The Prayer Requires the Engagement of the Heart & the Entire Body — Ibn al Qayyim & Muhammad b. Nasr al Marwazi
In the name of Allah, al-Raḥmān al-Raḥīm.
Ibn al Qayyim (رحمه الله) says:
ولله في كل جارحة من جوارح العبد عبودية تخصه، وطاعة مطلوبة منها، خلقت لأجلها وهيَّئت لها. والناس بعد ذلك ثلاثة أقسام
Allah has assigned a designated act of servitude and a required act of obedience in every limb of a servant's body; it is created and prepared for this purpose. People thereafter fall into three categories:
أحدها: مَن استعمل تلك الجوارح فيما خُلقت له وأُريد منها، فهذا هو الذي تاجر مع الله بأربح التجارة وباع نفسه لله بأربح البيع، والصلاة وضعت لاستعمال الجوارح جميعها في العبودية تبعًا لقيام القلب بها.
1. Those who employ these limbs for the purpose for which they were created and intended. These are the ones who trade with Allah with the most profitable trade and sell themselves to Allah for the highest gain. Prayer was set to use all limbs in servitude, in accordance with the heart's engagement.
الثاني: مَن استعملها فيما لم تُخلَق له، ولم يُخلق لها، فهذا هو الذي خاب سعيه وخسرت تجارته، وفات رضى ربه عنه وجزيل ثوابه وحصل على سخطه وأليم عقابه.
2. Those who use them for purposes other than what they were created for and for which they were not intended. These are the ones whose efforts have failed, whose trade has been lost, who miss the pleasure of their Lord and His great reward and incur His displeasure and painful punishment.
الثالث: مَنْ عَطَّلَ جوارحَه وأماتها بالبطالة، فهذا أيضًا خاسر أعظم خسارة، فإن العبد خلق للعبادة والطاعة لا للبطالة، وأبغض الخلق إلى الله البطال الذي هو لا في شغل الدنيا ولا في سعي الآخرة، فهذا كَلٌ على الدنيا والدين.
3. Those who idle their limbs and kill them with inactivity. These, too, are incurring the greatest loss. For a servant was created for worship and obedience, not for idleness. The most despised of all creation to Allah is the idle one engaged neither in worldly affairs nor in the pursuit of the hereafter, thus being a burden in both the worldly life and religion.
فالأول: كرجل أُقْطع أرضًا واسعة وأُعين بآلات الحرث والبذار، وأُعطيَ ما يكفيها لسقيها، فحرثها وهيّأها للزراعة وبذر فيها من أنواع الغلال، وغرس فيها من أنواع الثمار والفواكه المختلفة الأنواع، ثم لم يهملها بل أقام عليها الحرس وحفظها من المفسدين وجعل يتعاهدها كل يوم فيصلح ما فسد منها، ويغرس عوض ما يبس وينفي دغلها ويقطع شوكها، ويستعين بمغلها على عمارتها.
Firstly, it is like a man who was given a vast land, supported with tools for plowing and sowing, and provided enough water for irrigation. He tilled and prepared it for cultivation, sowed various kinds of grains, and planted various types of fruits and diverse fruits. Then, he did not neglect it but stationed guards on it, protecting it from corrupters. He maintained it daily, fixing what was damaged, replanting what had withered, removing its weeds, cutting its thorns, and using its produce to enhance it.
والثاني: بمنزلة رجل أخذ تلك الأرض فجعلها مأوى للسباع والهوام ومطرحًا للجيف والأنتان، وجعلها معقلاً يأوي إليه كل مفسد ومؤذ ولص، وأخذ ما أعين به على بذارها وصلاحها, فصرفه معونة ومعيشة لمن فيها من أهل الشر والفساد.
Secondly, it is akin to a man who took that land and turned it into a den for beasts and vermin, a dumping ground for carcasses and filth, and a refuge for every corrupter and harm-doer. He took what was provided to help him sow and improve it and diverted it to support and sustain those of evil and corruption within it.
والثالث: بمنزلة رجل عطلها وأهملها وأرسل ذلك الماء ضائعًا في القفار والصحاري فقعد مذمومًا محسورًا.
Thirdly, it resembles a man who left it idle and neglected, letting the water run waste into deserts and wastelands, thus sitting blameworthy and regretful.
فهذا مثال أهل الغفلة، والذي قبله مثال أهل الخيانة والجناية، والأول مثال أهل اليقظة والاستعداد لما خلقوا له.
This is an analogy for the people of neglect, the previous for the people of betrayal and offense, and the first for the people of vigilance and readiness for what they were created for.
