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Adab al-Salat (book)

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Adab al-Salat is a Persian book about the heartfelt and esoteric etiquette of prayer by Imam Khomeini.

Imam Khomeini, three years after writing the book Sirr al-Salat, because he did not find its contents suitable for the general public, wrote the book Adab al-Salat in 1942-43 and tried to explain some of the heartfelt etiquettes of prayer in an understandable language for the general public.

The book consists of an introduction, three articles, and a conclusion.

The first article, in twelve chapters, expresses the etiquettes that are a condition not only in prayer but in all acts of worship.

The second article is about the heartfelt etiquettes of the preliminaries of prayer in five destinations, each of which is organized into several chapters. In the five destinations, the heartfelt etiquettes of "tahara", "clothes of the praying person", "place of the praying person", "time", and "facing the qibla" have been addressed.

The third article discusses the "accompaniments of prayer" in eight sections.

The conclusion refers to the esoteric dimensions of al-Tasbihat al-Arba'a, the secrets of the ta'qibat (post-prayer recitations), and the importance of the Tasbih of Lady Fatima (a).

Imam Khomeini dedicated this book to his son Sayyid Ahmad Khomeini and Fatima Tabataba'i (wife of Sayyid Ahmad Khomeini).

The Institute for Compilation and Publication of Imam Khomeini's Works first published the book in 1991-92 in 426 pages. This book was also published in volume 48 of Mawsu'at al-Imam al-Khomeini in 2013-14.

Sayyid Ahmad Fihri explained and interpreted the book Adab al-Salat under the title Parwaz dar Malakut. This book has been translated into Arabic, Urdu, and English languages.

Introduction

The introduction and examination of prayer from esoteric and ethical aspects, in addition to jurisprudential aspects, have been more or less prevalent among religious scholars. Aqa Buzurg Tihrani mentions several books titled Adab al-Salat; including Adab al-Salat by Zayn al-Din b. 'Ali (al-Shahid al-Thani) and Adab al-Salat by Aqa Najafi Isfahani.[1] Imam Khomeini wrote the book Adab al-Salat based on this same tradition. Three years after writing the book Sirr al-Salat, because he did not find its contents suitable for the general public, he wrote this book in 1942-43 and tried to explain some of the heartfelt etiquettes of prayer in an understandable language for the general public.[2] Imam Khomeini in this work, like his other esoteric works, has utilized Quranic verses, hadiths, and supplications. The prose of the work is oratorical, instructional, rhymed, and mostly parallel, and the antithesis figure of speech or tibaq can be seen within it. Esoteric terminologies are the most prominent words of this book. Its other feature, besides the use of allegory, is its similarity to other writings of mystics in intimate and emotional expression.[3]

Content Report

The book consists of an introduction, three articles, and a conclusion.

Introduction

In the introduction of the book, it is stated that just as not observing the apparent etiquettes of prayer brings about its apparent invalidity or deficiency, inattention to the esoteric etiquettes causes the esoteric invalidity or deficiency of the prayer.[4]

First Article

The first article, in twelve chapters, expresses the etiquettes that are a condition not only in prayer but in all acts of worship.

The first chapter is about the "glory of Lordship and the abjectness of servitude," which is one of the important stations of the wayfarer; because the more vanity and selfishness there is in a human being, the further he is from the perfection of humanity. Of course, the human being is able to reach the truth of servitude by tawassul to God and the perfect divine awliya (a) and realize a corner of the secret of worship.

The second chapter addresses the "four levels of the stations of the people of spiritual journey" — which are equal to the number of souls of divine creatures — and appropriately speaks of knowledge, faith, certainty, and observation. Imam Khomeini believes that if the wayfarer traverses the path with the step of scientific journey, he has attained the first station of humanity; but he should not imprison himself in the bond of this veil; because the veil of knowledge is the greatest veil. (SeeAlso: Veils) Then he must engrave scientific perceptions on the page of the heart and free himself from the bonds and veil of knowledge to reach the station of faith in the truths and in the next stage, which is the perfection of faith, find his way to the station of certainty. The wayfarer in the fourth station feels the light of God in the heart and sees himself immersed in the infinite sea of God.[5]

The third chapter is about "khushu'" which is a necessary matter for the wayfarer, especially in prayer. The levels of khushu' are according to the levels of perception of the majesty or beauty of God; hence, a group of hearts are amorous and are of the manifestations of beauty, and some of the hearts are fearful and of the manifestations of majesty.[6] (SeeAlso: Khudu' and Khushu')

