Man has to believe and consider himself as a vicegerent on this beautiful mysterious planet Earth. Vicegerent of an Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Ever living, Everlasting Lord, the Most Perfect Being, who is always and constantly Beneficial, Merciful, Kind, Loving, Forgiving Sustainer, a Tremendous Being with umpteen matchless qualities. Man has to humble himself in total submission and surrender before that Everlasting, Ever living Lord who is neither begotten nor begets any “being” as a like one in the form of a wife, mother, father or a son. The Lord as a Being; is totally perfect and alone stands without a Guide and anyone giving Him council. The Lord is Self Sustaining All Alone (Wahid) and (Samad) without any partner to share His business and His command.
Man as a vicegerent has to merely submit himself virtuously forever and ever and at all times with full devotion and submission, without challenging the authority of the Supreme Being. Man has to ever praise the Lord of all creations and all beings in the universe. The universe itself is created by a word of command (Kun) and it has come into being (Fayakuun). None has the power to change a word of command except Himself. There is no interceptor other than Himself save as those permitted and accepted by Him.
For erring soul of man, the Great Being Allah has been an Ever Guide, a Master, a Friend, a 'Moula' and 'Naseer'. All have to submit to Him unquestionably without challenging His ever Greatness (Allah hu Akbar). Allah has been guiding His Prophet Messengers, to pass on the message to the Mankind so as to prevent man become niggardly, disobedient, mischievous and misguided by man's eternal enemy Satan, the Iblis, the Shaitan.
It is the foremost command of Allah to man to surrender and submit before the full Eminence and Greatness of His supreme existence and obey His commands sent through His last Prophet Muhammad *(Pbuh). Allah has commanded to ever be obedient and loving to His last Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh)
The most fundamental principle and command of Allah is to declare His 'Wahdamiyat' (Allah sovereignty and unity of Godhood) and Risalat (Prophethood) of Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh).
The second command is to praise Allah all the time and more so to cleanse himself and be in a state of inner and outer purity (Tuhar) and submit at an appointed hour in daily prayers of five times as taught by Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh).
Man should submit and surrender in prayers and extol the virtues and greatness of the Superior Being in the manner and fashion as dictated by Allah Himself through His angel, Gabreal to Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh). The prayers are referred to as ‘Salah’ (Namaz). The prayers are performed to praise the Lord and to recall all His bounties, Mercy and Compassion and His Ever Forgiving quality and nature. The prayers are to break the violence and niggardliness of man and to make man to submit in peace to achieve both inner and outer solace, bliss and comfort for the soul. 'Salah' the daily appointed prayers is to bridle the passions, carnal desires and the evil in man (Nafs-e-Ammarah) and to bring the 'nafs', the soul to obedience and order (Nafs-e-Luwwammah) and to make the soul peaceful and a surrended soul, 'Nafs-e Mutmaeenah'. Prayers are to help the soul to enlighten and purify itself and create a link with the Supreme Being. 'Namaz is therefore 'Meeraj e Muslimeen and momineen'. It is through prayers alone that the link with Supreme Being is established.
The troubled and ever turbulent mind is put to peace and solace and the heart is purified. The impurities of the soul are cleansed and ‘Salah’ becomes 'Shifaul momineen' (purifier for the momineens). Prayers enable man to establish peace, order and tranquility in him both inwardly and outwardly. 'Salah' brings humility in man and man achieves sublimity and solace. It is through 'Salah', prayers, that the process of purification of soul begins and man becomes a true vicegerent of Lord Almighty. Man through 'Salah', prayer, achieves 'ubudiyat' (servant hood) and becomes an obedient servant of the Lord Almighty Allah.
[The writer is can be reached at: internationalsuficentre@ gmail.com]
(*Pbuh (Peace be upon him)