Let's Learn how to pray the Sunni way :D
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SALAM Arnoldyasin
I was actually getting your point and I was about to reply with full agreement with your words ... until I actually looked up the root word for SALA in the Arabic Dictionary and found no connotation of support/follow for the meaning of this word. Sala can either mean prayer (as in a form of worship) or to bless. These are the only meanings of the root word of salat. There's also sila which means to burn or roast but thats a totally different meaning with a different accent mark (notice its sila not sala). But at any rate, that would mean that GOD really does bless the Prophet as well as all Prophets and all believers and comands us to also bless them when mentioning them either in prayers or talking about them. (It's hard for me to believe that God actually prays on them so I'm going with the meaning of bless.) It wouldn't even make sense with your meaning of support/follow if you think about it. If God is saying He SALA on prophets and believers, then by your rationale he supports/follows them??? God doesn't follow, far Exalted his He to follow His own creation - He leads, we follow.Actually, if I say "The Prophet Jesus ( Peace and Blessings be upon him - 3aleihi el salat w el salam) did x y z ...." I'm not really speaking to him. It's a form of respect and dignity for the dead just as we in English would speak of someone deceased for example and say My grandfather, God rest his soul (or God bless his soul) used to tell me x y z...".
That is quite different than saying " Oh Jesus Peace and Blessings be upon YOU!!!" I think we both agree that this would be wrong because Jesus can't hear us, nor could any other prophet (I'm just using Jesus as an example). So that takes care of the SALA part.
Now we get to the SALAMA part as in " sallemo tasleeman". SALAMA actually has a million conotations in the dictionary and actually, your opinion of "follow the prophet completely" to me makes the most sense. However, for argument's sake, it really wouldn't do harm if anyone ever said peace and blessings be upon any prophet. We already see that SALA means either prayer or blessings, so I don't see why it would be bad if we wish peace on his soul as well. If you agree with me that blessings are bestowed upon the prophet by God even after his death and that we are commanded to wish for him the same, then why would peace be so far-fetched or WRONG for that matter??
At any rate, sallemo tasleeman sounds better to my ears if it's translated as follow him completely now that I looked the root word up in the dictionary. It fits the best and in that sense I think you're absolutely right!
Following the prophet is commanded to us and we wouldn't have this quran if it wasn't for the prophet Mohamed (peace and blessings be upon him) fulfilling his covenant with God. So there is nothing wrong with praying that peace and blessings be bestowed onto him just as I would any deceased family member or Mother Teresa or whoever. ITS ABSOLUTELY WRONG (and a little insane), however, to address any dead person, be he prophet or otherwise.
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Who can refrain from praying for his parents? A person who is unaware of what he has received from his parents and has a heart devoid of compassion and gratitude.
Who can refrain from praying for the Prophet Muhammad? A person who does not need the Prophet may refrain from this.
But he who knows what the Quran means to his life shall pray for the Prophet. Such a person knows that Allah created him; he also knows that his parents took pains for him. Similar is case for the Prophet.
A monotheist knows how much we depend on Allah and His mercy for our existence. We are nothing in power in front of Allah. Praying for the Prophet is a manifestation of this reality. The Prophet prayed to Allah for others, others prayed to Allah for the Prophet. All worshiped Allah alone and all prayed to Allah for all. It is the conclusion of Islam?s fundamental principle Unity of Godhead, brotherhood of mankind.
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Peace,
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He SALA on prophets and believers, then by your rationale He supports/follows them.
God supported the prophets or not? I didn't say God followed him, the believers do. I said God supported him, or is that also not possible for you? Lets see how the word is used throughout the Quran....= Sad-Lam-Waw = contact, join, prayer, supplication, petition, oration, eulogy, benediction, commendation, blessing, honour, magnifiy, bring forth, follow closely, walk/follow behind closely, to remain attached.In a horse race when the second horse follows the first one so closely that its head always overlaps the first horse?s body that horse is called AL-MUSSALLI (i.e. the one who follows closely / remains attached).