The fourth chapter is dedicated to "tuma'nina" in prayer and how to acquire it; in the sense that the wayfaring person performs the worship out of the tranquility of the heart and peace of mind so that the effects of worship are achieved in the realm of the heart and the heart becomes radiant and luminous with the light of faith.[7] (SeeAlso: Tuma'nina)

The fifth chapter is about protecting prayer and other acts of worship from satanic interventions and the adverse effects of negligence in this regard; if the human being's worship is pure from the intervention of Satan and is blended with the wilaya of the Prophet (s) and Amir al-Mu'minin (a), then this worship becomes the food of the human soul and heart and brings the wayfarer to the proximity to God.[8]

The sixth chapter deals with cheerfulness and joy in worship, which is the heartfelt etiquette of prayer and other acts of worship; by observing it, the wayfarer achieves good and desirable results such as joy of the heart, expansion of mind, and the discovery of some of the secrets of acts of worship.[9]

The seventh chapter is dedicated to how to make the heart understand the truths of acts of worship, and chapters eight to ten are about the position of presence of the heart and the consequences of the lack of presence of the heart in prayer. Hadiths about the presence of the heart, obstacles to the presence of the heart, and resolving them are appropriately mentioned in these chapters.[10]

The two final chapters of this article are specifically for the teaching and training of the apparent and esoteric faculties of the soul and practical discussions for taming the faculty of imagination and the faculty of apprehension so that the human being gradually overcomes the devil of imagination and feels the sweetness of the presence of the heart. Love of the world has been introduced as the main factor of the dispersion of imagination in this journey. Imam Khomeini has given more explanation about the harms and perils resulting from this self-love in the book Sharh-i chihil hadith.[11]

Second Article

The second article of the book is about the heartfelt etiquettes of the preliminaries of prayer in five destinations, each of which is organized into several chapters.

First Destination

The first destination is about "tahara" and is in seven chapters. Imam Khomeini first expresses a summary of the secret of tahara, which is a necessary condition for the ascension of the wayfarer to the station of proximity to the Truth, and writes that as long as the wayfarer does not cleanse and purify the faculties of the soul from sins and impurities, he will be deprived of esoteric conquests, which is the highest destination.[12]

But tahara has levels: its first level is performing divine traditions and adherence to the commands of the Truth. Its higher level is the tahara of the heart and its submission to God. This process continues until servitude completely vanishes and becomes hidden and Lordship appears and becomes evident. After this, there are also levels that Imam Khomeini does not consider suitable to mention in the book.[13]

In this section, Imam Khomeini has narrated a hadith from Imam al-Sadiq (a) which compares, and rather interprets, water to the mercy of the Truth because it is a cleanser of apparent impurities and the manifestation of divine mercy in it is more than other creatures; but if the use of water is not possible for the wayfarer, he first pays attention to his constraint and essential poverty so that a door of mercy is opened to him and the earth is considered one of the purifiers out of the mercy and kindness of the Truth.[14] Since some acts such as janaba are annihilation in nature and negligence of spirituality and the perfection of animal domination, ghusl, meaning the washing of the entire realm of the soul that has perished in nature and has been afflicted by the pride of Satan, has been ordered.[15]

In response to a group of Sufis who consider apparent acts of worship exclusive to the common people and the ignorant, and also in response to another sect that has fallen into deficiency and completely denies spiritual stations, Imam Khomeini says that formal rituals and apparent etiquettes are not only for reaching heartfelt and spiritual truths, but are one of the fruits of attaining spiritual truths, in such a way that the people of gnosis and the companions of the hearts spread divine knowledge from the esoteric to the apparent and benefit and enjoy each of the apparent and spiritual levels.[16]

Second Destination

The second destination is dedicated in two stations to the etiquettes of the "clothes of the praying person". The first station is about the absolute etiquettes of clothing and the effect of the apparent on the esoteric and the adverse effects of excess and deficiency in the type and shape of covering. The second station is about the covering of the clothes of the praying person, the purification of the esoteric from sins and blameworthy ethics, and the heartfelt considerations of covering the private parts, meaning covering all ethical defects and corruptions with the covering of virtuous ethics.[17]

