TO BE A MUSLIM (Shaykh Nazim, 85 pages, 1/4)
https://www.nvrislam.net/index.php?j=eng&post=6044
TO BE A MUSLIM
The basics of faith, by shaykh nâzim al-qubrûsî
The Cyprus Library
First published in Turkish language 1958. 2nd edition 2010.
Translated from Turkish into English by Radhia Shukrullah
We wish to thank Dr Munir Sperling for his generous sponsorship of this publication.
2016 Printed in Hungary.
t a b l e o f c o n t e n t s
Preface 9
FAITH --- 11
The Six Articles of the Declaration of Faith 11
1– belief in allah 12
Every Being is Engaged
in the Remembrance of Allah (dhikru llâh) 13
Allah says: “Know Me!” 13
To Know Allah is the Purpose of Creation 13
What are the words of the Testimony of Faith (shahâda)? 14
The Meaning of the Words of the shahâda 14
2– allah’s angels 15
3– allah’ s holy scriptures --- 16
4– the prophets 17
5– the last day 18
6– destiny
Both good and bad come from Allah 19
The Religion of Islam 20
THE ESSENTIALS OF BEING A MUSLIM
1– cleanline ss (tahâra) --- 21
The Muslim Way of Bodily Cleansing 21
How and When ghusl, the Major Ablution, is Performed 22
Wu¡û’, the Minor Ablution 24
Tayammum 26
What breaks one’s wu¡û’ 27
The Benefits of Ritual Ablution 27
2– p raye r (salâh/namâz)
The ritual Prayer (salâh/namâz) 28
How salâh is Performed 29
Adhân and Iqâma 35
The Reward of Calling the Adhân 36
Tasbîª and Du‘â’ after the Formal Prayer (salâh/namâz) 37
The Jum‘a prayer, the Congregational Prayer on Friday 39
The Greatness of the Day of Jum‘a 39
The Prayers to be Performed on Jum‘a 41
The Five Daily Prayers 41
The ‘Îd Prayers 43
The Tarâwîª Prayer 45
The Witr Prayer 45
The Janâza Prayer (Funeral Prayer) 46
contents
3– fasting (siyâm)
Fasting in Islam 51
The Merits of Fasting 51
Fasting Is Not Difficult 52
Respecting Religion and Teaching Respect for Religion 52
Respect for Rama¡ân 53
Regulations for Fasting 53
On Giving fitr (zakât al-fitr) 55
4– giving alms (zakât) --- 56
5– p ilgrim ag e to me cca (ªajj)
Óajj – the Pilgrimage to Mecca 57
Standing at ‘Arafât 57
The adab (good manners) of the Pilgrimage 57
The Visit to our Holy Prophet,
the Pride of all Creation 59
THE FOUNDATIONS OF ISLAM
The Fifty-Four far¡ Requirements 61
Animal Sacrifice 66
The Benefits of Sacrificing Animals 67
Blessed Days and Nights 68
Our Master Muªammad Mustafâ k 73
The Holy Prophet’s Noble Character k 75
The Blessed Attributes of our Beloved Prophet k –
His Noble Appearance 80
A Great Saying of our Holy Prophet k:
“A Strong Believer Is Better Than a Weak Believer” 82
preface
The re are many books that carry the name of Mawlana Sheikh Nazim (ق). Most of them are either transcriptions of his lectures or edited versions of them. Many of these he read and approved. This book, however, is the only book that he actually wrote himself.
Mawlana wrote it in the ‘50’s, years after the estab- lishment of the Turkish Republic. The alphabet had been changed from Arabic to Latin letters a generation earlier, leaving the traditional Ottoman sources inaccessible to the average Turkish reader. It was written to remind the Turks and the Cypriots both of their religious duties and their Ot- toman heritage. In consequence some of the Ottoman refer- ences may be unfamiliar to the English reader.
The book contains basic information that every Muslim should know. It was intended for everyone so he wrote it in a language that is clear and easy to understand. In 2012 Mawlana gave it to us to republish and, following his ad- vice, we were handing it out to the Turkish speaking people who came wanting to learn more about their religion. Since then I have seen the need to also have something for the people coming from the West, especially in this time when there is so much misinformation, and when so many sources professing Islam are unreliable. It came to my mind to have this book translated into English to serve this purpose.
