From The Publisher

Foreword

Dedication

Author’s Preface

Introduction

Preface

Discourse One

Chapter 1: Cordial Disciplines

Chapter 2: The Stages Of The Stations Of The People Of Sulūk

Chapter 3: Concerning Submissiveness [Khushū‘]

Chapter 4: Tranquility

Chapter 5: Protecting The Worships From Satan’s Intrusion

Chapter 6: On Vivacity and Cheerfulness

Chapter 7: On Informing The Heart

Chapter 8: On The Presence Of Heart

Chapter 9: Hadiths Concerning The Presence Of Heart

Chapter 10: On Calling To Acquiring The Presence Of Heart

Chapter 11: On Curing The Wandering Imagination

Chapter 12: Explaining That Loving This World Causes Distraction Of The Mind

Completion: On Turning The Soul Away From The World

Discourse Two

Objective One : Purification

Chapter 1: On Purification In General

Chapter 2: Concerning The Stages Of Purification

Chapter 3: The Cordial Disciplines Of The Sālik When Coming To Water For Purification

Chapter 4: Concerning The Purifier

Chapter 5: Some Disciplines Of The Wudu’ (Ritual Ablution) In Respect Of The Interior And The Heart

Chapter 6: Concerning The Ghusl And Its Cordial Disciplines

Chapter 7: Some Cordial Disciplines For Removing Filth And Purifying Impurities

Objective Two: Some Disciplines Concerning the Clothes

Chapter 1: The Secret Of The Purity Of Clothing

Chapter 2: Concerning Cordial Considerations Of Covering The Nakedness

Objective Three: On the Cordial Disciplines Concerning the Place of the Musallī

Objective Four : On the Cordial Disciplines of the Time

Objective Five: On Some Disciplines Concerning Orientation

Discourse Three: The Affinities [Muqārināt] Of The Salat

Section One: On Some Disciplines of the Adhān and Iqāmah

Chapter 1: General Secret And Disciplines Of The Adhān And Iqāmah

Chapter 2: Some Disciplines And Secrets Of Takbīrs In The Adhān And Iqāmah

Chapter 3: Some Disciplines Concerning Testifying Divinity And Its Connection With The Adhān And The Salat

Chapter 4: Some Disciplines Of Testifying To The (Prophet’s) Messengership Implying Testifying To The Guardianship

Section Two:Concerning the Qiyām (the Standing Position in the Salat)

Section Three: On the Secret of the Niyyah [Intention]

Section Four: The Discipline Of Reverence

Section Five: Brief Hints At The Objectives, Subjects And Contents Of The Glorious Divine Book

Section Six: How To Be Benefited By The Qur’an

Section Seven: The Obstacles And Barriers Preventing Being Benefited By The Qur’an

Section Eight: Meditation

Section Nine: Application To One’s Own Condition

Conclusion

Degrees Of Recitation And The Groups Of Reciters

Some Disciplines Of Isti‘adhah

On The Four Pillars Of Isti‘adhah

On Some Disciplines Of Naming [Tasmiyah]

A Brief Exegesis Of The Blessed Sūrah Of Al-Hamd And Some Disciplines Of Praising And Recitation

Some Exegesis Of The Blessed Sūrah Of At-Tawhīd

Some Comments On The Blessed Sūrah Of Al-Qadr As Much As They Suit These Papers

On The Takbīr Before The Rukū

Concerning The Disciplines Of Bowing In Rukū‘

The Rukū‘of the Salāt of The Messenger’s Mi‘rāj

Delicacies And Secrets Of The Rukū, Sujūd And Their Cordial Disciplines

General Secret Of The Sujūd

Disciplines Of The Sujūd

Contents And Meaning Of The Form, Mood And Invocation Of The Sujūd

The Moods Of The Sājid During The Sujūd

Meaning And Effect Of Testifying To The Tawhīd And The Messengership (Of The Prophet)

The Disciplines Of Tashahhud

State Of The Musallī During Utterance Of The Salām, And The Condition For The Salām To Be Truthful

Concerning The Meaning And The Secret Of The Salām And Its Disciplines

The Secrets And The Cordial Disciplines Of The Four Tasbīhs

Concerning The Cordial Disciplines Of The Qūnūt

After-The-Salāt Invocation

Conclusion And Invocation (Du‘a’)

Glossary

Final Note by Imam Khomeini

A detailed explanation of the strict disciplines and moral secrets of
prayer, written by Imam Khomeini for the general public.


Adab as-Salat: The Disciplines of the Prayer Second Revised Edition

On The Takbīr Before The Rukū
=============================

Apparently, this *takbīr* (saying: *Allāhu Akbar* = Allah is the
Greatest) belongs to the *rukū'* (obeisance *=* genuflection) in order
to be prepared for the stage of *rukū'*. Its relevant discipline is to
bring to mind Allah's status of Greatness and Majesty and the Lord's
Might and Sovereignty, and considering, at the same time, one's
weakness, inability, poverty, humility and servitude. In such a
condition, and according to one's knowledge of the Lord's Might and the
servant's humility, one will say the *takbīr* of the *Haqq* (Allah), the
Exalted, being above all description.

The description [*tawsīf*] which the *sālik* servant makes of the *Haqq*
(Allah), the Exalted, and his glorifying and extolling, should be out of
pure obedience, and taking them to be by the permission of the *Haqq*
(Allah), the Exalted, to describe and worship Him. Otherwise he would
dare not to vaunt of his describing and glorifying in the presence of
the Lord, weak a servant as he is, and, actually, having nothing of his
own, for whatsoever he has is from his Great Worshipped. When 'Alī ibn
al-Husayn, with such sweet and authoritative a tongue as he had, being
the tongue of Allah, says: “How, with this feeble tongue as I have, can
I thank you?”[^1] “What a thin gnat can do?”[^2]

So, when the *sālik* servant wants to enter the grave stage of *rukū'*,
he has to prepare himself for that stage, throwing behind, with his own
hand, his describing, glorifying, worshipping and conduct [*sulūk*]. He
then has to raise his hands beside his ears, facing his empty palms
towards the *qiblah*, and, empty-handed, with a heart full of fear and
hope fear of failure and deficiency in observing the state of servitude;
and assured hope in the Holy state of Allah Who honored him into such
situations, which belong to the bosom friends of Allah and the perfect
lovers he enters the stage of *rukū'*. Probably, raising the hands in
this way denotes leaving the *qiyām* (standing) position and the stand
[*wuqūf*] in that stage a sign indicating taking no provision from the
stage of *qiyām*.

*Takbīr* denotes glorifying and aggrandizing the descriptions done in
the stage of *qiyām*. As *rukū'*, to the people of knowledge, is the
stage of the Unity of Attributes, the *takbīr* of *rukū'*, to them, is
aggrandizing this Unity, and raising the hands is a sign of rejecting
the attributes of the creatures.

[^1]: Misbāh al-Mutahajjid, an extract from Abū Hamzah's invocation, p.
534

[^2]: Refer to footnote 273