Central portion of the back, portion from where the tail of an animal comes out, the rump.musalla (ي n. m. - 2125
salat (ة n. f. sing. - 23, 243, 245, 283, 2110, 2153, 2177, 2238, 2277, 443, 477, 4101, 4102, 4103, 4103, 4103, 4142, 4162, 56, 512, 555, 558, 591, 5106, 672, 692, 6162, 7170, 83, 835, 95, 911, 918, 954, 971, 9103, 1087, 1187, 11114, 1322, 1431, 1437, 1440, 1778, 17110, 1931, 1955, 1959, 2014, 20132, 2173, 2235, 2241, 2278, 232, 2437, 2441, 2456, 2458, 2458, 273, 2945, 2945, 3031, 314, 3117, 3333, 3518, 3529, 4238, 5813, 629, 6210, 7023, 7034, 7320, 985, 1075
salawat (ت nom. gen. n. plu. - 2157, 2238, 999, 2240, 239salla (ي vb.II m. - perf. act. 7531, 8715, 9610 - impf. act. 339, plu. neg. 4102, plu. 4102, tusalli (ل neg. 984, yusallee (ي sing. 3343, yusalloona (ن plu. 3356 - salli (ل impv. 9103, salloo (ا plu. 3356, 1082 - musalleena (ن pcple. act. plu. acc. gen. 7022, 7443, 1074
Illa allatheena yasiloonaila qawmin baynakum wabaynahum meethaqun aw jaookumhasirat sudooruhum an yuqatilookum awyuqatiloo qawmahum walaw shaa Allahu lasallatahumAAalaykum falaqatalookum fa-ini iAAtazalookum falam yuqatilookumwaalqaw ilaykumu alssalama fama jaAAala Allahulakum AAalayhim sabeelan
Except those who join a group between whom and you there is a treaty (of peace), or those who approach you with hearts restraining them from fighting you as well as fighting their own people. If Allah had pleased, He could have given them power over you, and they would have fought you Therefore if they withdraw from you but fight you not, and (instead) send you (Guarantees of) peace, then Allah Hath opened no way for you (to war against them).
2.
Waallatheena yasiloonama amara Allahu bihi an yoosala wayakhshawnarabbahum wayakhafoona soo-a alhisabi
Those who join together those things which Allah hath commanded to be joined, hold their Lord in awe, and fear the terrible reckoning;
3.
Qala sanashuddu AAadudakabi-akheeka wanajAAalu lakuma sultanan falayasiloona ilaykuma bi-ayatinaantuma wamani ittabaAAakuma alghaliboona
He said "We will certainly strengthen thy arm through thy brother, and invest you both with authority, so they shall not be able to touch you with Our Sign shall ye triumph,- you two as well as those who follow you."
4.
Inna Allaha wamala-ikatahu yusalloonaAAala alnnabiyyi ya ayyuha allatheenaamanoo salloo AAalayhi wasallimoo tasleeman
Verily, Allah and His angels bless the Messenger and support his Mission (3343). O You who have chosen to be graced with belief! Join him and give yourself up to him and his Mission in total submissionI know it out of respect, but i'm always carefull when it comes ot saluting or doing something extra for a creation, as God says Himself, all must be directed at Him. And you say, i don't say it directly to him, i only wish him peace. Don't you think he already has all the peace he wants? Do you think your peaces, add to his peace? Then you say again, i do it out of respect, but why then, you say; peace be UPON him? Like he doesn't has it? Or that your adds to him? There are more ways to show respect. Why choose this one? And prashant; pray for him? Because he also prayed for others?? He prayed for alive people....As nobody can pray for dead people
For GOD will pay each soul for whatever it EARNED; GOD is the most efficient reckoner.
But i respect everybodies ways, this is just my opinion.
Peace
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Peace be upon you AS,
The verses you gave about "joining" come from a different root than "salaat". I went through that same thought process some time ago.
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Please give me some explaination, because i will take back everything i said above if i made a mistake in interpretation.