I want to thank Karima Sperling, Radhia Shukrullah, and Salim and Hagar Spohr for working hard on this project and making it happen. May Allah bless them.
May Allah fulfill Mawlana’s intention that this book serve Islam and bring benefit to those searching for the straight way.
Al-Fatihah
Me hme t N azim Adil (grandson of Mawlana Sheikh Nazim) Lefke Cyprus
5 Shawwāl, 1437
July 9, 2016
Publisher’s note: The English translation of Arabic words and prayers have been placed between brackets within the main body of the text. Lengthy passages, however, will be found as footnotes.
B O O K O N E
FAITH
Faith means to believe; one who believes will derive strength from what he believes in. Those who believe in nothing will lack a spiritual foundation. That is why we always see people of faith overcoming those lacking faith. When the heroes of the Ottoman Empire drove back their enemies at Çanakkale and Sakarya, when Alparslan at the Battle of Malazgirt with fifteen thousand horsemen routed the tremendous Byzantine army of two hundred thousand men, their victories were not due to superiority in numbers, but rather the result of their outstanding faith. Therefore, faith in Allah Almighty is the greatest source of strength for us, and an inexhaustible powerhouse.
The Six Articles of the Declaration of Faith
1 – Belief in Allah l, for He has the Power to do anything; 2 – Belief in the Angels, for Allah l has created them;
3– Belief in the Holy Scriptures, because Allah l has re-
vealed them;
4– Belief in in the Prophets and Messengers, because Allah
l has sent them;
5– Belief in the Hereafter and the Last Day, for Allah l
will certainly make that day come;
6– Belief in Destiny, both good and bad being from Allah
l. To know that in Allah’s dominion His Will alone can manifest; whatever is not His Will cannot occur. Allah is the Absolute Sovereign over this world and the next.
1 – belief in allah
Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He, has brought us and all things from non-being into existence, He has no partner and no one is like Him; He alone is the Absolute Possessor of Greatness, Power, and all Perfection.
He has Power over all things. If He says: “Be!” He brings things into Being from Nothingness. If He says: “Be not!” He can obliterate all creatures from existence in an instant. He does as He wills, He is in no need of counsel or advice from anyone. No one can say to Him: “Why have You done
this?”
All sovereignty belongs to Allah l. He owns this world and the world to come. We are His servants. This belief is sufficient.
This belief satisfies those who have faith in Allah Al- mighty. Allah will take under His Divine Protection who- ever harbours this faith in his heart. He will not be troubled or fearful either in this world or in the next. Moreover, even the prophets cannot know or describe how great a reward Allah holds in store for a person who calls upon his Lord Allah, be it only once in his life.
Every Being is Engaged
in the Remembrance of Allah (dhikru llâh)
In order to uphold its existence in this world, even the smallest particle of creation is in need of Allah’s grace in every instant. Without this grace all creatures would van- ish into nothingness. Since every particle of creation has its own perception and understanding, all things are engaged in the dhikr of Allah l who sustains their existence.
Angels in Heaven, men on Earth, the fish in the sea,
the birds in the sky, the animals on dry land, mountains, stones, water, and plants – every creature engages in the remembrance of Allah (dhikr).
Allah says: “Know Me!”
Allah l says, “I was a hidden treasure and wanted to be known; therefore I called this creation into existence.”
This being the case, the purpose of our life is to know and recognise Allah.
To Know Allah is the Purpose of Creation
As the purpose of our being in this world is to know Allah l, every single creature gives us testimony of Allah’s Ex- istence and Perfection.
To ascertain whether a servant has achieved his life’s goal or not, when he has left this world and has been laid in his grave, the first station of the afterlife, the questioning angels first of all will ask him this question: “Who is your Lord?” Those who can answer “My Lord is Allah,” are then saved.
What are the words of the Testimony of Faith (shahâda)?
Ashhadu an lâ ilâha illâ llâh
wa ashhadu anna Muªammadan ‘abduhu wa rasûluh.
These blessed words are Allah’s greatest favour to us, His servants. For by uttering these blessed words, a person en- ters the religion of Islam. And whoever becomes Muslim has saved himself from eternal torment and ruin. Whoever is able to utter these words with his last breath is forgiven all sins and will enter paradise. Even if an unbeliever uttered these blessed words with his last breath, he would be cleansed of his unbelief and attain Paradise. Even if an unbeliever testified only with his tongue and not with his heart, Hellfire would not burn his body from without, but from within. A believer who recites the declaration of faith (shahâda) will be cleansed of all the sins he has committed up until that moment.