فالأول: إذا تحرك أو سكن أو قام أو قعد أو أكل أو شرب أو نام أو لبس أو نطق أو سكت كان ذلك كله له لا عليه، وكان في ذكر وطاعة وقربة ومزيد.
The first: Whether he moves or stays still, stands or sits, eats or drinks, sleeps or dresses, speaks or remains silent, all that is for him, not against him, and he is in remembrance, obedience, drawing nearer, and increasing.
والثاني: إذا فعل ذلك كان عليه لا له، وكان في طرد وإبعاد وخسران.
The second: If he does that, it is against him, not for him, and he will be expelled, distanced, and lost.
والثالث: إذا فعل ذلك كان في غفلة وبطالة وتفريط.
The third: If he does that, he is in negligence, idleness, and oversight.
فالأول يتقلب فيما يتقلب فيه بحكم الطاعة والقربة.
The first is engaged in what he does by the rule of obedience and closeness.
والثاني: يتقلب في ذلك بحكم الخيانة والتعدي, فإن الله لم يملكه ما ملكه ليستعين به على مخالفته، فهو جان متعد خائن لله في نعمه، معاقب على التنعم بها في غير طاعته.
The second: He is involved in that by the rule of betrayal and transgression, for Allah did not grant him his possessions to aid him in opposition to Him; thus, he is a transgressor and betrayer of Allah in His blessings, punished for indulging in them outside of His obedience.
والثالث: يتقلب في ذلك ويتناوله بحكم الغفلة وبهجة النفس وطبيعتها، لم يبتغ بذلك رضوان الله والتقرب إليه، فهذا خسران بَيِّن إذ عطل أوقات عمره التي لا قيمة لها عن أفضل الأرباح والتجارب.
The third: He engages in that by the rule of negligence and the joy of his nature, not seeking Allah's pleasure nor closeness to Him; thus, this is a clear loss since he wastes the valuable times of his life away from the best profits and experiences.
فدعا الله سبحانه الموحدين إلى هذه الصلوات الخمس رحمة منه عليهم، وهيأ لهم فيها أنواع العبادة؛ لينال العبد من كل قول وفعل وحركة وسكون حظه من عطاياه.
Therefore, Allah the Exalted has called the monotheists to these five prayers out of His mercy for them, preparing within the various types of worship so that the servant may receive his abundant share of all words, actions, movements, and stillness from His gifts.
Imam Muhammad bin Nasr al-Marwazi (died 294 AH رحمه الله) said [in Ta’ẓīm Qadr al-Ṣalāt] about the high status of prayer:
“وَمِنْ أَرْفَعِيَّتِهَا (اي: الصلاة) وجُوبُ إِقَامَتُهَا بِجَمِيعِ الْجَوَارِحِ وَمِنَ الدَّلِيلِ عَلَى عِظَمِ قَدْرِهَا وَفَضْلِهَا عَلَى سَائِرِ الْأَعْمَالِ أَنَّ كُلَّ فَرِيضَةٍ افْتَرَضَهَا اللَّهُ فَإِنَّمَا افْتَرَضَهَا عَلَى بَعْضِ الْجَوَارِحِ دُونَ بَعْضٍ، ثُمَّ لَمْ يَأْمُرْ بِإِشْغَالِ الْقَلْبِ بِهِ إِلَّا الصَّلَاةَ فَإِنَّهُ أَمَرَ أَنْ يُقَامَ بِجَمِيعِ الْجَوَارِحِ كُلِّهَا، وَذَلِكَ أَنْ يَنْتَصِبَهُ الْعَبْدُ بِبَدَنِهِ كُلِّهِ، وَيَشْغَلَ قَلْبَهُ بِهَا لِيَعْلَمَ مَا يَتْلُو وَمَا يَقُولُ فِيهَا، وَلَمْ يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ بِشَيْءٍ مِنَ الْفَرَائِضِ، لَمْ يَمْنَعْ أَنْ يَشْتَغِلَ الْعَبْدُ فِي شَيْءٍ مِنَ الْفَرَائِضِ بِعَمَلٍ سِوَاهُ إِلَّا الصَّلَاةَ وَحْدَهَا،
"Among the most distinguished aspects of prayer is the obligation to perform it with all limbs, and from the evidence of its great value and superiority over other deeds is that every obligatory act prescribed by Allah is required only on some limbs, not others. However, the prayer is commanded to be performed with all limbs entirely. This means that the servant stands with his entire body and occupies his heart with it to comprehend what he recites and says within it. No other obligatory act involves this; none prevents the servant from engaging in other actions except for the prayer alone.
