Book

Attaining intelligence with prayer

Selasa, 31 Maret 2009 | 05:29 WIB

Title: Increasing All Kinds of Intelligence through Prayer
Writer: M. Shodiq Mustika
Publisher: Diva Press
Edition: I,  August 2008
Volume:    284 pages
Reviewer: Indah Rahmawati*


Mankind and jinn were created by Allah SWT solely to worship Him as mentioned in the Qur'an. Worship is not only to mean performing ritualistic acts such as prayers, dzikir (the recollection of God), fasting and so on. Rather it can be in the form of such charitable acts as smiling to others or doing good deeds.<>
 
Yet there is one of the obligatory rites to be performed by men and women every day, namely performing five-time prayers. the command to perform the five daily prayers was revealed as Prophet Muhammad SAW went into Isra' Mi'raj (Night Journey of the Prophet). In this case, we must express our
gratitude to the beloved Prophet through prayers and shalawat. Because of him, we are only obliged to perform prayer five times a day. Whereas the command was initially fifty times a day.

Prayer is again an obligatory rite that must be performed by all mankind till the last moment of their lives. It can be performed in many ways. For those who are strong and healthy they must pray while standing and if they cannot do so they can pray while sitting or lying on their sides. Even if we have some excuse due to ilness or cannot stand, we are able to pray while moving our eyes. We must thank God for giving us power to perform the five time prayers.

Is it enough till here? How about our quality of prayers, will our prayers be a hundred percent accepted? Rasulullah Muhammad SAW said," Indeed the worshipper thought he had performed prayer wholly. Whereas he was not noted by angel Raqib but its one second, one third, one fourth, one fifth till one tenth." (From Ahmad and Ibn Daud)

In the hadist narrated by Imam Ahmad and Abu Daud, it explains that those who pray with their mind, their prayer in itself will be regarded a good deed.

In the Increasing All Kinds of Intelligence through Prayer, the writer explains that prayer should intelligently be performed with the mind as mentioned in the hadits. Those capable of praying intelligently are regarded to have prayed excellently. Wallahua'lam bis showab.