During salāt (prayer), two things may arise for a person. One is the occupation of the nafs (nafs, the lower self) with looking to the right and left and listening to what is around; the other is the settling of the limbs in their proper places, the severing of ties with preoccupations outside the prayer, and the possibility of realizing that one is in prayer. (Ri'āya, 59)
Salāt (prayer) is the pillar of the religion, the light of the eyes of the ʿārifūn (gnostics), the joy of the ṣiddīqūn (the truthful), and the crown of the muqarrabūn (those brought near to God). The station (maqām) of prayer is the station of union (wuṣla). It is the locus of proximity to the Real (God), awe (hayba), humility (khushūʿ), reverence (haṣyat), exaltation, dignity, witnessing (mushāhada), and vigilant awareness (murāqaba). It is intimate conversation (munājāt) with Allah, standing in His presence, turning to Him, and turning away from everything else besides Him. (Lumaʿ, 203)
Salāt (prayer) has four etiquettes (ādāb): The first is to be present in the mihrab with presence of qalb (qalb, the heart); the second is to maintain rational witnessing (the awareness of being in Allah's presence) before the Bestower (al-Wahhāb); the third is to attain humility of qalb without falling into doubt or misgivings; the fourth is to perform the pillars of the prayer with tranquility, without any expectation. For presence of qalb helps to lift the veils, rational witnessing removes divine reproach, humility of qalb opens the doors, and the state of tranquility increases the reward. One who performs prayer deprived of presence of qalb is merely distracted. One who performs it without rational witnessing is deluded. One who performs it without humility of qalb errs. One who performs it without fulfilling its pillars with tranquility does injustice to himself. Whoever fulfills all four etiquettes in prayer gives the prayer its due right. (Lumaʿ, 209)
It encompasses twelve qualities that gather the attributes of sharia (sharia, the sacred law) and iman (iman, faith): The first is the two shahādas (testimonies of faith), which is fiṭra (innate disposition); the second is the five daily prayers (salawāt-i khams), which is the religion... (Kūt, II, 140)
One of the Sufis has said: The meaning of prayer is to be stripped of all attachments (alāʾiq) and to be separated from bonds, and to be alone with realities (ḥaqāʾiq). Attachments are everything other than Allah; realities are everything that belongs to and is from Allah.
Another has said: Prayer is union (wuṣla). (Taʿarruf, 109)
In language, salāt (prayer) means dhikr (dhikr, remembrance of God) and submission (inkiyād). According to the expressions of the jurists, prayer is a name given specifically to these established rulings. (Hujwīrī, 358)
Salāt (prayer) is a command that is not an instrument of either presence or absence. For a command is not an instrument of anything. The act of presence is the very presence itself, and the cause of absence is the very absence itself. (Hujwīrī, 360)
One of our shaykhs says: The musallī (one who performs prayer) needs four things: to annihilate his nafs, to abandon his character and nature, to purify his secret (sirr), and to attain perfection (kamāl) in witnessing (mushāhada). It is not easy for the one who prays to abandon his nafs. This is only possible through striving (gayret). When striving is gathered, one attains mastery over the nafs. For the existence of the nafs is separation; the nafs cannot be included in the meaning of union (jamʿ). The manifestation of Allah's majesty (jalāl) is necessary for character to depart, for the manifestation of the Real's majesty means the disappearance of others. The purity of the secret is only attained through love (maḥabba). Without purifying the secret, perfection in witnessing cannot be realized. (Hujwīrī, 361)
The special salāt is for the Rahmān (the Merciful) to alert His friends—may Allah's pleasure and peace be upon them—who are the guardians of the qalb, vigilant, possessors of humility (khushūʿ), and ever-alert.
It is narrated that Yūsuf Isām once entered a mosque in Khurasan. When he saw a large circle, he asked who they were. He was told that it was the circle of Hātim, where they discussed asceticism (zuhd), scrupulousness (warāʿ), fear (khawf), and hope (rajāʾ). Yūsuf said to his companions: "Come, let us go and ask Hātim about the state of prayer; if he answers us, we will join his circle of instruction." With this intention, Yūsuf went to Hātim, greeted him, and said: "I have a question for you!" Hātim replied: "Ask!" Yūsuf said: "I want to ask you something about the state of prayer." Hātim said: "Do you want to ask about the gnosis (maʿrifa) of prayer, or its etiquette (adab)? For in this matter there are two kinds of questions, and each requires a separate answer." Yūsuf said: "Its etiquette." Hātim replied: "It is to fulfill the command of Allah."