Is physical salat like a drug?
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Peace be upon you Servant,
In a recent thread I posted regarding the question of physical salat several people responded that anyone who was going back to a physical salat understanding were simply experiencing withdrawal symptoms of the phenomenon of peace that the physical salat provides.
How can someone have withdrawal from "PEace"? Peace is the goal. The WITHDRAWAL is from THINKING it is what you should be doing.
Please do not be so quick to associate PEACE with the traditional ritual of salaat.Thus these people are saying that the physical salat is wrong to perform or return to; and that it has an addicting effect which needs to be resisted.
I would argue otherwise. Waking up at 430 AM to perform a physical salat is not exactly what a normal human body is calling for. The bed and sleeping are what the nafs is urging one to do. When sundown occurs the natural desire is to lounge around on the sofa and not to go and perform physical salat.
The nafs will urge you to do whatever it is PROGRAMMED to urge you to do. Some have purified thier nafs , others have corrupted it. Lets use a crack addcit for example, is there nafs urging them to go perform oral sex on someone for money to buy more crack? Is that a natural urge?
Satan would never call one out of bed to glorify God alone in whatever form that takes. So physical salat is not the drug that it is made out to be. It is a difficult endeavour that requires will and intent to perform.
Does anyone have alternate views?
YOu are missing the bigger picture, you are assuming that getting out of bed and bowing on the Ground is glorifying the God who is not a physical object to be bowed to. So "satan" would be doing DOUBLE DAMAGE to such a person, they are loosing sleep AND doing useless bodily movements.
Wouldnt it be better to read the reading at dawn, JUST AS IT IS STATED WE SHOULD BE DOING? Therefore you can REMEMBER the God's message throughout the day? I think that will bring you more peace
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Peace be upon you Servant,
I want you to REALLY think about EMOTIONS. Think about when you lose a mate and you FEEL LONELY, like you need the back. Think about the things you purchase and become attached to, you FEEL like you cant do without them. It is you FEELINGS toward an object that cause this feeling of WITHDRAWAL. There is something in you that is causing you to FEAR that you might be wring in this matter so you want to go back to this ritual. It is not about peace because meditation will bring you a greater peace, greater relaxation, I can guarantee that.
The "peace" from traditional salaat is only because your MIND has been convinced that you have obeyed the God, the same way EVERY OTHER RELIGION feels "good" when they are done thier rituals. Baptist Christians "feel" good when they leave a service full of beautiful song and "worship", and will FEEL empty if they cant get there.
But the whole story about malakia and shayteen are about OVERCOMING EMOTIONS and working according to LAW.
If we ate foods based on our FEELINGS, we would always eat candy.
Please take time and REFLECT on examples in your life to verify what is being said. we cannot base ANYTHING on our desires(feelings).
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Peace Kyle,
Well said.
Baptist Christians "feel" good when they leave a service full of beautiful song and "worship", and will FEEL empty if they cant get there.
And don't forget the jews who 'feel really good' when they continuously bang their heads on a wall!
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Peace all,
The calmness brought by physical prostation and bowing is secondary compared to the peace and the joy brought through the knowledge of the truth and the God?s remembrance D
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And if they hear what was sent down to the messenger you see their eyes flooding with tears, for what they have known as the truth, they Say ?Our Lord, we believe, so record us with the witnesses.?
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The ones who believed and their hearts are relieved by the remembrance of God; for in God?s remembrance the hearts are relieved.
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O mankind, advice has come to you from your Lord and a remedy for what is in the chests, and a guidance and mercy for the believers.
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And We send down from the Quran what is a healing and mercy to the believers. And it only increases the wicked in their loss.
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And had We made it a non-Arabic Quran, they would have said ?If only its verses were made clear!? Non-Arabic and Arabic, Say ?For those who believe, it is a guide and healing. As for those who disbelieve, there is a deafness in their ears, and they are blind to it. These will be called from a place far away.?
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Peace,
YOu are missing the bigger picture, you are assuming that getting out of bed and bowing on the Ground is glorifying the God who is not a physical object to be bowed to. So "satan" would be doing DOUBLE DAMAGE to such a person, they are loosing sleep AND doing useless bodily movements.
That is well said and not only that, but the alleged muslim idolworshippers are quick to escape from important engagements, businesses, appointments, jobs and all other necessary day-to-day natural commitments/obligations (salaat) just to face a stone structure to revere GOD. Knowing full well that GOD is as close to our jugular veins, hence HIS rememberance via mind, body and soul, yet one insists otherwise.