If a person recites the words of the shahâda every day when lying down to sleep and upon rising in the morning, were he to die that very day, on account of these words he would die as a believer destined for Paradise. The words of the shahâda are the words that Allah l loves best of all.
The Meaning of the Words of the shahâda
I testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muªammad ( peace be upon him) is His servant and the true messenger sent to us.
To teach our children these blessed words, which are the foundation of our religion, before anything else and thus prepare them for a sound future, is one of the most impor- tant rights of our children over us, their parents.
2– allah’ s angels
They are created of light. They are so beautiful that men cannot bear to gaze at them. That is why Allah l has hid- den them from us. Angels neither eat nor drink, they are neither male nor female, and they do not sleep. From the moment they are created, they are in Allah’s service. They
dwell in the Seven Heavens, the Divine Throne, and the Di- vine Court. They never disobey Allah, Exalted be He. They are free from sin. Among the angels are some who have been charged with the maintenance of creation. The prophets among the angels are Jibrā’îl, Mîkā’îl, Isrāfîl and ‘Azrā’îl
z. The following tasks have been entrusted to them:
Jibrâ’îl – to deliver Allah’s revelations to the prophets; Mîkâ’îl – to bring rain and to care for all that grows; Isrâfîl – to blow the Trumpet at the End of Time; ‘Azrâ’îl – to take the souls and bring death.
There are also two angels for every person, who record his deeds. One of them stands to the right, the other to the left of a person. These two angels are charged with writing down everything he says and does.
In the Declaration of Faith, belief in the angels comes right after belief in Allah l so that man might believe that he is always accompanied by two angels, and that the awareness of all his actions being thus scrutinized might in- duce him to act with sincerity and righteousness.
3– allah’ s
holy
scriptures
Allah l has sent one hundred and four Holy Scriptures to mankind, in order to show us the right way. One hundred of these consist of a single page, while four of them are large
books. Today, the only original scripture in existence is the Holy Qur’ān. The Psalms, revealed to Dāwûd, ‘alayhi s-salâm, the Torah, revealed to Mûsā, ‘alayhi s-salâm, and the Bible, revealed to ‘Îsā, ‘alayhi s-salâm, have been modi- fied and are no longer accessible in their original form. For example, even though only one holy book, the Injîl (gospel), was sent down to ‘Îsā, ‘alayhi s-salâm, Christianity today has four gospels. Therefore it is not permissible to rely on any of these.
The Holy Qur’ân is the Word of Allah
The Holy Qur’ān is the enlightened scripture, which was revealed to the Prophet Mukammad, ‘alayhi s-salâm, over a period of twenty-three years through the mediation of the Angel Jibrā’îl, ‘alayhi s-salâm, and it is the assurance of happiness for all humankind. It is the venerable Word of Allah Himself. No one has ever changed one letter of these words, nor will anyone ever be able to do so. The
Holy Qur’ān will remain as it was revealed by Allah l un- til the Day of Judgment. It is the book that will release the
entire world from darkness and guide humanity towards the light. The whole world has no choice but to accept its eternal validity.
4– the prophets
The first man and first prophet is Adam, on whom be peace. The greatest, best, and last of all prophets is our Holy Prophet and intercessor Mukammad Mustafā, peace and blessings be upon him. Allah l has sent one hundred twenty-four thousand prophets to mankind. The names of
twenty-eight prophets have been explicitly stated in the Holy Qur’ān, whereas the other prophets’ names have been hidden in the depths of the Holy Book. The twenty-eight prophets the Holy Qur’ān mentions by name are:
1) Âdam, 2) Idrîs, 3) Nûk, 4) Hûd, 5) Zālik, 6) Ibrāhîm, 7) Ismā’îl, 8) Lût, 9) Iskāq, 10) Ya‘qûb, 11) Yûsuf, 12) Ayyûb,
13) Dhu l-Kifl, 14) Shu‘ayb, 15) Mûsā, 16) Hārûn, 17) Dāwûd, 18) Luqmān, 19) Sulaymān, 20) Ilyās, 21) Alyasa‘,
22) Yûnus, 23) Dhu l-Qarnayn, 24) ‘Uzayr, 25) Zakariyyā,
26) Yakyā, 27) ‘Îsā, 28) Mukammad. – Peace be upon them all.
