thought he would never raise his head again.
Then he went down for prostration. Again, we
thought he would never raise his head. Yet he
raised his head, but he kept his new position so
long that we thought he would never go back to
the position of prostration. Yet he then went
down for prostration. We again thought the
same. Yet he raised his head again. And he did
the same in the second unit of the prayer. He
was crying while prostrating.
Then he appealed to Allah:
‘O my Lord! Have not You assured that You
would not punish them when I am among them?
Have not You assured that You would not
punish them as long as they ask forgiveness
from You?’
The eclipse of the sun was over and it was
shining again when the Prophet (pbuh) had
finished his prayer.” (Nasai, Abu Dawud).
As these accounts display, the eclipse of the sun
is not just an ordinary act of nature. It is to
remind us of the Divine Grandeur and Power. It
is also a Divine Warning and a sign of
Doomsday; because having a dark sky suddenly
at daytime demonstrates how both the moon
and the sun bow down to Allah in accordance
with the Divine Order, and also reflects the
atmosphere of Doomsday. Humans are supposed
to take warning by the eclipse of the moon and
the sun and thereby be wary all the time; and
know that everything in this world is passing,
and thereby get prepared for the Hereafter;
because the eclipse of the sun may not be lifted
again.
These kinds of warnings by Allah can be found
in other areas. For example, the fault lines on
earth are of this kind of warning. Allah can take
the lives of His servants without activating the
fault lines. However, He displays them before the
eyes of His servants as an example of the
inevitable end so that they might be in constant
vigilance, and thereby be prepared for the
Hereafter. This is, in fact, a warning by Allah.
Surely, these are not the only Divine warnings.
Floods, hurricanes, incurable illnesses and so on
are of this kind. A poet says in this regard:
Death has approached me,
With the excuse of a headache!
However, it must here be emphasized again that
if these did not occur, humans would carelessly
fall into the claw of death all of a sudden, and
perish. Yet, Allah, the Most Merciful, guides His
servants through many Divine Manifestations so
that they might be prepared for the inevitable
realities before the die is cast. Hadrat Nadr
narrates:
One day it became dark at daytime. I ran to
Anas to ask him:
“Has anything like this occurred at the time of
the Prophet? (pbuh)”
He answered:
“Allah forbid! We used to run into the mosques
even if the wind blew a little bit faster.”
They used to do so, as prayer is a shield against
many calamities and harms in this world, and
also a shield against the hellfire. Allah says:
“O you who believe! Seek help with patient
perseverance and prayer: for Allah is with those
who patiently persevere .” (Baqara 2:153).
The dynasty of Pharaoh in Egypt is a very well-
known one in history. It was famous for tyranny
and arrogance. It was in power in Egypt at the
time of the Prophet Abraham –Aleyhisselâm– as
well. The king called Pharaoh used to arrest any
beautiful woman who came to his country, and
murder her husband (in case she was married),
and then ask her brother (in case she had one)
to release her to him.
When the Prophet Abraham –Aleyhisselâm– with
his wife Sarah left the city of Urfa for Egypt
after Nimrod perished, upon crossing the border
the Pharaoh’s men asked Abraham –
Aleyhisselâm– about the woman accompanying
him. Abraham –Aleyhisselâm– told them that
she was his sister in religion, hoping to take
them in by falling back upon a legal device for
getting around the law. Upon his answer they let
Abraham –Aleyhisselâm– free, but they took
Sarah away to the palace.
It is narrated in Bukhari:
“When Sarah came to the palace, she
immediately made ablution and offered two units
of prayer. She sought refuge in Allah. And Allah
took care of her.”
And the Pharaoh who attempted to approach
Sarah was out of breath because Allah was
protecting her.
And eventually the Pharaoh was paralyzed and
alarmed. He finally let Sarah free. Moreover, he
gave her his slave Hajar as a gift. The Pharaoh
told the high officials of the palace who were
bewilderedly watching him:
“– This woman is a jinn. If she were to stay with
me a bit longer, I would have perished. I gave
her my slave Hajar as a gift not to be harmed by
her!”
So, this was a result of the two units of prayer
offered by Sarah.
Therefore, the Prophet (pbuh) used to direct his
household to perform a prayer when faced with
any difficulty or calamity, and also read the
following verse from the Qur’an:
“Enjoin prayer on your people, and be constant
therein. We ask you not to provide sustenance:
we provide it for you. But the (fruit of) the
Hereafter is for righteousness.” (Taha 20:132).
The Prophet (pbuh) also let us know that the
prophets before him also held fast to prayer
when faced with any difficulty:
“The former prophets also used to hold on to
prayer when faced with any tribulation or
misfortune.” (Fadail al-Amal, 249).
The Prophet (pbuh) also said.
“Allah lends help to my people due to the prayers
and the sincerity of the underprivileged.” (Nasai,
Jihad, 43).
Allama Sharani says:
“A country where people do not offer prayers is
afflicted with problems and calamities. And a
country where people offer prayers is kept away
from them. Let nobody say ‘I offer prayers, and
it is not my business if others do not offer
prayers’; for when a society is exposed to trouble
or calamity it includes all members of it.
The Prophet (pbuh) was once asked about this
point as follows:
‘ – Are we to perish even though we have
righteous people among us?’
The Prophet (pbuh) answered:
‘ – Yes, when wickedness prevails…’ (Muslim,
Fitan, 1).
Therefore, every believer who has been given the
inherent power is responsible to enjoin the good
and prohibit evil.”
On the other hand, the only way of being saved
from the weight upon our shoulders through
careless acts that draw Divine warning or
calamity is to hold fast to prayer. Namely,
salvation from sins is possible only by
repentance and prayer. The Prophet (pbuh) told
a sinful person who came to him and prayed
together with him in repentance:
“– Allah has forgiven your sins.” (Muslim, Abu
Dawud, Bukhari).