Edit
I checked the roots i gave above and found that they all refer to join or touch or follow. So for me, this is the best understanding. But give me proof the understanding is wrong from the Quran itself... -
Salaam all,
I have a reference regarding the occurence of the word "shalat" in the quran. This reference is just that, a reference. It does not promote a specific understanding. You can download it (right-click & save-as) here. It's something that I compiled few months ago. The purpose, besides for reference, is to promote independent study of this word in the quran. Hopefully, it can be useful to someone.
=adley=
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Peace arnoldyasin and others.
And prashant; pray for him? Because he also prayed for others??
I did not say that I pray for him because he prayed for others. I tried to say that the reason for which he prayed for others and the reason for my prayer for him are same.
Praying for the Prophet has root in monotheism and vocation of man as presented by Allah in the Quran.
Allah is the ONE and ONLY entity who is the cause of all causes and all effects and the sequence of the causes and the effects. Power of Allah is NOT LIMITED by this cause-effect stream. NOTHING appears as a logical or phenomenal NECESSITY, rather everything is equally dependant on Allah?s absolute WILL. From phenomenological point, a Muslim can only expect and he can only fear. From ontological point, a Muslim expects from Allah only and he fears Allah only.
The vocation of man is to worship Allah, not like an angel, not like a piece of stone, but as a deputy of Allah. A man has two relations one is with Allah, and the other is with the creations of Allah. The second relation emerges from the first relation. Other human beings on Earth has got the priority over all other creations. So a Muslim gets entangled with socio-political rules of Mankind. He just can not remain INDIVIDUALISTIC in American fashion. Messenger Muhammad is the last of the Imams from the line of the prophets. So he holds a special position in the structure of Muslim community. This puts in my heart an urge for a special expectation for him. My expectation, from monotheistic point, is put to Allah alone. So my expectation gets a form of prayer for him.
Why do I expect, by heart, good for people of good deed and the Prophet? A hypocrite can show good relation with them but he will never pray for them by heart. Praying for them by heart only can emerge from the true relation with them. A hypocrite alienates himself from the Prophet and the people of good deeds but stays with them only overtly. A believer?s wish is to be with them, is to be a member of their organization. This leads him to wish well for them. He puts his wish only to Allah. It gets him pray for them.
Don't you think he already has all the peace he wants? Do you think your peaces, add to his peace? Then you say again, i do it out of respect, but why then, you say; peace be UPON him? Like he doesn't has it? Or that your adds to him? There are more ways to show respect. Why choose this one?
A believer prays for the Prophet due to his ontological stance and his social-political stance. The Christians don?t pray for Christ because of their belief that Jesus has got everything from his Lord-Father. A Muslim believes that on one can get rid of the need of Allah and His mercy.
He prayed for alive people....As nobody can pray for dead people
For GOD will pay each soul for whatever it EARNED; GOD is the most efficient reckoner.
What is the definition of life? Do you say that a Muslim should not pray for his deceased parents? If the negative is logical, should one not refrain from praying for his parents when they are sleeping? Has Muhammad gone out of the kingdom of Allah?
The Prophet earned by praying for others. I earn by praying for him. Please read again the first section of this post.
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SALAM ALL
Wow that's some powerful stuff Prashant I agree with you mostly. There definitely is a level of respect, dignity and reverence we must all maintain when we mention any of our Prophets, whether its the Prophet Mohamed (p.b.u.h) or the Prophet Nuh (p.b.u.h). I wouldn't say the Prophet Mohamed deserves it more than others though... I don't know if you meant that.I understand your point, Arnoldyasin that we have to be careful how exactly we address ppl for fear of shirk. I totally see your point. I just don't understand how wishing or praying for peace and blessings to be upon anyone would constitute that. As far as the prophet not needing our peace, you're right. He probably doesn't. But if I say PEACE or SALAM to you does that really do anything for you either? If God wanted to harm you would that stop it? OR if God wanted to shower you with blessings would that increase it? The answer is no but we say it anyway out of respect and starting off with positive energy.
