Solat.

Assalamualaikum wrt.

I sometimes think of stuffs. and thought of writing it down..but most of the times i didn't. I find it quite hard to translate my thoughts and ideas into words and make it thoroughly conveyed, the exact reflection of each other. (hahah maybe i lack that eloquent vocab). But i know this time i need to. i couldn't risk forgetting and not documenting it. hihiks

Solat. Sembahyang. 

There is no such thing in the world that you do, and the moment you do it, is you get engaged in thinking of thinking of something OTHER than its purpose of doing, EXCEPT, SOLAT.
(try to read it a few times stressing the highlighted words) 

yeah. I mean, as soon as AllahuAkbar. you're lost. Either imagining, recalling, brainstorming, planning. Most lazim questions are, "Gee what do i have to do next." "i feel like baking this cake.." " oh yeah my oven, when to repair it" "Cabs are so hard to get these days" "Egypt's weird..." blablaba. Next thingg you know. geez i think i'm in 2nd rakaat, what have i been thinking about all the while AGAIN????"  

Ironically, the types of thoughts and questions that NEVER pop up in your head while you're doing other things ALWAYS HAS TO appear in between AllahuAkbar and Assalamualaikum wrt. like, SERIOUSLY. ITS CHRONIC !! almost a magical mystery ! A wonder! Solat is like programmed in our heads for this !

You never berangan, unless, you actually paused whatever you're doing and then start your berangan-ing. Theres no such thing as belajar sambil berangan. INTERMITTENT belajar 2 minit, then berangan 5 minit ada lah. That moment when you start imagining, pap! you're no more studying. that topic you're revision-ing pushed to the back of your mind, your day dreaming get it way in your main thinking box. Your mind can't comprehend thinking about 2 things at once. faham tak?

So all this while KITA NI SOLAT KE BERANGAN?????????

And what about DOA? DUA'? Habis je solat, (solat tak rasa cam apa2 sangat), start je tadah tangan tuu..fuuuh...rasa lain. rasa naak sangat. Bila doa, boleh pulak kita concentrate begging hoping asking TO ALLAH..(Alhamdulillah for those who/when we concentrated)..with all our heart we get to feel kerendahan, lemah dan hinanya diri kita ni..We needed Him so bad, He's listening to us, and is responding..that we cry so hard and attain such peace afterwards. Itu doa. Sedangkan solat? It is the means, the ONLY means by which we are connected DIRECTLY to Him. Dan doa pula, (as to my level of knowledge) has to pass by stages to reach Allah. He would know, yes for sure He is the All Knower. But it is with His control also, of how the procedures run, that the dua' may be rejected on its way up. (due to all sorts haram consumption, etc)

Solat is the opportunity,  Your Creator gave you, for you to come SPEAK to Him. How do you feel speaking to your visible friend? what comes in your mind? 

That feeling, you want to say something and you say it, you're understanding what you're saying, you're listening it by your own ears, confirming it well said and that your friend hears it and will come to an understanding of it also, the message is delivered, you wait and are looking up to his response. Especially when you're in a serious communication with your friend. Nothing else can occupy your heart and mind. 

Solat is NOT an act of ritual comprising of strange actions and not-understandable spells and summonings. 

Stand tall during solat and OPEN YOUR EYES. BE IN THE MOMENT. DON'T GO DEEP IN YOUR HEART FOR WHATEVER WRONG REASONS AND GET LOST IN YOUR THINKING. Ada yang solat time tahiyyat dia macam gerak-gerak kiri kanan (macam berzikir). Adakah lagu apa yang tengah dibaca tu?? Allow me to quote something from a very interesting article i ran into:

Khushoo is not a synonym for weeping or lowering one’s gaze. Umar  (may Allāh be pleased with him) saw a young man lowering his head, so he said to him: “What is this? Raise your head, for indeed this (kind of) khushoo does not increase what is in the heart. Whosoever displays a khushoo that does not stem from the heart, then it is hypocrisy added to hypocrisy.“

(i assume "lowering his head" means to lower it too much. This hits me real hard, as i remembered, I've been there. Did it when i was in high school.)

Let it come naturally, automatically, you're another slave, honoring the time, engaging in a conversation with your Lord. Acknowledging your weak and dependent self. You're praising Him as he deserves and thanking Him as He ought to be.

There is an ayaaat in Quran, saying to lower your voice in solat. Allah, He hears you, He knows whats in your heart. Yang dalam hati tu penting ! Imagine you're whispering something to a friend, to his ears. That feeling. Doesn't need to be loud, enough when understood and felt by both parties.


 Solat should NOT be done, with the feeling to load off a burden. Hah k, berdiri tunduk sujud, berdiri tunduk sujud, cepat cepat done ! Asal dah buat sudah la tak? -.-

Contoh paling dekat dalam hati aku: 

Setiap kali masak, aku mesti masak lamaa, sebab aku ni amateur, and proses "merasa" edit2 garam gula garam gula tuu or asam blabla mesti nak sampai yg tahap aku puas hati,,orang lain pun sedaplah nak makan. and bila aku solat sekadar nak lepas macam tu, umpamanya aku campak segala bagai, pap! dah.. takde sikit pun a responsible feeling nak rasa macam mana masakan tu, nak bg org makan. lantak korang ah rasa apa telan je lah apa aku buat. 

kurang ajar itu namanya. Tak adil kepada Allah.

i watched this video and it gave me better understanding of solat:

**Sekadar renungan**

A few times i came across people performing solat, and their eyes were looking forward and wandering (not down on sujood place), as if he is 'thinking' of a lot of things. And once someone solat in the living room, TV was on, dia tengok tv tuu sambil tengah berdiri solat. hmm.

"Seseorang menunaikan solat, tetapi tidak ditulis baginya separuh, satu pertiga, satu suku, satu perlima, satu perenam, satu persepuluh. Hanya ditulis baginya daripada solatnya mengikut kadar apa yang dia faham dari solatnya"

(rujuk from buku Pengenalan Ilmu Tasawwuf Untuk Remaja Islam)