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Every single day, five times a day, at every masjid on earth, rings out the adhan. Wherever it may be on earth, Allah subhana wa ta’ala has hardly left a nation without there being Muslims in that country. And wherever there are Muslims on earth, Allah has guided some of the more fortunate ones to be among those who pray. And whenever there is a congregation, there is an adhan.

The adhan is an integral part of Islam. You might be a Muslim from Nigeria, and you would recognize an adhan in Bangladesh. You could be an Indian Muslim working in Qatar, and you would recognize the adhan when it goes off in the local Masjid. You could a Japanese Muslim walking down East London in the UK, and recognize the adhan from the local Masjid. In these times of great strife and fitnah, the adhan seems to be one of those last strands holding this ummah of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam together. And it is even more amazing when you wonder how it has come this far!

In the depths of darkness, when the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam was going through some of the hardest times of his life, Allah revealed to him Surah Sharh, the 94th Surah in the Quran.

It was a time when his name was vilified. He was called every possible name under the sun, from magicianto sorcerer to fortune teller etc. He was hurt beyond measure by the very people he called family. On top of that, people kept rejecting his message, and his concern for their hereafter was overwhelming him.

Among the many counsels of Allah given to the Prophet then was the 4th ayah of Surah Sharh, “and we will raise high your mention” [1]. At that time, no one would have believed it. How could the man hated by his own tribe and community, have his mention, and reputation raised high? And yet, herein is the miracle of Allah, the adhan. Because somewhere in this world, at this very time that this article is being read, somewhere is an adhan going off where the muaddhin is saying “Ashshadu anna Muhammadar rasoolullah”.

There is not a single second that passes by except that somewhere on earth it is a certain prayer time. When it is maghrib in Japan, it is dhuhr in India. When it is asr in England, it is isha in Saudi Arabia, and so on and so forth. And Allah’s promise is made true!

Moreover, when the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam would feel distress, he would ask Bilal radi Allahu anhu to give the adhan. He would say “arihnaa bihaa ya bilal”[2] (give us peace through, O Bilal). So, what is in this adhan that would give the Prophet so much serenity? And if it gave the Prophet serenity and calm, it could work for us as well!

Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar

The very first call in the adhan is Allahu akbar. It means, “Allah is Greater.” However, that is not a complete sentence. It begs the question, “Greater than what?” And the answer lies in whatever it is that we are doing, whatever it is that is holding us down, whatever it is that is taking us away from Allah. Allah is Greater, than everything in existence.

If you are going through trouble and pain in your life, He is Greater than that, seek help. No matter how dark and deep a hole you find yourself in life, remember Allahu akbar, Allah is Greater than that. If you are deep in pain and agony, with no one else to ask for help, remember Allahu akbar. He is Greater than any other company.

He is there and He can help. Allah is Greater than all our worries, and all our troubles. The quickest solution to all our problems lies in how quick our head can go from standing to the floor, from standing to sajdah, from a troubled life to an intimate conversation with our Lord. Allahu akbar, He is Greater than whatever it is that we are busy doing. He is greater than whatever it is that is keeping us busy from our Lord!

Ashshadu an la ilaha illa Allah Ashshadu an la ilaha illa Allah

Once we know that Allah is greater than everything and anything that is in existence, that He is greater than our worries and greater than our passions, that He is greater than whatever it is we are running to, and whatever it is that we love and adore- what response can we give except Ashshadu an la ilaha illa Allah.

I bear witness and testify that nothing is worthy of worship except Allah. We bear witness that nothing in the sky, sea or land is worthy of our worship, of our love, of our veneration as Allah is. And when we recognize that, we know that whatever it is that maybe holding us back, that maybe troubling us in our life, is insignificant.

For, if we can earn the love of the One who created it all, who cares what the creation might say, or do to us anyway! As Abul Faris al-Hamadani said, “If I can attain from you Love, then everything else is easy. For everything that is above dust, is also dust!”

Ashshadu anna Muhammadar rasoolullah Ashshadu anna Muhammadar rasoolullah

And once we have affirmed our faith and worship to Allah, we affirm our belief that Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam is His Messenger. If Allah had not sent Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam, we would have been lost. If Allah had not decided to send to us a prophet to show us the way to earn Allah’s love, then we would have been lost.

As Allah commands the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam to say, Say: ‘If you were to love Allah, then follow me. Allah will love you and forgive your sins.’ Indeed Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. [3]

And how can we not find solace in the fact that we are affirming our belief in the messenger who spent his nights crying to Allah to forgive his ummah? How can we not find solace in affirming our belief in the messenger who is going to be our only hope of intercession on the Day of Judgement?

Hayya alas salaah Hayya alas salaah

Hasten towards the prayer, hasten towards the prayer!

If one believes in Allah and believes in the messenger, then how can he not rush to the prayer, as the Arabic saying goes, assalatu silatu baynal abdi wa rabbih (Prayer is a connection between the slave and His Lord). True lovers seek only to be with their beloved. And if we truly love Allah we would want to rush to Allah. And in rushing to Allah, all our life’s problems can be solved.

Salah is the purpose above all purposes in our lives. It is Allah’s special gift upon His slave to make him go through a day. Prayer eases the burden off our backs and helps us focus on what is more important than everything else. It gives us a connection to Allah every single day and a chance to tell Allah of our problems, to thank Him for His blessings, and to seek His help in all that we do.

If we can truly trust in Allah, and trust Him to solve all our problems, it is rare that serenity doesn’t descend upon us. A good prayer, where we worship Allah as if we see Him, is enough to turn a restless heart into a heart serene!

Hayya alal falah hayya alal falah

Hasten to success, hasten to success! Nothing good can happen except by the permission of Allah, and thus every success that we are after, here or hereafter, are finally dependant only upon Allah. And in building a relationship with Allah, we are confirming that our success is guaranteed, in this life, the next and most likely in both!

So brothers and sisters, the next time you hear the adhan, think differently. When you hear the muaddhin declare the greatness of Allah four times, reflect on it. Let it soothe you and be a means of peacefulness knowing that whatever it is going on in life, someone Greater is looking after you. Affirm your belief to Allah and to His Messenger and rush to the prayer, and rush to success, and to a paradise that is greater than all of the heavens and the earth put together. May Allah enable us to reach the ultimate serenity of paradise and help us get peace and serenity in this life as well!

 

 

 

[1] Quran 94:4

[2] Narrated by Abu Dawud

[3] Quran 3:31

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