فَإِنَّ الصَّائِمَ لَهُ أَنْ يَلْتَفِتَ وَيَنَامَ وَيَتَكَلَّمَ بِغَيْرِ ذِكْرِ الصَّوْمِ، وَيَعْمَلُ بِجَوَارِحِهِ وَيَشْغَلُهَا فِيمَا أَحَبَّ مِنْ مَنَافِعِ الدُّنْيَا وَلَذَّاتِهَا مِمَّا أُحِلَّ لَهُ، وَالْمُقَاتِلُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ لَهُ أَنْ يَلْتَفِتَ وَيَتَكَلَّمَ، وَالْحَاجُّ فِي قَضَاءِ مَنَاسِكِهِ قَدْ أُبِيحَ لَهُ أَنْ يَتَكَلَّمَ كَذَلِكَ فِيمَا بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ، وَيَنَامَ وَيَشْتَغِلَ بِمَا أَحَبَّ مِنْ مَنَافِعِ الدُّنْيَا الْمُبَاحَةِ لَهُ، وَلَهُ أَنْ يَتَكَلَّمَ فِي الطَّوَافِ، وَكَذَلِكَ إِعْطَاءُ الزَّكَاةِ، وَجَمِيعُ الطَّاعَاتِ، لَهُ أَنْ يَعْمَلَ فِيهَا وَيَتَفَكَّرَ فِي غَيْرِهَا،
For instance, a fasting person may look around, sleep, and speak about things other than fasting. He may use his limbs and occupy them in whatever permissible worldly benefits and pleasures he desires. The warrior in the path of Allah may look around and speak. The pilgrim performing the rites can also speak similarly while doing it; he can sleep and engage in any permissible worldly benefits he likes. He may even speak during tawaf, and likewise with giving zakat, all acts of obedience allow him to engage and think about other matters.
وَمُنِعَ الْمُصَلِّي مِنَ الْأَكْلِ وَالشُّرْبِ وَجَمِيعِ أَعْمَالِ الدُّنْيَا مِنَ الِالْتِفَاتِ، وَالْأَفْعَالِ بِالْجَوَارِحِ إِلَّا بِالصَّلَاةِ وَحْدَهَا، وَمِنَ التَّفَكُّرِ إِلَّا فِيمَا يَتْلُو وَيَقُولُ، إِلَّا أَنَّ الْعَمَلَ فِي الصَّلَاةِ بِغَيْرِهَا مُخْتَلِفٌ فِي الضَّرَرِ فِي الدِّينِ، فَمِنْهُ مَا يُفْسِدُ الصَّلَاةَ، وَمِنْهُ مَا يَلْزَمُ بِهِ سُجُودُ السَّهْوِ، وَمِنْهُ مَا يَكُونُ مَنْقُوصًا مِنَ الثَّوَابِ عَلَى صَلَاتِهِ، إِلَّا أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْعِلْمِ مُجْتَمِعُونَ عَلَى أَنَّهُ إِذَا شَغَلَ جَارِحَةً مِنْ جَوَارِحِهِ بِعَمَلٍ مِنْ غَيْرِ عَمَلِ الصَّلَاةِ، أَوْ بِفِكْرٍ، وَشَغَلَ قَلْبَهُ بِالنَّظَرِ فِي غَيْرِ أَمْرِ الصَّلَاةِ، أَنَّهُ مَنْقُوصٌ مِنْ ثَوَابِ مَنْ لَمْ يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ تَارِكًا جُزْءًا مِنْ تَمَامِ صَلَاتِهِ وَكَمَالِهَا،
However, the one who is praying is prohibited from eating, drinking, and all worldly actions such as turning away, and from actions with the limbs except for the prayer alone, and from thinking except about what he is reciting and saying. However, engaging in other than prayer while praying varies in the harm it does to religion, from what invalidates the prayer to what necessitates the prostration of forgetfulness to what diminishes the reward for his prayer. However, scholars are unanimous that if one engages a limb in an action other than that of the prayer or occupies his mind with looking into matters other than the prayer, he diminishes the reward compared to one who does not do so, leaving a part of the perfection and completeness of his prayer.
