Daily Salah and understanding Qur’an

1. Daily Salah and understanding Qur’an • Out of the 24 hours in a normal day, the most precious moments for a Muslim is when he stands in front of Allah for Salah. • Before, after, and during the Salah, I do ask Allah a long list of things and He out of His mercy grants them too. • But how ungrateful I am that when He tells me something through the Imam during the Salah, I stand there as a deaf guy! • How obstinate I am that even with years passing by, I don’t try to learn Arabic!

2. Daily Salah … 2 • Whatever I am made to listen in these Salahs is written in my fate and is the message by Allah for me for TODAY at that time in that Salah. • Nothing happens in this world by chance. It is not that Imam remembered some Surah and he recited it.

3. Daily Salah … 3 • Allah wants us to start everyday under Qur’anic light (with 2 lectures in 2 Raka’ahs of Fajr) • Allah wants us to end the day also in Qur’anic light with 4 lectures; 2 in Maghrib and 2 more in Isha within 2 hours! Perhaps because man is more prone to Satanic temptations in the night (Allah knows best).

4. Daily Salah … 4 • I emphasize these 3 Salah because in these Salah, Imam may recite from any part of the Qur’an (and he should try to recite from different parts of the Qur’an). • Consequently, if I do not understand complete Qur’an, I may miss the message in any of these Salahs; simply because Imam may recite from any part of the Qur’an. • I can not read translation in Salah. Most importantly, I won’t know which part of Qur’an the Imam will recite. So, for all practical purposes, relying on translations for this purpose does not work.

5. Daily Salah … 5 • The right attitude in each one of these 3 Salahs is that I should stand with full attention and wait for instructions from Allah. I should try to pick up each and every word of Allah. • And if I fail to understand, I should ask forgiveness from Allah and re-commit myself to understanding the Qur’an. • Each Salah is a continuous reminder for me to understand Qur’an IN TOTAL and not just a part of it.

6. Daily Salah … 6 • If I don’t understand Qur’an, then everyday I loose the message given to me in 6 lectures (two each in Fajr, Maghrib, and in Isha). • That too, at a time when I am in the best of worshipping mode to Allah (out of the 24 hours). • Every year, I miss the message given to me in 2000 Rakahs (plus 240 or 600 rakahs of Taraweeh). • It is equivalent to 5 EQUIVALENT rounds of Qur’an per year (2 rounds in 3 Salahs of the whole year + 1 in Taraweeh + Self recitation of at least one round per year)

7. Daily Salah … 7 • It is true for other Salahs TOO. Whether we recite it or the Imam recites it, every part should be understood. • It is true of our personal recitation of the Qur’an outside Salah too. • Allah wants us to concentrate on certain ayahs (ponder on small pieces of Qur’an) in these Salah and to have a global view (ponder on bigger sections of Qur’an) in Taraweeh. • If we don’t understand Qur’an, a tremendous opportunity to build the relationship with Allah is lost. How tragic and tremendous loss it is!!!

8. Daily Salah … 8 • If we don’t understand Qur’an, a tremendous opportunity to build the relationship with Allah is lost. How tragic and tremendous loss it is!!! • Therefore, understanding Qur’an is not just related to time duration when one recites the Qur’an at certain time of a day. It is, in fact, related to every Salah everyday!!! • Does that not motivate us to work quicker and faster (almost daily) on understand Qur’an?