Baby Steps

“O you who believe! Enter into submission one and all and do not follow the footsteps of Shaitan; surely he is your open enemy."

[Surah Baqarah: 108]

We must try to implement the lifestyle of the Ahlul Bayt (ع) in all aspects of our lives, from the way we pray to the way we preach, from the way fast to the way we eat, from the way we entered this life to the way we will leave it, both with a clean slate Insha'Allah. The question then is how to fully implement the lifestyle of the Ahlul Bayt (as). It is easy enough for one to adapt changes into their lifestyle every now and then, or to cherry pick what one perceives as lifestyle changes which are convenient enough. The verse stated above however asks those who have believed to follow the religion in totality, with perfect belief and conviction, not selective submission so to speak.

In order to achieve such perfection, there are many steps which one can take. One way is through following the Ahlulbayt (as). Imam al Baqir (as) gives us a valuable insight into how to become true ‘followers’ of the Ahlulbayt (as). He is reported to have told Jabir:

"Is it enough for a person to (merely) embellish (oneself) as a Shi'ah (follower) by professing love of us, Ahlul-Bayt? Nay! By Allah, a person is not our follower except the one who fears Allah and obeys Him. O' Jabir! Our followers are not recognized save by humility; submission; honesty; praising Allah abundantly; fasting and prayers; filial devotion; attending to the poor, needy, debtors, and orphans who live near him; saying the truth; reciting the Qur'an; withholding the tongue from people except for benediction; and being trustworthy for relatives in any affairs..." [Al Kafi]

So it is easy enough to say: We are followers of the Ahlulbayt! We believe in wilayah, and are ready to sacrifice our lives for the sake of Allah (swt) and the ahlulbayt (as)! A close examination of this statement through looking at our actions and deeds shows that this is not the reality on the ground. How can one claim to love Lady Fatima (as), yet have no or little regard for modesty? We often cry when we remember how Imam Ali (as) was struck while in prayer, but do we have true regard for our prayers?

Taking it a step further, so we pray five times a day, but do we give our prayers the due attention to detail, and seek to perfect our prayers? After all, in a narration from Imam al Baqir (as) he is reported to have said:

“On the reckoning day, the first thing that a servant will be made to reckon for is the prayer, therefore, if it is accepted, the rest of his good actions will be accepted, otherwise his other good deeds will not avail him.” [Bihaar al Anwaar]

Ayatullah Naraki gives us a beautiful lesson on the importance of detail and perfection in prayer. He describes salah using the analogy of a human body and says: Of what use is a body without a soul? It is dead, and therefore incapable of anything. Similarly, in salah, the soul of our prayers is khushuu’ i.e. concentration through keeping the mind and heart attentive to every moment during the salah, not straying in and out. [Khudhuu on the other hand refers to keeping the limbs/body attentive during the prayer and not making movements that are not part of the prayer]. He then goes on and describes a body which lacks all vital organs, such as the heart, lungs, liver, or any of them. Again, survival of the body without the vital organs is practically impossible. Similarly, in prayer, the ‘vital organs’ are the pillars/rukn of salah, and their presence and perfection is necessary for the ‘survival’ of salah. He then looks at other parts of the body, which though not vital organs are useful to the body, and to having a quality life, such as the limbs. In salah, the ghayr rukn are these limbs/non-vital organs. Sure, not having them does not “kill” the prayer, but they certainly reduce the quality of it. The body also has extra parts which function mainly for the added beauty of the body, and which though not vital to its survival, make for a beautiful form, such as a flawless complexion, or having beautifully shaped eyes. The perfecting/beautifying aspects of prayer are the mustahibaat/recommended acts of prayer, such as the prolonged sujoods and qunoots (Greater Sins).

One should make a point of perfecting their prayer, and then take other active and practical steps towards achieving true submission to Allah, and implementation of the path of the Ahlulbayt (as).