Tuesday 25 October 2016

How do you interpret the phrase come to (falah) salvation in azan (call to prayer)?

Falah means salvation. The word salvation is interpreted differently by various groups. 


This word is imagined in the eyes of a poor man as a comfortable home where he can stay, as enough food to fill his stomach and clothes to be covered in. In short what he understands is salvation from poverty and begging.

For a patient it is synonymous with recovery. For a soldier it means demobilization whereas a student sees it as graduation. For the oppressed it is the death of the oppressor.

We do not oppose to any of them. However, we know that none of them is the real salvation. One day all of these desires will pass. After the end of the travel in the world that will end in death, all of these targets will remain in the past. So the real salvation, that is, the salvation that will not remain in the past, the eternal salvation is none of them.

In the fifth verse of Chapter Al-Baqara that immediately follows Chapter Al-Fatiha, the following is stated: it is these who will prosper. The following wise expressions are stated in the Nur Collection as an interpretation of this verse.

It does not determine how they shall prosper. It is as if with this omission it is saying: "Oh Muslims! Good news! Oh you who fear God! You shall find prosperity through being saved from Hell. Oh righteous one! You shall find prosperity in Paradise. Oh you who seeks knowledge of God! You will attain God's pleasure. Oh lover of God! You will experience the vision of God." And so on. (The Words)

All of these salvations are related to the eternal world and eternal bliss. None of them is related to the temporal life and temporary pleasures.

The subject of salvation is mentioned in Chapter Al-Mumenoon. The following is stated in the first verse: The Believers must (eventually) win through. This verse teaches that the greatest salvation is to enter the circle of belief. A person who embraces belief has been liberated from disbelief and polytheism. This is the greatest salvation. The opposite of this is eternal disappointment.

If a blind man starts to see, we say he has been liberated.

What was he liberated from? From the darkness. From not being able to discern the things in front of him. From being ignorant of color, shape, form, beauty and many other concepts. From being able to reach things within his hands reach and not being able to communicate with the things beyond. Now he can see the sun.

To embrace belief is a better salvation than being able to see, a greater liberation: Being liberated from the blindness of knowing the work but not knowing the creator.

Being liberated from the dungeon of being in abundance of blessings but not thinking about the Sustainer

Who is the owner of this world. Who brought you to this world? Who fixed my hand to my wrist and who put my eyes in my face? Who installed my veins? Who set up my nervous system?

Liberation from not being able to answer these and many other questions...

Liberation from idleness and being ownerless by saying This property has an owner and surrendering his soul to Him

Liberation from meanness and baseness by ascending to a sublimity that surpasses the universe
The next verse attracts the attention to the most important characteristic of the believers:

Those who humble themselves in their prayers.

This is another harbinger for salvation: Liberation from disobedience and rebellion; salvation from haughtiness, pride, and unawareness. The occurrence of the word salvation in azan is related to that verse.

After that two very important characteristic of a believer are mentioned: To avoid vain talk and to do deeds of charity

After that another characteristic follows:

They guard their chastity.

Thus the attention is attracted to the best part of the morality after belief and worshipping: to guard their chastity, honor. Liberation from unchastity, effrontery.

Deeds are done in accordance with the strength of belief and the heart gets stronger as deeds are done.

The strong relationship between belief and deeds is taught to us by being mentioned in many verses just after belief.

The azans that we hear every day cry out this meaning. After takbeers (saying Allah is the greatest) come shahadas (saying that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad (PBUH) is His messenger): Belief in Allah and His messenger is reminded. Call to salat (prayer) and salvation follow the sentences of shahada.

Believers who were liberated from the darkness of disbelief by belief are called to fulfill their duties of worshipping and stay away from rebellion and reach the real salvation. 

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