Third Destination

The third destination has addressed the "place of the praying person" in two chapters and has discussed the etiquette of each of the places of the wayfarer according to existential realms such as the level of nature and the esoteric psychological faculties and the unseen heartfelt level, as well as the heartfelt etiquettes of the permissibility of the place to protect against the harm of the interventions of Iblis.[18]

Fourth Destination

In the fourth destination, Imam Khomeini refers in two chapters to the heartfelt etiquettes of "time" and, appropriate to the observance of the prayer time, reminds of the level of the people of gnosis who await the time of association with the absolute perfection and supplication to Him, and incidentally considers the observance of time to be in proportion to each person's gnosis of the holy station of Lordship, and concludes this destination by narrating hadiths from the Infallibles (a) about the time of prayer.[19]

Fifth Destination

The final destination has a reference to the etiquettes of "facing the qibla". From Imam Khomeini's viewpoint, facing the Ka'ba and turning away from all scattered directions is for the awakening of the fitra and the emergence of the light of the fitra from scattered veils so that the praying person makes the heart understand that other than the manifestation of the holy essence of the Truth, everything is mortal and perishable.[20]

Third Article

The third article speaks of the "accompaniments of prayer" in eight chapters. In the first chapter, Imam Khomeini has mentioned the adhan as the announcement of the celestial and terrestrial faculties and divine soldiers for presence in the Lordly holiness, and has considered the iqama to be the establishment of these faculties in the presence of the Truth, and has considered its etiquette to be fear and khashya, modesty and shame, and confident hope in the infinite mercy. The etiquettes and secrets of the initial takbirs of the adhan, the etiquettes of testifying to divinity and its connection with the adhan, a mystical interpretation of "hayy 'ala l-salat" and "qad qamat al-salat" and their connection with the previous components of the adhan are other discussions of this chapter. In a chapter titled "mystical awakening," Imam Khomeini expresses the levels of testimony: the first level is verbal testimony, and if the testimony at this level is not accompanied by heartfelt testimony, it is nothing but deceit and hypocrisy. The second level is practical testimony, meaning the testimony of bodily actions; with the theme that the praying person practically shows that in the circle of existence, he does not consider anyone effective except God. The third level is heartfelt testimony, where practical monotheism manifests in the mystic's heart. The fourth level is essential or existential testimony, which is realized for the perfect divine awliya (a).[21] The second chapter of this article is dedicated to explaining the mystical dimensions of "qiyam" and narrating hadiths about the states of the Infallibles (a) during qiyam. In a mystical expression, "qiyam" refers to practical monotheism both in word and in the manner of form. The third chapter is specific to "niyya" in which sincerity in niyya and the levels of sincerity have been referred to. Imam Khomeini enumerates the eight levels of sincerity as follows:

  1. Purifying the action from the taint of the creature's satisfaction;
  2. Purifying the action from mortal worldly purposes;
  3. Purifying the action from reaching bodily paradises, houris, and palaces;
  4. Purifying the action from the fear of divine punishment and bodily torments;
  5. Purifying the action from reaching permanent spiritual pleasures;
  6. Purifying the action from the fear of not reaching these pleasures and felicities;
  7. Purifying the action from attaining the paradise of encounter;
  8. Purifying the action from the fear of separation.

Of course, the last two levels are the perfection of purity among the people of God.[22] Also, the wayfarer must become pure from seeing and being pleased with his own action. The fourth chapter is dedicated to the exegesis of Sura al-Fatiha, Sura al-Ikhlas, and Sura al-Qadr, and under two "lanterns," which themselves are divided into several chapters, the absolute etiquettes of the recitation of the Qur'an and a glimpse of the etiquettes of the recitation of prayer have been spoken of.

The first lantern from the fourth chapter, in six chapters, has addressed the topics of the etiquette of glorification before the Qur'an, the comprehensiveness of the Qur'an, ways and obstacles to utilizing the Qur'an, the etiquette of contemplation in reciting the Qur'an, and the effects of contemplation.