We accept and confirm all these prophets without making any distinction between them.
The Prophet Mukammad, peace be upon him, is the great- est and the last of all prophets. He was not sent to only one people or for one period of time. His prophethood encom- passes all humanity and all periods of time. The Qur’ān he received from Allah l addresses all of mankind. He was
sent to do away with the disagreements between men and
to teach all mankind good character by joining all men as brothers in the service of the one God, Allah.
5– the
last
day
This is the last day of the world. As all things in existence have a lifespan, this world too has a lifespan. One day its allotted time will draw to an end and the Day of Judgment will dawn. Isrāfîl, peace be upon him, will blow the Trum- pet the first time and no living thing will remain in heav- en or earth, everyone will die. Then, Isrāfîl will blow the Trumpet a second time; at that time all the dead will be revived and rise from their graves, gathering at the Place of Judgment. There the Lord Almighty Himself will judge His servants and reward or punish them according to their deeds in this world. Everyone’s deeds will be weighed at the Place of Judgment. After this, whoever is able to pass over the bridge of sirât will cross into Paradise, while those who cannot pass will fall from the sirât bridge into Hell.
The Seven Questions that will be asked on the Bridge of #irât
At seven points on the bridge of sirât Allah l will ask His servants a question:
1– about their faith;
2– about their prayers;
3– about their fasting during Rama¡ān;
4– about whether or not they gave zakât (obligatory poor tax);
5– about whether or not they performed the ªajj (pilgrim- age to Mecca);
6– about the rights of their parents;
7– about whether or not they enjoined what is good and impeded what is evil.
Those who can answer these questions will pass on, while those who cannot are halted at that point for a thousand years and punished.
6 – destiny
Both good and bad come from Allah
Whatever happens in this world occurs by the Will of Allah
l. Good and bad things are the results of men’s deeds and both are from Allah. Good things are favours, whereas bad things are troubles. Whoever finds himself favoured with
blessings owes Allah Almighty a debt of gratitude.
There are two kinds of trouble:
–the trouble that comes along of its own accord;
–the trouble that you bring upon yourself.
If a person is struck by a calamity that occurs of its own ac- cord, then it is from Allah l, so that by bearing that trou- ble patiently that person may reach the highest degrees. If you have brought misfortune upon yourself, it comes from Allah l as well, as a punishment for your actions. It is the
servant’s duty to be grateful for the blessings and to be pa-
tient in the face of calamities.
The Religion of Islam
Among all the belief systems of the whole world, the only one deserving to be called religion (dîn) is Islam. The only religion accepted as true in the Divine Presence is the re- ligion of Islam. Allah l warns humanity, “Do not die be- lieving in any faith other than Islam.” Allah Almighty also
warns the whole world regarding those who leave the reli- gion of Islam in search of a different religion: the religion they choose will not be accepted.
B O O K T W O
THE
ESSENTIALS OF BEING A MUSLIM
1 – cleanliness
(tahâra)
Islam commands cleanliness and every Muslim is obliged to keep himself clean. A Muslim’s heart and body, his work and home, his words, food, and clothing must be clean. Good health is the result of keeping clean. For this rea- son Muslims are robust and healthy. In Islam, cleanliness comes before anything else, and Islam aims to help mankind achieve inner and outer purity.
The Muslim Way of Bodily Cleansing
Worship of Allah l can take place only when heart and body are in a condition of purity. It is faith that purifies the heart. For the cleansing of the body, there are two forms of
ablution: 1) ghusl, the major ablution, 2) wu¡û’, the minor ablution.
How and When ghusl, the Major Ablution, is Performed
A person who is junub, ritually impure, should – when pos- sible – wash without delay. For if a person is junub, the angels of mercy will not come near him, just as the noble angels shy away from an unbeliever’s dead body. If a per- son intentionally remains in a state of ritual impurity, all things will curse his every step, the stones, earth, and trees. A person who goes around in such a state (of janâba) will not be successful, and he will be haunted by misfortune. He will lose his health and his physical alacrity. Finally, he will
incur the wrath of Allah Almighty and be ruined. Allah l
says, “It is My right over My servants that they should per-
form ghusl when they are junub, ritually impure.” Fulfilling this obligation is a burden of debt upon the servant.
