THE ACTS OF WORSHIP: ARE YOU LEFT BRAIN OR RIGHT?

As I delve into the many ways, that Prophet Muhammad PBUH prayed. I am truly intrigued and deeply grateful that when Allah SWT sent him PBUH as a messenger for the whole world and as a mercy to mankind, He SWT took into account his creation which is a mixture of left brainers and right brainers.

So when I stand in front of the Kaaba and pray Salaat e Awwabeen I am soaking in the spirituality of the worship as I feel myself returning to Him (SWT). Perhaps on my side is someone praying the same salaat for the countable benefits it brings us now and in the Hereafter. Yet she too is soaked with the spirituality nonetheless and a sense of accomplishment added to it for accomplishing the goals set by her.

Thus for some of us the act of worship be it a Dhikr, a tasbeeh, or a fast or a salaat, can mean different things. For some we want to know what benefits it will bring us (Fazail Amaal) and as we perform the acts of worship we are either propelled by the thought of these benefits or by the sense of accomplishment at attaining the numeric goal bringing us closer to Jannah.

While some others when they have reached a level of khushu the happiness and sakina that floods every cell of their being is a gift in it self and may become an incentive to bow their head in front of their Lord again and again and again hoping to gain his SWT’s proximity.

Yet, there are those who worship only because they are commanded to do so and take all the other benefits as icing on the cake. The only reason they exist is for complete submission to their Lord. Neither counting the benefits nor yearning for the joy and sakeena of Khushu. Yet gaining the nearness of their Lord with every act of worship done by their heart.

I know that I vacillate between the first two, never even getting to the first base of the third category yet.
Therefore, for the left brainers or the bean counters our visiting sister T gave us the fazail ammaal or the benefits or consequences of our acts of worship. I am going to list them here for all those Left brainers. As we approach the white days of Shabaan, including the 15th which some scholars consider to be Shab e Baraat, Where Allah SWT reviews the previous years behavior of the muslim and the momin.

Some of these left brain friends of mine want to hit the deck running and I am infected with their youthful and unabashed enthusiasm for worship, so here they are:
Fazillat (consequence) of:
* Ghusl before salaat: with every drop of water a sin is washed away (no israaf of water permitted)
* In Ramadan: The sawab of each ibadah is multiplied 70 times (a good time to pray Qada Umri i.e. make up for missed prayers).
* Wudu if done like the Prophet’s (PBUH) ablution: washes out the sins till the next salaat.
Fadail of Dhikr and gatherings of Dhikr:
* Angels surround the group doing Dhikr and with them comes the Mercy and Rahma of Allah (SWT) and sakina is instilled in the hearts of the people in Dhikr.
* Allah looks at us 70 times with Rahma when we go to a gathering of Dhikr or Ilm (of Deen)
* Angels descend on the gatherings of ilm and Dhikr bringing  the mercy and Rahma of Allah SWT. They await us at the path and entrance of the gathering of Dhikr and ilm and spread their wings in front of us enclosing us in a cocoon of the Rahma of Allah SWT
* 18000 Creations of Allah SWT make dua for our Maghfirah (forgiveness) as we advance towards a majlis (gathering) of ilm and Dhikr.

Allah on Masjid Ummayad, Syria

Fadail of calling Allah SWT;
Calling out “Ya Allah” once and He SWT answers 70 times.

Fadail of the Kalima:
* When we pray the Kalima, Noor enters our heart
* Hadith: If you pray Kalima one hundred times a day with sincerity, your face will shine like the moon on the Day of Judgment.
* Hadith: Keep saying la illaha illallah vigorously and it will keep renewing your emaan (faith)

* If we follow the Sunnahs, we are successful in this life and the Hereafter.

Fadail e Namaaz (Salaat)
* Namaaz is a pillar of Islam
* It blackens the face of Shaytan
* Be fearful of Allah as you will be questioned about your Namaaz (salaat)

* Namaaz (salaat) stops one from flagrant immodesty (bayhayai) and bad deeds

* Namaaz (salaat) is the key to Jannah (Paradise).

Tasbeeh's of Medina

Fadail of the three Tasbeehaat:

1. The third kalima (100)
2. Durood (send salawaat to our Prophet pbuh) (100)
3. Istighfaar (100)

If you pray these three Tasbeehat after fajr and Asar for three years, you get the reward of a Wali.

Fadial e  IKRAAM:
* Looking at our father with a loving eye gives us the sawab of a maqbool Hajj

* Seeking Jannah under the feet of our mother.

NAFILA PRAYERS:
Ishraaq: Two to four rakaat after sunrise. If after fajr in jamaat, you stay on your musallah doing Dhikr, and or reading the Quran and then at sunrise pray ishraaq, you get the sawab of a Hajj and an Ummrah!
Chast or Doha: midday before zawaal: you give sadaqa for each of your 360 joints
Salaat e Awwabeen: six rakat equals twelve years of ibadah
Qiyam al Layl:
Tahajjud: Allah SWT is looking for you and me to give!
Salaat al Tasbeeh
Salaat ul Shukrana (thanks: for everything)
Salaat ul Hajaat (for need: Ask for the best in Akhirah)
Salaat al Tauba (ask for all sins to be forgiven)

All left brain people you will love reading Fazail Amaal for inspiration.
For details of the above Nafillah prayers, check www. Mutmaina.com

Shabaan Mubarak! but a word of caution do not wear yourself out doing nawafil in shabaan and when Ramadan arrives you find yourself to be too exhausted to fulfill your fard………so pace yourself (not my words but from the Sunnah)

For all the right brain people do it! and you will get the rewards without counting!

PLEASE ADD TO THE FADAIL-E-AMAAL AND SHARE YOUR SOURCES,

jazaaik Allah hu Khairan