After a long and hectic day at work, how difficult it is for a tired person
to go out to the mosque and concentrate on his prayers to Allah, the
Almighty. Snuggled up in a warm and cozy bed, how difficult it is to
get up at the call of the Mu'adhin: "Come to prayer! Come to success!"
The famous doctor and philosopher, Ibn Sina (Avicenna), recalls such
a moment in his life. One cold and icy night, he and his slave were
resting at an inn in a remote part of Khurasan. During the night, he
felt thirsty, so he called to his slave to bring him some water. The
slave had no desire to leave his warm bed, so he pretended not to
hear Ibn Sina’s call. But finally, after repeated calls, he reluctantly got
up and went to fetch the water. A little while later, the melodious
sound of the azaan (call to prayer) filled the air. Ibn Sina began to
think about the person calling the people to prayer. "My slave,
Abdullah, he mused, has always respected me and admired me. He
seizes any opportunity to lavish praise and affection on me, but
tonight he preferred his own comfort to my needs. On the other hand,
look at this Persian slave of Allah: He left his warm bed to go out into
the chilly night, he made ablution in the icy water of the stream, and
then he ascended the high minaret of the mosque to glorify Him Whom
he truly serves: "I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship
except Allah. I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of
Allah."
Ibn Sina records: "I learned the essence of true love, that love which
results in complete obedience." The love of Allaah demands total and
unconditional obedience. Allah, the Almighty says: Say [oh,
Muhammad!]: "If you love Allah, follow me: Allah will forgive you your
sins, for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful"
[Surah 3:31]

PRAYER: A CRY OF THE INNER SOUL
His arrogance and pride have often led man to behave as an oppressor

and a tyrant. Some men have been carried away by their own self-
importance that they have even claimed divinity. Pharoah, the ruler of

Egypt, was among those who announced: "I am your supreme Lord!"
With his sense of greatness and pride, Pharoah subjugated the
Israelites and made their lives wretched and miserable.
But is man really as strong and great as his ego tells him? The Qur'an
tells us the reality of man’s nature: "It is Allah Who created you in a
state of weakness, then gave you strength after weakness, then after