It is necessary to formulate an intention when undertaking any action. Before a person begins to perform his ghusl, his major ablution, he should say: “O Lord, I intend to cleanse myself of the impurity of being junub, in accordance with Your command and for the sake of Your good pleasure.” While he expresses this intention in words, his heart must confirm it. Then he begins by saying: “A‘ûdhu bi-llâhi mina sh-shaytâni r-rajîm. Bismi llâhi r-raªmâni r-raªîm.”1 While performing the major ablution, one should not be facing in the direction of the qibla (i. e. towards Mecca). Before im-
1 I seek protection in Allah from Satan, the accursed. In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
mersing one’s hands in the water, one ought to wash them well up to the wrists. The water to be used for the ablution should be set up in a high place, so that no dirty water can drip into it, neither splattering off the body nor splashing up from the floor. First of all, any impurity that has issued from the body is removed and cleaned; then one performs the minor ablution, wu¡û’. After one has made wu¡û’, three bowls of water are poured first over the head, then three bowls are poured over the right shoulder and three bowls over the left shoulder. One washes oneself by rubbing one’s hands all over, making sure there is no part of the body not touched by water. One washes and rinses one’s mouth and nostrils thoroughly, since washing mouth and nose is one of the mandatory parts of the ghusl. One should neither speak nor recite anything while performing ghusl, because one’s private parts are exposed, and also because the place of the washing is not clean on account of the dirty water accumulating there. Supplications are to made only in clean places. The angels also shy away from a person performing the major ablution. From shame before them one ought not to utter any words at all. Pubic hair is to be removed after the ablution. For any hair removed from the body while in a state of ritual impurity (janâba), will accuse that person on the Day of Judgment, saying, “Why did you not remove me while you were clean?” It is not permissible to delay the removal of pubic hair for more than one month.
After having completed the major ablution (ghusl), one performs two rak‘aât of prayer for the sake of Allah’s good pleasure. One prays for whatever one requires. A person who performs ghusl and cleans his body according to Al- lah’s command, will also be cleansed of his sins. His body will become healthy and his spirit will be joyful. As a thirsting tree revives when it is watered, to the same de-
gree the human body rejoices and is revived through being washed. Having understood that point, Europeans have made it their habit to wash themselves every morning. But whereas for them it is a habit, in Islam it is an act of worship. That is to say, those washing their bodies benefit from their wash in this world and also gain Allah’s Pleasure in the world to come.
Wu¡û’, the Minor Ablution
A Muslim is obliged to make wu¡û’ before he performs his prayer. Here we shall describe how to perform wu¡û’:
A person wishing to make wu¡û’ first must achieve
tahâra, cleansing himself of all unclean matter; even if he has only passed water, he is required to wash those parts with water. While relieving oneself, one needs to be ex- tremely careful not to spatter any urine on oneself, for our Holy Prophet has informed us that the punishment of the grave comes from not paying attention to the spattering of waste matter. After cleansing and drying the private parts, one should stand in a somewhat higher place facing the qi- bla if possible, and begin to make wu¡û’. First one says: “O my Lord, I have made the intention of performing wu¡û’ according to Your command and for the sake of Your pleas- ure.“ Then one recites “A‘ûdhu bi-llâh ...” and after this the basmala, and washes each hand three times, beginning with the fingertips up to the wrists. The fingers of one hand are passed between the fingers of the other hand. If one is wear- ing a ring, one moves the ring around so that no dry spot remains underneath it. Then with the right hand water is poured into the mouth, which is rinsed out three times. The teeth are rubbed well with a miswâk, a tooth cleaning
stick, if one has one, otherwise a finger can be used. Then water is drawn into the nose three times from one’s right hand, and expelled with the help of the left hand. Then the basmala is recited once more, water is scooped up with the right hand and poured down over the face, from above the eyebrows, washing the face well using both hands. Splash- ing one’s face with water is to be avoided (makrûh). Those wearing a beard pass their wetted fingers through their beard. After that one washes the right forearm, then the left forearm three times each, including the elbows, while reciting the basmala. Then one wets the palm of the right hand and wipes it over one fourth of one’s head. Both hands are moistened again and the little fingers are inserted into the ear while the thumbs wipe the outside of the ear, the remaining three fingers wiping backwards along the neck. Finally, one washes first the right, then the left foot includ- ing the ankles while again reciting the basmala.
