Copyright 2010 S. E. Jihad Levine)
This morning I made sujood during my Fajr prayer.
"Big deal, Safiyyah. What's so unusual about that?" you may wonder.
It IS a big deal for me. Because I rarely get to do it.
Between MS and Arthritis, I cannot always make my salaat without the use of a chair. I also have a very stubborn Baker's Cyst behind my left knee. They are supposed to dissolve on their own, but oh joy, mine actually comes and goes. I've had it for about two years. This cyst and the Arthritis make it very painful and nearly impossible for me to sit between the two sajdahs, or to sit for the Tashahhud.
Even though Allaah swt granted the use of a chair as His Mercy for Muslims like me, I still grieve. When I have to make salaat in a chair, I mourn the full physical movements that lend so much spirituality to the prayer. I miss the involvement of my entire body in praising Allah swt. More than anything, I miss the feeling of my forehead on the prayer carpet.
Sujood has a position of excellence in the salaat.
In the time of the Prophet saw, one time during the month of Ramadan, there was a a rainstorm that washed the roof of the mosque away. The roof was made of palm-branches. The Messenger saw of Allah swt was making salaat when this happened. He didn't stop his prayer, but continued and MADE SUJOOD IN THE MUD! Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri (ro) said, "So I saw, with my own eyes, the Messenger of Allah, with traces of mud and water on his forehead and nose."
Subhan'Allaah!
The Prophet saw also "used to say, 'There is no one among my ummah whom I will not recognise on the Day of Resurrection.' They said, 'How will you recognise them, O Messenger of Allaah, among the multitude of created things?' He said, 'Do you not see that were one of you to enter an enclosure in which there was a jet black steed and a horse with a white forehead and legs, would you not recognise the latter from the former?' They said, 'Of course.' He said, 'Thus, my ummah on that day will surely have white faces because of sujood, and white arms and feet because of ablution.'"
Also, when Allaah swt wants to have mercy on the people of the Fire, he orders the angels to pull out those people who used to worship Him. The angels will recognise those people from their sujood marks because Allaah swt has prohibited the Fire from consuming the sujood marks.
In his book, Du'a: The Weapon of the Believer, Abu Ammaar Yasir Qadhi describes sujood as "the most noble posture that a worshipper can be in, for it is the epitome of humility and submissiveness."
"And how can it not be," he writes, "when a person in prostration lowers his face - the most noble and sacred part of his body - to the dust, seeking the pleasure of his Lord? This is why this posture is the most beloved by Allaah."
The closest any worshipper can be to his Lord is while he is in prostration, so increase your duas in it. (Muslim)
Ya Allaah! I want to be close to You!
Ya Allaah! Cure me, and make it easy for me to make sujood! Make it easy for Your messenger to recognise me on the Day of Resurrection. Make it easy for the angels to recognise me. Ameen!
"Big deal, Safiyyah. What's so unusual about that?" you may wonder.
It IS a big deal for me. Because I rarely get to do it.
Between MS and Arthritis, I cannot always make my salaat without the use of a chair. I also have a very stubborn Baker's Cyst behind my left knee. They are supposed to dissolve on their own, but oh joy, mine actually comes and goes. I've had it for about two years. This cyst and the Arthritis make it very painful and nearly impossible for me to sit between the two sajdahs, or to sit for the Tashahhud.
Even though Allaah swt granted the use of a chair as His Mercy for Muslims like me, I still grieve. When I have to make salaat in a chair, I mourn the full physical movements that lend so much spirituality to the prayer. I miss the involvement of my entire body in praising Allah swt. More than anything, I miss the feeling of my forehead on the prayer carpet.
Sujood has a position of excellence in the salaat.
In the time of the Prophet saw, one time during the month of Ramadan, there was a a rainstorm that washed the roof of the mosque away. The roof was made of palm-branches. The Messenger saw of Allah swt was making salaat when this happened. He didn't stop his prayer, but continued and MADE SUJOOD IN THE MUD! Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri (ro) said, "So I saw, with my own eyes, the Messenger of Allah, with traces of mud and water on his forehead and nose."