Wouldnt it be better to read the reading at dawn, JUST AS IT IS STATED WE SHOULD BE DOING? Therefore you can REMEMBER the God's message throughout the day? I think that will bring you more peace
I REMEMBER Quranic message by acting upon it in its most natural forms, in reality. In other words, not dwelling within a written material but outside of it.
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Peace be upon you
4142
The Hypocrites - they think they are over-reaching Allah, but He will over-reach them When they stand up to prayer, they stand without earnestness, to be seen of men, but little do they hold Allah in remembrance;
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The only reasons why their contributions are not accepted are that they reject Allah and His Messenger; that they come to prayer without earnestness; and that they offer contributions unwillinglyHlatif I can't see any phyical side of slw here. Can't they be talking about public oration of the Quran? Hypocrites go and listen to it without earnestness just to be seen. Nobody can see you if you do five times or ten times ) pyhsical salaat in your home.
Is going to ritual prayer without earnestness as a big sin as rejecting Allah and his messenger?
Am I the only person who just doesn't do any ritual thing (like reading or something), I feel lonely (
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Peace be u pon you all,
Good posts from everyone!
Marie, you said it best when you stated that the Peace of physical prostration is secondary, I even think that is too high of a ranking.
Danish said
I REMEMBER Quranic message by acting upon it in its most natural forms, in reality. In other words, not dwelling within a written material but outside of it.I agree, we are taking the subjective realm, NOTHINGNESS(CHAOS), and bringing it to the objective level, brining heaven on earth. We are brining ORDER(deen). The WORD comes from the sujbective realm and we must bring it into REALITY (actually, the word IS happening, we just have to tune in)
Born again said
Am I the only person who just don't do any ritual thing (like reading or something), I feel lonely
Anything you do on a reglar basis (brush teeth) is a ritual, at dawn and dusk, you need to be doing SOMETHING. Meditating on the UNIVERSE is "reading the book", just like Abraham showed us when he noticed the rising and setting of the heavenly bodies.
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Salam Born again,
You said
Nobody can see you if you do five times or ten times pyhsical salaat in your home.
The AYA addresses people and what they do in public. Not in private, because it says to be seen of men. What the hypocrites do in private is not addressed in this AYA.
As for the public oration of the Qur'an, it is possible but at least one thing goes against it
The word to be seen of men suggests seeing rather than hearing.Is going to ritual prayer without earnestness as a big sin as rejecting Allah and his messenger?
GOD only knows the answer to that question.
take care and have a great day
Hussein
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Hlatif said
As for the public oration of the Qur'an, it is possible but at least one thing goes against it
The word to be seen of men suggests seeing rather than hearing.That's what I mean. They go to oration of the Quran just to be thought to be a believer but they are hypocrites.
Maybe I need to rephrase this sentence of mine
Hypocrites go and "observe" it without earnestness just to be seen.
Believers see these guys and they are like "they believe like us" but in fact they don't believe with their hearts. I hope I made myself clear. I'm waiting for your reply.
Peace...
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Peace Kyle,
I think there is a point to think about given your reply.
Peace be upon you Servant,
YOu are missing the bigger picture, you are assuming that getting out of bed and bowing on the Ground is glorifying the God who is not a physical object to be bowed to. So "satan" would be doing DOUBLE DAMAGE to such a person, they are loosing sleep AND doing useless bodily movements.
When it comes to the 'double damage' - I want to put a question to you that I do not expect or want an answer for. Does the reading contain an instruction for believers to follow at dawn?
So they are instructed to lose this desire for sleep from God, and it remains to think about how many actually fulfill this.
Wouldnt it be better to read the reading at dawn, JUST AS IT IS STATED WE SHOULD BE DOING? Therefore you can REMEMBER the God's message throughout the day? I think that will bring you more peace
The question is does it bring you more peace? Talking the talk is easy, and that's what there's a surfeit of here. How about walking the walk; life is not just about ideas and the intellectual struggle.
On the one hand you called the loss of sleep 'double damage' and on the other you advocate it. Can you see how you are neither here nor there; you are wavering in the trap of compromise.
I'd read carefully what hlatif posted regarding earnesty/sincerity in salat above, and what type of people it applies to.
Regards.
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Salaams all,
Addiction definition
Here's a general definition Addiction (in the general sense) Any substance or activity taken repetitively as an escape from other areas of life...
Definition of Addiction
In the particular instance of heroin addiction, the person's feeling of being in control has been likened to the feeling of being a hero/winner.074.042
YUSUFALI "What led you into Hell Fire?"
074.043
YUSUFALI They will say "We were not of those who prayed;So according to these definitions , I would conclude we are escaping from the life to come the hell part , BUT question is is this the salaat Allah means which will keep us out of hell or is it something different?