After completing the ablution, one takes a bit of water in one’s right hand and drinks it while facing the qibla – provided one is not fasting – and recites the shahâda (the testimony of faith) and, if one likes, the following du‘â’: “O my Lord, make me one of Your purified servants who fear nothing for themselves.” There are great rewards for reciting Sura 97 beginning “innâ anzalnâhu”, (al-Qadr) after making wu¡û’, if one knows it.
Immediately after completing one’s ablution, one prays two rak‘aât of prayer for the sake of gaining Allah’s Pleas- ure. This prayer is a prayer of thanks for the ablution, be- cause while performing it all sins are washed and removed from the limbs that are washed.
–Washing your hands will cleanse them of the sins of your hands;
–Washing your mouth will cleanse your tongue of the sins of your tongue;
–Washing your face will cleanse your eyes of the sins of your eyes;
–Washing your feet will cleanse them of the sins of your feet.
It is a sunna for us believers to pray two rak‘aât every time we have performed ablution, expressing our gratitude to Allah l for saving us, on account of our wu¡û’, from the punishment for our many sins that would otherwise burden us on the Day of Judgment.
One needs to know the four binding requirements (far¡) of making wu¡û’:
1.To wash the face;
2.To wash the hands and forearms including the elbows;
3.To wipe over one fourth of one’s head;
4.To wash the feet including the ankles.
Tayammum
If no water can be found or if one is unable to use water, there is a form of purification that can be performed with- out water; it is called tayammum. This allows you to pray and to read Qur’ān. There are two binding obligations for making tayammum: one is to strike (the ground) twice and the second is to make one’s intention. One strikes one’s hands on a clean bit of ground, or on something resembling the soil, with the intention of making tayammum. With the first strike one wipes over one’s face, with the second strike
one wipes one’s hands up to the elbows. By doing so, one is cleansed of ritual impurity, whether one is junub or just in need of renewing wu¡û’, and one can now perform whatever worship one has made the intention for.
What breaks one’s wu¡û’
–Any discharge from the front or back;
–Flowing of blood or pus from any part;
–Vomiting a mouthful or more;
–Lying down and falling asleep;
–Loss of consciousness;
–Going insane.
The same things that break one’s wu¡û’ also invalidate tay- ammum. The moment water becomes available tayammum is no longer valid.
The Benefits of Ritual Ablution
Ablution (wu¡û’) is the means of gaining Allah’s Pleasure and keeping one’s body healthy and full of energy. Ablution is the believer’s spiritual weapon. If someone is in a state of ritual purity, absolutely nothing can harm him. If a person always keeps his wu¡û’, he will be granted the reward of one who is constantly at prayer. If that person dies while having wu¡û’, he will leave this world as a martyr.
2 – prayer
(salâh/namâz)
The ritual Prayer (salâh/namâz)
The ritual Prayer is the mainstay of Islam. Therefore, it is a binding duty for every Muslim to know how the prayer is performed. There are twelve binding requirements for Muslim ritual prayer:
1.To be cleansed of any impure substance issuing from the body and to be in a state of ritual purity (i. e. to have wu¡û’);
2.To be free of any major impurity (najâsa); one’s body, one’s clothes, and the place of prayer must be clean;
3.To cover the intimate parts of the body, the ‘awra. For men this means the area between the navel and the lower end of the kneecap; for women it means the entire body, excepting the face, the hands and the feet;
4.To stand facing the qibla, (the direction of the Ka‘ba at Mecca);
5.To be within the time period of (a particular) prayer;
6.To make the intention for performing that prayer.
These six requirements must be met before one engages in prayer, they are called the “conditions for prayer”. The fol- lowing six requirements apply after the commencement of the prayer, and are termed the “pillars of prayer”.
1.Takbîr, to pronounce the words “Allâhu akbar”;
2.Qiyâm, to stand upright with the right hand clasped over the left;
3.Qirâ’a, to recite Sûrat al-Fâtiªa and an additional sûra/ âyat of the Qur’ān;
4.Rukû‘, to bow forward from the waist;
5.Sajda, to touch
Link: https://www.nvrislam.net/index.php?j=eng&post=6044
TO BE A MUSLIM
The basics of faith, by shaykh nâzim al-qubrûsî
The Cyprus Library
First published in Turkish language 1958. 2nd edition 2010.
Translated from Turkish into English by Radhia Shukrullah
We wish to thank Dr Munir Sperling for his generous sponsorship of this publication.