Subhan'Allaah!
The Prophet saw also "used to say, 'There is no one among my ummah whom I will not recognise on the Day of Resurrection.' They said, 'How will you recognise them, O Messenger of Allaah, among the multitude of created things?' He said, 'Do you not see that were one of you to enter an enclosure in which there was a jet black steed and a horse with a white forehead and legs, would you not recognise the latter from the former?' They said, 'Of course.' He said, 'Thus, my ummah on that day will surely have white faces because of sujood, and white arms and feet because of ablution.'"
Also, when Allaah swt wants to have mercy on the people of the Fire, he orders the angels to pull out those people who used to worship Him. The angels will recognise those people from their sujood marks because Allaah swt has prohibited the Fire from consuming the sujood marks.
In his book, Du'a: The Weapon of the Believer, Abu Ammaar Yasir Qadhi describes sujood as "the most noble posture that a worshipper can be in, for it is the epitome of humility and submissiveness."
"And how can it not be," he writes, "when a person in prostration lowers his face - the most noble and sacred part of his body - to the dust, seeking the pleasure of his Lord? This is why this posture is the most beloved by Allaah."
The closest any worshipper can be to his Lord is while he is in prostration, so increase your duas in it. (Muslim)
Ya Allaah! I want to be close to You!
Ya Allaah! Cure me, and make it easy for me to make sujood! Make it easy for Your messenger to recognise me on the Day of Resurrection. Make it easy for the angels to recognise me. Ameen!
11 comments:
Asalaamu alaikum
May Allah cure you. Amin.
As-Salaamu 'alaikum,
Mabrouk :)
Ameen!!!!
Whenever I go into sujood, I don't ever feel like coming back up....=)
May Allah bless you=)
In Jewish Prayer, don't they have any sajda or anything like that? I though they used to have in ancient times.
Masha'Allah sis, may Allah grant you many more sujood.
Have you ever thought of using another chair or a low table in front of you so that your forhead can touch in sujood? When I was pregnant I had bad arthritis in my hip so this is what i did.
Salaams Everyone:
Jazaka Allahu Khayrn. Especially Zanjabil for the suggestions to use a chair or a low table.
Usman: Yes, Judaism has prostration. See this YouTube video. It is very beautiful:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3YFP5r5x-w&feature=Responses&parent_video=HualOlrlksY&index=0&playnext=1&playnext_from=RL
Salaam Safiyyah!
Thank you so much for your quick replies.
Since five pillars of Islam are Sunnah of Prophet Ibrahim, I am told, Jews use to follow some forms of it in their religious practices. I know they have prayer and Fasting, but do they have any concept of Zakat in their Sharia?
Beside Muslims, Jews are the only other nation who believe in One God. Some times I feel Muslims and Jews are so close but then to far away!
Salaams Usman:
Sorry - this reply wasn't so face, lol. Anyhow, yes, the Jewish concept of sadaqa is "tzadaka." You are right; there are so many similarities, even in language.
When I was a kid, as well as other Jewish kids, we were encouraged to have our own tzadaka boxes. We used to make them in Sunday School. Jewish people REALLY take Allah's command to give charity seriously. Even as adults, we have tzadaka boxes. Some of them are very elaborate:
http://www.manhattanjudaica.com/browse.cfm/4,31697.html
And other people use the old kosher Maxwell House coffee can, lol.
ooops - I meant "sorry this reply is so late"
You actually made me value my sujood... JazakAllah Khairan Kaseeran for that :)
May Allah Give you complete shifa and till He Gives you complete shifa, May you be Blessed with Sawaab and Blessings in return for your patience Ameen!
Mashallah..beautiful post,so happy i got to pass by ur blog :).
May Allah bless u..
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