Arnoldyasin you raised some really interesting points regarding the word SALA... Idolfree1 said it's a different root so I'm gonna look some of your verses up to see for myself. If you mean "sela" that definitely is to join or connect or follow in some sense I would guess - as in "selat el rahem". But that's a totally different word than sala. Accents make or break a word lol ;DSo I'll check it out you may have something going there if the accent isn't under the letter SAD... ???
WOW Adley I just checked out your link ... Good stuff ! Gazak Allah kheir
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Peace,
It is good you understand me, as i understand you too. I only give my opinion on this, nothing more.
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But if I say PEACE or SALAM to you does that really do anything for you either? If God wanted to harm you would that stop it? we say it anyway out of respect and starting off with positive energy.Firstly i'm alive, i'm in this life still present. And like you said, it is so we know that we always have to approach each other in peace. We begin with peace and end with peace. It is not really a blessing, but a wish and a reminder what our behaviour and goal should be. So it is directly not out of respect, it has a purpose we say it. With our most respected Prophets the scenery is a bit different. But i agree it is not a crime to say, indeed not, the only thing i dislike that people think they have to say it every time they mention a prophet. This nowhere to be found. God gave us a perfect example what to say time by time
2759 Say, "Praise be to GOD and peace be upon His servants whom He chose. Is GOD better, or the idols some people set up?"
But see also that in the same verse we are reminded to be cautious, as it ends with a warning against shirk. And also this tells us not to make any distinction between any believer, as we are all servants.
To search the roots, go to this link, take the search option on your toolbar, and type in 3356
http//www.studyquran.co.uk/PRLonline.htm
Then click on the arabic word, you will end up at a site, from which again you can search for where the words are used, but here is the link already directly
http//www.openburhan.com/pages/obf87e.html
Then you can see, that in all other verses it means, touch, join or reach out, except in 3356. So more research should be done on this, as i believe it more refer to join or follow him.And yes, adley, God bless you. Nice job, thank you....
Peace brothers
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Salam Bro ArnoldYasin
Re (PBUH) ...While personally never practised This Greetings to The Dead Nabi/Rasul , I am sure there is a Verse in the Qur?n that says "WASALAMUN Ala al Mursalin ........". as distinct from sallu or salli ala an Nabi.........
By the way, why do we need to learn How To Pray To God ? Surely God Speak and Understand all languages .
Peace and Cheers bro
almarh0m
"He Who Created me, It is He who Guide me" .
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SALAM ADLEY
RHCP ROCKS ! lol D
I was listening to soul to squeeze when I was registering, hence my nickname ;D
GOD BLESS BRO
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SALAM ARNOLD
After alot of research of all your verses, I realized you are confusing 2 seperate root words, as Idolfree1 stated earlier. SILA means to join/follow/etc etc, SALA means prayer/blessing etc etc.
Like I said one accent mark WILL change a word
Peace
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Peace,
Yes, i know. I checked it, and indeed it is different. But then still it only says bless him, it doesn't say; say peace everytime you say their name......
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Peace all,
7531 For he did not believe nor support (salla).
7532 But he denied and turned away (tawalla).From 7531-32, the basic meaning of "salla" is to "go/turn towards" as it is contrasted/compared to "went/turned away". Please see the following link for details about the understanding of "salat"
http//mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/think-786/slw.htm
The word used for "prayer" in al-qur'aan is "dua".
In my understanding, "salat" is a "learning connection/link" formed between two parties, the one teaching and the one learning. For example a teacher can form a learning connection/link with the student, so a teacher can "salloo" a student, or a student can form a learning connection/link with the teacher, so a student can "salloo" a teacher.
3356 Allah and His angels support (yusalloona) the prophet. O you who believe, you shall support (salloo) him, and yield completely.