فَالْمُصَلِّي كَأَنَّهُ لَيْسَ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَلَا فِي شَيْءٍ مِنْهَا، إِذَا كَانَ بِجَمِيعِ قَلْبِهِ وَجَمِيعِ بَدَنِهِ فِي الصَّلَاةِ، فَكَأَنَّهُ لَيْسَ فِي الْأَرْضِ، إِلَّا أَنَّ ثُقْلَ بَدَنِهِ عَلَيْهَا، وَذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ يُنَاجِي الْمَلِكَ الْأَكْبَرَ، فَلَا يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَخْلِطَ مُنَاجَاةَ الْإِلَهِ الْعَظِيمِ بِغَيْرِهَا، وَكَيْفَ يَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ وَالنَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَدْ أَخْبَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ مُقْبِلٌ عَلَيْهِ بِوَجْهِهِ، فَكَيْفَ يَجُوزُ لِمَنْ صَدَّقَ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ مُقْبِلٌ عَلَيْهِ بِوَجْهِهِ أَنْ يَلْتَفِتَ أَوْ يَغِيبَ أَوْ يَتَفَكَّرَ أَوْ يَتَحَرَّكَ بِغَيْرِ مَا يُحِبُّ الْمُقْبِلُ عَلَيْهِ بِوَجْهِهِ، لِأَنَّ اشْتِغَالَهُ فِي صَلَاتِهِ بِغَيْرِهَا مِنَ الِالْتِفَاتِ أَوِ الْعَبَثِ أَوِ التَّفَكُّرِ فِي شَيْءٍ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا هُوَ إِعْرَاضٌ عَمَّنْ أَقْبَلَ عَلَيْهِ،
Thus, the one praying is as if he is not in this world or involved in any of its matters. When he is with all his heart and all his body in the prayer, it is as if he is not on earth, except that the weight of his body is upon it. This is because he is communing with the Supreme King, so it is not appropriate to mix the communion with the Almighty Deity with anything else. How could he do so when the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, informed that Allah was facing him? How is it permissible for one who believes that Allah is facing him to turn away, be distracted, think, or move contrary to what the one facing him wants, engaging in anything other than prayer in terms of turning away, playing, or thinking of something worldly is turning away from Him?
وَمَا يَقْوَى قَلْبُ عَاقِلٍ لَبِيبٍ أَنْ يُقْبِلَ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْخَلْقِ مَنْ لَهُ عِنْدَهُ قَدْرٌ فَيَرَاهُ يُوَلِّي عَنْهُ بِمَعْنًى مِنَ الْمَعَانِي، وَكُلُّ مُقْبِلٍ سِوَى اللَّهِ لَا يَطَّلِعُ عَلَى ضَمِيرِ مَنْ وَلَّى عَنْهُ بِضَمِيرِهِ، وَاللَّهُ تَعَالَى مُقْبِلٌ عَلَى الْمُصَلِّي بِوَجْهِهِ، يَرَى إِعْرَاضَهُ بِضَمِيرِهِ، وَبِكُلِّ جَارِحَةٍ مِنْ جَوَارِحِهِ، سِوَى صَلَاتِهِ الَّتِي أَقْبَلَ عَلَيْهِ بِوَجْهِهِ مِنْ أَجْلِهَا،
No sensible, intelligent heart could bear someone important to him turning away in any sense. Everyone except for Allah cannot know the inner thoughts of the one who turns away from him, but Allah, the Exalted, faces the one praying, seeing his turning away with his conscience and with every limb except for his prayer, for which He faced him.
فَكَيْفَ يَجُوزُ لِمُؤْمِنٍ عَاقِلٍ أَنْ يَمَلَّهَا أَوْ يَلْتَفِتَ أَوْ يَتَشَاغَلَ بِغَيْرِ الْإِقْبَالِ عَلَى رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ، إِذْ أَخْبَرَهُ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّ اللَّهَ مُقْبِلٌ عَلَيْهِ بِوَجْهِهِ، فَهَلْ يَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ مَنْ فَعَلَهُ إِلَّا قِلَّةَ مُبَالَاةٍ بِالْمُقْبِلِ عَلَيْهِ، أَوْ كَيْفَ يَجُوزُ لِمَنْ عَرَفَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ مُقْبِلٌ عَلَيْهِ وَهُوَ مُنَاجٍ لَهُ أَنْ يُعْرِضَ عَنْهُ بِمَا قَلَّ أَوْ كَثُرَ”.
Thus, how is it permissible for a sensible believer to be weary of it, to turn away, or to be preoccupied with other than facing the Lord of the Worlds when the Prophet informed him that Allah is facing him? Would anyone do that except out of lack of concern for the one facing him, or how is it permissible for one who knows that Allah is facing him and is communing with Him to turn away from Him, whether a little or a lot?"