Secondly when we are doing the salaat (traditional) we do bring on a feeling of fulfillment irrespective of whether we are killers or corrupt politicians and what not. So we give ourselves a boost of the feeling of being wholly righteous.
And if ever you stop this you do feel some what at a loss for this feeling/s of the fulfillment , hence false sense of something.AS IDOLFREE EXPLAINED!I ask you
?BUT question is is this the salaat Allah means which will keep us out of hell or is it something different??
To each their own understandings.
God Bless ,Salaams.
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The "peace" from traditional salaat is only because your MIND has been convinced that you have obeyed the God, the same way EVERY OTHER RELIGION feels "good" when they are done thier rituals.
- Is one who is based on proof from his Lord, as one for whom his evil works have been adorned for him and they followed their desires?
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Salaam Y'all,
Dear Zenje,
BTW, on a side note, IMO nothing beats zen meditation in attaining a calmness of nafs. wink
Do you have any books on Zen that you would recommend?
Peace,
Damon. -
Peace be upon you Servant,
When it comes to the 'double damage' - I want to put a question to you that I do not expect or want an answer for. Does the reading contain an instruction for believers to follow at dawn?
Yes, to maintain the process(salaat). This is the process of enlightenment, where we READ the Universe, that is, we meditate on the creation to understand the Restrictions that we should follow. Remember our focus at all times is the "place of hearing and obeying the restrictions". The PROCESS of enlightenment is a process where we look at the universe and weigh evidence, thats why its called Al salaat Al Wusta(the balance process). That is why it is done at dawn and dusk, the times when day and night are merged(balance). This was the original meaning of the christian cross, that you must obtain balance in life to succeed. This is why a verse about salaat comes in the middle of the discussion of divorce(seperation).
Take a look at 11114 and 1778, as well as the verse about times of undress.
So they are instructed to lose this desire for sleep from God, and it remains to think about how many actually fulfill this.
No, you are required to be disciplined and to get up and do what you are being asked to do, but if you get up and do some meaningless ritual of putting your head on the ground and TRYING to face a stone cube in Mecca (A very old idol in itself), then you are losing sleep, because it is meaningless. I was not saying that you lose sleep by following the God.
idolfree1 wrote
Wouldnt it be better to read the reading at dawn, JUST AS IT IS STATED WE SHOULD BE DOING? Therefore you can REMEMBER the God's message throughout the day? I think that will bring you more peaceThe question is does it bring you more peace? Talking the talk is easy, and that's what there's a surfeit of here. How about walking the walk; life is not just about ideas and the intellectual struggle.
Since we are on internet, you will not be able to see me walk the walk, which is why seeing is above hearing(hearsay).
On the one hand you called the loss of sleep 'double damage' and on the other you advocate it. Can you see how you are neither here nor there; you are wavering in the trap of compromise.
I'd read carefully what hlatif posted regarding earnesty/sincerity in salat above, and what type of people it applies to.
Please read carefully the clarified understanding above and you will see where you jumped to the wrong conclusion. Then perhaps we can start a more focused discussion.
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Salaam Damon,
Right now, the book I can think of, off the bat is - Everyday Zen Love and Work, By Charlotte Joko Beck - I remember reading this some years ago and enjoying it immensely. I used to read up a lot on eastern philosophy (ah, those were the days ). For step by step reading, I would also recommend Insight Meditation or this one by Joseph Goldstein although this meditation style is called - vipassana, however, essentially they're pretty much the same.
Peace!
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Peace be upon you Zenje,
I would like to talk with you about meditation. I am not ready yet, but soon. Just wanted you to be aware so you could remind me if I forget to bring it up. I think I see some connections, but not prepared to discuss them just yet.
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Salaam People,
Thanx Zenje for the feedback and recommendations.
Dear Kyle,
I think I see some connections, but not prepared to discuss them just yet.
I was pondering on the exact same thing as of late last night. I am still pondering on these things though, but I do believe that I see a connection emerging here. idea
Peace Y'all,
Damon. -
Peace be upon you all,
I just wanted to state the following, if you do NOT have an understanding of salaat, then you should be doing SOMETHING at the prescribed times, ONLY to keep up a discipline. I did not want to give off the impression that if you are unsure you should just sleep the day away. It is discipline that helps us grow. But the traditional method is incorrect and there is much info proving that case. 1778 clearly tealls us there is a dawn reading. From study we observe that the Universe must be "read". We need to become more conscious at tthe times when day and night merge. It symbolizes balance(wusta).
Damon, "late night" reflecting is the best! D