The Benefit of the Worshipper's Standing Before His Lord
Author: Shaikh Alee Hasan al-Halabi (trans. by Abu Iyaad)
Source: From the Introduction to 'al-Khushoo fis-Salat' of Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali
The Prayer is a sanctified and holy moment (mauqif) for the worshipper in the presence of his Lord and Deity in truth. He fulfils (by its performance) his covenants, obligations and statements of confession which are contained within and are required by the testimony that: "There is nothing which has the right to be worshipped except Allah and that Muhammed(peace be upon him) is His Messenger" and by whose attestation one becomes a muslim.
These covenants, obligations and resolutions: among them are those of belief, those of speech and those of action; and the explanation of that is as follows:
Seventhly:
Whatever is repeated in every raka' from among the obligations and covenants in speech such as the repetition of his praises, requesting of guidance to the straight path, the path of those who have blessings bestowed upon them, not of those upon whom is anger and they are the Jews and whoever is like them, nor of those who are astray and they are the Christians and whoever resembles them, and the likes of what is said in the tashahhud and the meanings of the various verses and supplications that are repeated in the prayer: in summary, every movement, every moment of ease, every statement and every action during the prayer, be it an obligation, covenant, resolution or confession from the worshipper in front of his Master and Deity in Truth, which he repeats in every raka', whether it is in the obligatory or supererogatory, makes free his heart, tongue, limbs and feelings from associating partners with Allah.
He is a muslim, in submission to Him. He gives for His sake, takes for his sake, acts for His sake, abandons for His sake. He loves for his sake and hates for His sake. The proof for this truth is the saying of Allah (Azzawajall) :
{And establish the prayer. Verily the prayer prevents the obscene and evil deeds}[2]
and the saying of the Messenger (sallallahu-alaihi-wasallam}:
"The example of the five prayers is as the example of an abundant flowing river by the side of the door of one of you. He washes every day from it five times."[3]
Therefore know - brother/sister reader - the position and importance of your prayer and establish as it should be truly established and gain happiness from it as Allah desires for you. I ask Allah that he assists us all and has mercy upon us, verily He is the All Hearer, the Responder.
FOOTNOTES
2. Surah Ankabut 29:45
3. Reported by [Muslim] no. 667 from Jaabir.
(http://abdurrahman.org/salah/thebenefitofstanding.html)