In this verse Allah and His angels form a learning connection/link with the prophet thereby supporting him and the believers are asked to form a similar learning connection/link with the prophet and thus support him. The "connection/link" implies support. How do we support/form learning connection with the prophet nowadays when he is dead ? By reciting, understanding and following the message (al-qur'aan) of course, and that is what we are being asked to do in 3356, not mindlessly blessing or praying for him.
When we are asked to "aqeemu al-salat" for Allah, we are being asked to establish a learning connection/link with Allah by oration/recitation of Allah's revelations and remembering Him.
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Peace
WASALA and SALLA are two different root words in arabic. -
Salam
First of all, you make a good point that there shouldn't be a "sunni or shia" way of doing things. It's my opinion that it does have to be a very personal act. So in that respect I definitely agree with you. Where our opinions differ is your protest of the usage of koran's suras in prayer. "Dhikr" or remembrance of the koran is highly recommended by our Creator and commanded to us many times in the holy book. Reciting God's words is a form of remembrance and more importantly serves as a reminder to the one reciting it. I would 100% agree with you if you meant that if a person has absolutely no idea what the significance of a sura is and is just repeating words with no true lesson learned behind it, then that would be a pretty sorry prayer.But if for example, the person who recites the sura regarding the fate of Abu Lahab reminds himself to always be humble and not arrogant or aggressive, as Abu Lahab and his wife acted, then the purpose is served.
The point is, since the koran is timeless, it is for you and for me just as much as it was for the Prophet Mohamed (p.b.u.h.). There are lessons to be learned and meanings to be sweated over, thought about, debated about and eventually digested and incorporated into our own lives. It's a process we each must make an effort to go thru throughout our lives. And so each of those verses in that book were written for me and you and all of humanity today. So it really wouldn't be so foolish if someone were to recite the holy words of GOD ALONE in and out of prayer in order to remember its wisdom.
Its the other stuff i have issues with... I don't understand for example why the heck do we all of a sudden say Peace be Upon You oh Prophet (Salam 3aleikom ya ayyoha el naby) - as if he hears us!!!! thats kinda funky. What do you personally think about that? I keep saying it anyway until I can live with an alternative. So far I haven't found anything I can live with saying and I'm not an Arabic expert so maybe I'm getting the meaning wrong??? Not sure but it smells a bit fishy to me!
Anyway, excellent topic Good job!!
SalamInstead of "Peace be Upon You oh Prophet", I say "Peace be upon the Prophets, and Allah's mercy and blessings." Because the Quran says make no distinction between them. When saying shahada, I do not mention Muhammad, I say La ilaha.. twice instead. I want to avoid making Muhammad a partner next to Allah in my prayers. The Quran does not tell us to pray like that, hadeeth told Sunnis to add Muhammad to the shahada, they are glorifying the Messenger too much. Did Abraham mention Muhammad or himself in his prayers? Abraham would only praise God and God only.
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Peace be upon you, RightDeen
I agree with you fully! Well said!
That's a really good idea to say peace be upon all the prophets instead of oh prophet. I may have to incorporate that in my salat. I'm so confused about how salat should be performed right now, that i've stripped mine down to the bare bones. At the point when I'm sitting on my knees, I just say the shahada (i say la elaha ella Allah wahdaho la shareeka laho) and praise God mentioning as many of God's attributes as come to my mind at that moment, based on what's going on in my life at the time. So I'm not sure if this is real salat but until I could figure it out, its good enough for me ...
Peace -
peace
i do this right AFTER my prayers. Since prayers are dedicated to God alone. AFTER my prayers (salat) I say
" Peace be upon all the angels, all the believers, and all the messengers of God"
How do I do my salat
almost all of what i say is in English (which is my 2nd and most proficient language) except the opening which I say in arabic (dont have it memorized) Besides the opening, I just go with it, mostly about praising him and thanking him. I do as many units as i feel (usually 2 sometimes 3). Usually i let the heart tell me. There's a specific feeling in my heart I get. Which is the most beautiful feeling in the world. I do it for about 10-15 minutes or so depending on cirumstances. There's no specific time i spend on each position (the positions are the sunni version) I