NOVEMBER 18
After Rising from
Sleep in the Morning
Islam teaches us that when a man rises from sleep early in the morning, he should first of all thank God for having given him sound sleep and making the sun rise so that he may perform his life’s duties in the sunlight.
The next thing a believer must do in the morning is to perform his ablutions (wudu) or if possible take a bath in order to cleanse himself, and then say the fajr prayer, the first prayer of the day. After this prayer he should engage himself in other daily activities, keeping the teaching’s of Islam before him at all times. Instead of being led by his desires, he should follow God’s commands.
Assalamu Alaikum
Islam teaches Muslims to greet their brothers when they meet them, by saying Assalamu alaikum that is, peace be upon you. According to the Islamic code of behaviour, when a Muslim meets another Muslim brother, he should greet him with these words ‘may peace be upon him or you’ and the other person must say in return, ‘And peace be upon you too’.
This greeting is a form of prayer. A believer is the well-wisher of other believers. He has good feelings in his heart for others. He even keeps praying for them in his hours of privacy. As such, on meeting them, this inner feeling of well-wishing finds expression in the form of these words of greeting: Peace be upon you.
The phrase ‘Assalamu Alaikum’ is an expression of the kind of life that an individual ought to lead in society. Everyone must live in this world as the well-wisher of others, desiring peace and security for all. By greeting others with this phrase, one introduces oneself as a well-wisher, one from whom no harm may be expected. This greeting truly symbolizes an attitude of peace and goodwill towards all human beings.
The greeting ‘Assalamu Alaikum’ is not a mere ritual repetition of a salutation. It is, in fact, a sacred covenant by which one leads a principled life. Its utterance is an indication that the speaker would observe the spirit of this phrase—the spirit of peace and goodwill towards all.
Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem
Islam teaches us to begin all work in the name of God, the most merciful, the most beneficent. According to the Prophet of Islam, any task which has not been started by taking the name of God is not well founded.
This phrase reminds man that the world which is his centre of activity, was created by a God who is helpful to man by being all-merciful and all-compassionate etc. Therefore, we must begin our work by remembering God and seeking His help.
When a man has found God, he becomes immersed in His greatness. He knows that all power belongs to God, and that it is God alone who can give and take away. Reciting the phrase, “In the name of God, the most merciful the most beneficent” is, in actual fact, an expression of this feeling of the believer. It is an acknowledgment of God’s godhead. It is remembrance of God in one’s inner most being. It is a way of seeking the help of God, the Almighty.
The man who starts work without taking the name of God acts safely on the basis of his own strength, whereas one who begins his work after taking the name of God has the support of the Almighty’s power. Where the former has no certainty of reaching his goal the latter is like a passenger travelling steadily along the right path and that one day he will definitely reach his destination.
God is the greatest reality of the universe. After having realized this reality, man gives expression to it in verbal form by using this phrase.