The second lantern in seven chapters is dedicated to these cases: explanation and expression of the levels and recitation and the etiquettes of servitude in recitation, the etiquettes and pillars of isti'adha, the etiquettes of entering the station of "tasmiya", the station where the divine mark is placed on the servant's forehead; the exegesis of Sura al-Fatiha with titles such as mystical investigation, discussion and acquisition, philosophical investigation, throne inspiration, and faith awakening and the exegesis of the Greatest Name of God, the Beneficent and the Merciful, praise, Lordship, the ownership of the Truth, the Throne, religion, worship and seeking help and guidance to the straight path; the exegesis of Sura al-Ikhlas and some of its mystical subtleties and the explanation of the positive attributes and negative attributes of the Truth, the exegesis of Sura al-Qadr and the expression of Laylat al-Qadr and the descent of angels and the spirit, two mystical awakenings.[23] Imam Khomeini has dedicated the fifth and sixth chapters of the third article to the secret of ruku' which refers to attributes monotheism and sujud which refers to essential monotheism and annihilation, and in the seventh chapter he has addressed the secrets of "tashahhud" and has expressed the difference between the testimony at the beginning of the prayer and the testimony at the end of the prayer, and subsequently has written about the secrets of "salam" to the creatures, after returning to multiplicity.[24]

Conclusion

In the conclusion of the book, after expressing the mystical dimensions of al-Tasbihat al-Arba'a, he has considered the secret of qunut to be washing one's hands of other than the Truth, and in the end, he has referred to the secrets of the ta'qibat of prayer and the importance of the Tasbih of Lady Fatima (a).[25]

Status of the Book

Sayyid Ahmad Fihri Zanjani organized the book Adab al-Salat along with discussions taken from Asrar al-Salat of al-Shahid al-Thani and Asrar al-Salat of Qadi Sa'id Qummi and Asrar al-Salat of Mirza Javad Maliki Tabrizi in two volumes and published it under the title "Parwaz dar Malakut" (explanation and interpretation of Adab al-Salat of Imam Khomeini); Parwaz dar Malakut was first printed by "Nahzat-i Zanan-i Musalman" Publications, then by "Fayd Kashani" Publications in 593 pages; Astan Quds Razavi Publications published it once again with the same title in 1987-88 in 423 pages. Fihri has recalled that Imam Khomeini's Adab al-Salat has been brought within the book Parwaz dar Malakut without explicitly mentioning his name — due to its publication during the Pahlavi regime — and along with explanations and modifications, and the author has been referred to in it with the title "our divine master"; but in its second printing, which coincided with the victory of the Islamic Revolution, the author's name was explicitly mentioned and almost the entire book Adab al-Salat was included in the two volumes of Parwaz dar Malakut.[26]

Nasir and Payam-i Azadi Publications (Tehran) printed the book Adab al-Salat in 1989-90 in 424 pages, and Dar al-Kitab Publications (Qom, second printing, 1984-85) published it in two volumes. Finally, The Institute for Compilation and Publication of Imam Khomeini's Works published the book in 1991-92 with a different quality in 426 pages along with technical indices and in Vaziri format. Two letters of dedication along with their handwritten text are seen in this printing, indicating that Imam Khomeini dedicated this book to his son Sayyid Ahmad Khomeini and Fatima Tabataba'i (wife of Sayyid Ahmad Khomeini) in 1984-85. Also, this institute, in another printing, attached the manuscript of the book to the printed version and published it in 737 pages. In some pages of Imam Khomeini's manuscript, marginal notes written by him are seen, which were later added to the text and some of them have not appeared in the printed version[27]; but in volume 48 of Mawsu'at al-Imam al-Khomeini, which was published in 2013-14/1434-35, the manuscript of the book was used as the basis, and this defect was corrected. The book has a detailed index that Imam Khomeini wrote in seven pages of the manuscript. Sayyid Ahmad Fihri translated the book Adab al-Salat into Arabic in 1406/1985-86, and Al-A'lami Foundation for Publications printed it in Beirut under the title Al-Adab al-Ma'nawiyya li-l-Salat. Then, the Scientific-Cultural Publications Institute printed and published it in 1419/1998-99, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of Imam Khomeini's birth, in 540 pages along with the table of contents and the address of the verses and hadiths. In this year, a summary of this book was published in Beirut under the title Mukhtasar al-Adab al-Ma'nawiyya li-l-Salat. The Institute for Compilation and Publication of Imam Khomeini's Works has also translated the book into Urdu.[28] Salar Manafi has also translated the book into English and, to ensure the accuracy of the translation, sought help from Katy J. Williams, who is an English-speaking Muslim.[29]

