03. YOU’RE CONNECTED
Murshid Kareem (RA) says, “الصلاة معراج المؤمنين” (Prayer is the ascension of the believers). It is through Salat that we open the path towards knowing Allah ﷻ. It is not merely a series of bodily movements and routines; Salat comes from the word Silah—connection. To connect, we must first and foremost have the ability to focus.
In today’s world, one of the most relied-upon services is the internet. When the connection is excellent, you can connect instantly, explore the World Wide Web, call someone on the other side of the world, or download various apps on your smartphone, each serving a different function. The biggest frustration of the modern-day era is when “the internet is down” or “the Wi-Fi sucks” or even worse, “there is no Wi-Fi!” In such cases, all of your devices become nearly useless to you and cannot function or perform as you’d like.
Even when Wi-Fi or electricity is present, if you aren’t connected to it or don’t plug something in, it remains useless to you, even though the signal is constantly broadcasting. The connection only works when it runs both ways; without that mutual link, nothing functions as it should. True communication is never one-sided.
Sadly, the same can be said for much of society today, as we are often more familiar with our devices than our own selves. It becomes daunting to be alone without being online.
If the mind is not still, if it is not focused, it lacks the ability to concentrate. If the mind is constantly occupied with worldly affairs and distractions, it no longer finds space for inner introspection and connection. Let’s reflect on our prayers: how many of us, as soon as we say Allahu-Akbar, are thinking about what we will have for dinner, what we will wear when we go out, our plans for the day, or how we will get back to that person who upset us? Without even giving ourselves enough time to finish what we are reciting in prostration before rising, we are scattered in our thoughts, one after the other, and by the time we say AlSalamu-Alykum, we can barely recall a single moment of true connection.
Most of the time, we are simply ticking the box for Salat to satisfy the feeling of completing it on our to-do list. Consequently, even the practice of Salat becomes redundant. Often, we don’t even understand what we are reciting, which makes it very difficult to connect during prayer. Unless and until the mind learns how to focus on a single point through the practice of Muraqabah—essentially, the art of concentration—we will never truly enjoy or taste the real flavour of Salat, reap its benefits, or enter the state of Ihsan Taqweem—our ultimate state as human beings. As Murshid Kareem (RA) has taught, there comes a point when Salat becomes Muraqabah, and Muraqabah becomes Salat.
Salat is a beautiful act, beyond a mere ritual, one that must be experienced in such a way that it becomes an act of love. To pause your daily tasks and routine to establish a connection and converse with your Lord, your Creator—who loves you more than seventy mothers—is a profound privilege.
These five prayers a day serve as a spiritual recharge, keeping you focused, in contact with, and in a state of peace and bliss during and inbetween prayers. It keeps you online with Allah 24/7. We must note that in Al-Quran Al-Kareem, it is stated that we must establish prayer, not just recite it. Allah ﷻ is always with us—the question is, are we with HIM?
Another modern-day frustration is the smartphone battery depleting—what a panic this causes! When we’re at five percent, the restlessness to find a charger is consuming. At fifty percent, the awareness of the impending panic starts to surface. However, when we are at one hundred percent, we feel care-free and at complete ease, convinced that everything we need or want can be managed through that little device in our pocket.
In today’s world, science and technology have advanced at an incredible pace. While these advancements have helped humanity progress materially, they have also led people to cling more to the physical aspect of life, distancing themselves from their true selves and distracting them from seeking the truth. Consequently, the true essence of spirituality is often forgotten. Everything created by man is essentially inspired by God’s creation. No one in this universe can create anything without using the resources provided by Allah ﷻ. People seek the pleasures in man-made devices while forgetting to explore the most magnificent creation of all—themselves—the best of Allah ﷻ’s creation: Insaan.
Today’s generation is so accustomed to speed and has access to an endless stream of information, literally at their fingertips. If something doesn’t load within five seconds, impatience sets in. Why is it that we are so enticed by the external senses, yet rarely take the time to develop our inward sense? We connect to information, but not to the Source of information.
Another example lies in the way all the images and files stored on our smartphones are inspired by the human mind—through which we can go back in time, revisit countless moments of our lives, and remember them. We can even recall the touch, the smell, and the feelings tied to each memory.
When we buy a new iPhone, it asks us if we want to transfer all the memory or data from our old phone to the new one by simply placing the two devices in front of each other. This process is inspired by telepathy—the transfer of information through waves, through focused connection without any physical means. And then there’s the feature that we all appreciate: silent mode or do not disturb. How wonderful would it be if we spent enough time with ourselves to activate the same mode within our own minds?
The human mechanism is the inspiration behind all of this. Unfortunately, we have neglected the magnificent creation made by Allah ﷻ. We have stopped exploring our own capabilities as Insaan and have become glued to—distracted by—man-made products that are, in essence, inspired by our very own creation. What a paradox! These devices hold no power to provide us with true happiness; they offer only temporary joy, with no lasting impact on our well-being. In contrast, getting in touch with and understanding the workings of our true selves allows us to experience ever-lasting happiness—a happiness that cannot be taken away by any circumstances.
Fortunately, in this day and age, if reflected upon in the right manner, these advancements can actually work in favour of helping mankind better understand their own abilities and the wonders of creation. They encourage us to reflect on important aspects mentioned in the Holy Quran and allow the modern era to grasp the reality of Islam through contemporary scientific discoveries, using them as examples and metaphors, linking them to nature and to the Signs of Allah ﷻ. This gives us the freedom to think, contemplate, and understand how these examples can direct our awareness to the Elohistic Knowledge.
One of the major problems we face in our world today is that when we read the Holy Quran, we limit our understanding to only what the physical eye can see—the physical, thaher (ظاهر), the outer aspect—the apparent meaning. The inner, baatin (باطن) aspect—the hidden meaning—seems almost beyond our comprehension, or worse, we reject it altogether, to the point of believing that it doesn’t exist or is impossible. When someone receives ilhaam (inspiration) to perceive it, we often stop them and correct their understanding based on what we assume to be the only possible interpretation.
This mindset prevents us from being among those who believe in Al-Ghayb, as we deny the possibility of a witnessed revelation of an Ayah simply because we haven’t experienced it ourselves. In doing so, we limit the Holy Quran and restrict the way it communicates with us directly. Even the interpretation (tafseer) of a particular writer is confined to what they have understood, seen, or experienced.
The sciences of the modern era have provided many examples that can be used to decipher spirituality. Although science will never fully capture or catch up with spirituality itself— since it is based on the physical aspect of creation, while the essence of spirituality seeks to take us beyond the physical senses to connect with the Soul and to know our Creator—humanity’s consciousness has expanded, allowing us to physically see and comprehend what previous generations could only perceive through the actual practice of spirituality.
This calls for a renewed, modern way of looking at the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, as introduced by Hudhoor Qalandar Baba Auliya (RA) and Al-Sheikh Khawajah Shamsuddin Azeemi (RA) for our times. These teachings are unchanging and have always remained the same; we have simply forgotten how to appreciate their essence. We focus so much on the outer forms, that we forget to see that there is an internal aspect that makes them appear. It is within these inner teachings that the true beauty and depth of Al-Quran Al-Kareem and the Sunnah of Rasool Allah ﷺ unfold. Modern advancements help humanity expand our limited perspective on these teachings, allowing us to understand how beautiful and timeless the Noor of the Holy Quran is, and how radiant the Noor of Rasool ﷺ remains—both ever alive, pulsing as the heartbeat of creation.