Notes

  1. ↑ Imām Khumaynī, Ādāb al-Ṣalāt, 1/21-22.
  2. ↑ Muʾassasat Tanẓīm, Muqaddima-yi Ādāb al-Ṣalāt, 7.
  3. ↑ Akbarī, "Vīzhagī-hā-yi sabkī-yi kitāb-i Ādāb al-Ṣalāt taʾlīf-i Ḥaḍrat Imām Khumaynī," 191.
  4. ↑ Imām Khumaynī, Ādāb al-Ṣalāt, 2.
  5. ↑ Imām Khumaynī, Ādāb al-Ṣalāt, 10-12.
  6. ↑ Imām Khumaynī, Ādāb al-Ṣalāt, 13.
  7. ↑ Imām Khumaynī, Ādāb al-Ṣalāt, 16-19.
  8. ↑ Imām Khumaynī, Ādāb al-Ṣalāt, 19-22.
  9. ↑ Imām Khumaynī, Ādāb al-Ṣalāt, 23-24.
  10. ↑ Imām Khumaynī, Ādāb al-Ṣalāt, 28-43.
  11. ↑ Imām Khumaynī, Ādāb al-Ṣalāt, 43-53.
  12. ↑ Imām Khumaynī, Ādāb al-Ṣalāt, 55.
  13. ↑ Imām Khumaynī, Ādāb al-Ṣalāt, 59, 61.
  14. ↑ Imām Khumaynī, Ādāb al-Ṣalāt, 67.
  15. ↑ Imām Khumaynī, Ādāb al-Ṣalāt, 74.
  16. ↑ Imām Khumaynī, Ādāb al-Ṣalāt, 79.
  17. ↑ Imām Khumaynī, Ādāb al-Ṣalāt, 85-100.
  18. ↑ Imām Khumaynī, Ādāb al-Ṣalāt, 101-107.
  19. ↑ Imām Khumaynī, Ādāb al-Ṣalāt, 108-114.
  20. ↑ Imām Khumaynī, Ādāb al-Ṣalāt, 115-120.
  21. ↑ Imām Khumaynī, Ādāb al-Ṣalāt, 120-135.
  22. ↑ Imām Khumaynī, Ādāb al-Ṣalāt, 146-166.
  23. ↑ Imām Khumaynī, Ādāb al-Ṣalāt, 180-347.
  24. ↑ Imām Khumaynī, Ādāb al-Ṣalāt, 348-369.
  25. ↑ Imām Khumaynī, Ādāb al-Ṣalāt, 370-379.
  26. ↑ Muʾassasat Tanẓīm, Muqaddima, Mawsūʿat al-Imām al-Khumaynī, Ādāb al-Ṣalāt, 48/nuh.
  27. ↑ ← Imām Khumaynī, Ādāb al-Ṣalāt, 113, 154, and 162 of the manuscript.
  28. ↑ Muʾassasat Tanẓīm, Fihrist-i Āthār, 1.
  29. ↑ Akbarī, "Vīzhagī-hā-yi sabkī-yi kitāb-i Ādāb al-Ṣalāt taʾlīf-i Ḥaḍrat Imām Khumaynī," 19/170-179.

References

  • Āqā Buzurg Ṭihrānī, Muḥammad Muḥsin, Al-Dharīʿa ilā Taṣānīf al-Shīʿa, Beirut, Dār al-Aḍwāʾ, third printing, 1403 AH.
  • Akbarī, Manūchihr, "Vīzhagī-hā-yi sabkī-yi kitāb-i Ādāb al-Ṣalāt taʾlīf-i Ḥaḍrat Imām Khumaynī," Majalla-yi Ḥuḍūr, number 19, 1376 SH.
  • Imām Khumaynī, Sayyid Rūḥullāh, Ādāb al-Ṣalāt, Tehran, Muʾassasat Tanẓīm wa Nashr-i Āthār-i Imām Khumaynī, sixteenth printing, 1388 SH.
  • Muʾassasat Tanẓīm wa Nashr-i Āthār-i Imām Khumaynī, Fihrist-i āthār-i muʾassasa... sāl-i 1368-1384, Tehran, no date.
  • Muʾassasat Tanẓīm wa Nashr-i Āthār-i Imām Khumaynī, Muqaddima-yi kitāb-i Ādāb al-Ṣalāt taʾlīf-i Imām Khumaynī, Tehran, sixteenth printing, 1388 SH.
  • Muʾassasat Tanẓīm wa Nashr-i Āthār-i Imām Khumaynī, Mawsūʿat al-Imām al-Khumaynī, muqaddima-yi kitāb-i Ādāb al-Ṣalāt taʾlīf-i Imām Khumaynī, Tehran, twenty-first printing, 1392 SH.
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