2016 Printed in Hungary.
t a b l e o f c o n t e n t s
Preface 9
FAITH --- 11
The Six Articles of the Declaration of Faith 11
1– belief in allah 12
Every Being is Engaged
in the Remembrance of Allah (dhikru llâh) 13
Allah says: “Know Me!” 13
To Know Allah is the Purpose of Creation 13
What are the words of the Testimony of Faith (shahâda)? 14
The Meaning of the Words of the shahâda 14
2– allah’s angels 15
3– allah’ s holy scriptures --- 16
4– the prophets 17
5– the last day 18
6– destiny
Both good and bad come from Allah 19
The Religion of Islam 20
THE ESSENTIALS OF BEING A MUSLIM
1– cleanline ss (tahâra) --- 21
The Muslim Way of Bodily Cleansing 21
How and When ghusl, the Major Ablution, is Performed 22
Wu¡û’, the Minor Ablution 24
Tayammum 26
What breaks one’s wu¡û’ 27
The Benefits of Ritual Ablution 27
2– p raye r (salâh/namâz)
The ritual Prayer (salâh/namâz) 28
How salâh is Performed 29
Adhân and Iqâma 35
The Reward of Calling the Adhân 36
Tasbîª and Du‘â’ after the Formal Prayer (salâh/namâz) 37
The Jum‘a prayer, the Congregational Prayer on Friday 39
The Greatness of the Day of Jum‘a 39
The Prayers to be Performed on Jum‘a 41
The Five Daily Prayers 41
The ‘Îd Prayers 43
The Tarâwîª Prayer 45
The Witr Prayer 45
The Janâza Prayer (Funeral Prayer) 46
contents
3– fasting (siyâm)
Fasting in Islam 51
The Merits of Fasting 51
Fasting Is Not Difficult 52
Respecting Religion and Teaching Respect for Religion 52
Respect for Rama¡ân 53
Regulations for Fasting 53
On Giving fitr (zakât al-fitr) 55
4– giving alms (zakât) --- 56
5– p ilgrim ag e to me cca (ªajj)
Óajj – the Pilgrimage to Mecca 57
Standing at ‘Arafât 57
The adab (good manners) of the Pilgrimage 57
The Visit to our Holy Prophet,
the Pride of all Creation 59
THE FOUNDATIONS OF ISLAM
The Fifty-Four far¡ Requirements 61
Animal Sacrifice 66
The Benefits of Sacrificing Animals 67
Blessed Days and Nights 68
Our Master Muªammad Mustafâ k 73
The Holy Prophet’s Noble Character k 75
The Blessed Attributes of our Beloved Prophet k –
His Noble Appearance 80
A Great Saying of our Holy Prophet k:
“A Strong Believer Is Better Than a Weak Believer” 82
preface
The re are many books that carry the name of Mawlana Sheikh Nazim (ق). Most of them are either transcriptions of his lectures or edited versions of them. Many of these he read and approved. This book, however, is the only book that he actually wrote himself.
Mawlana wrote it in the ‘50’s, years after the estab- lishment of the Turkish Republic. The alphabet had been changed from Arabic to Latin letters a generation earlier, leaving the traditional Ottoman sources inaccessible to the average Turkish reader. It was written to remind the Turks and the Cypriots both of their religious duties and their Ot- toman heritage. In consequence some of the Ottoman refer- ences may be unfamiliar to the English reader.
The book contains basic information that every Muslim should know. It was intended for everyone so he wrote it in a language that is clear and easy to understand. In 2012 Mawlana gave it to us to republish and, following his ad- vice, we were handing it out to the Turkish speaking people who came wanting to learn more about their religion. Since then I have seen the need to also have something for the people coming from the West, especially in this time when there is so much misinformation, and when so many sources professing Islam are unreliable. It came to my mind to have this book translated into English to serve this purpose.
I want to thank Karima Sperling, Radhia Shukrullah, and Salim and Hagar Spohr for working hard on this project and making it happen. May Allah bless them.
May Allah fulfill Mawlana’s intention that this book serve Islam and bring benefit to those searching for the straight way.
Al-Fatihah
Me hme t N azim Adil (grandson of Mawlana Sheikh Nazim) Lefke Cyprus
5 Shawwāl, 1437
July 9, 2016
Publisher’s note: The English translation of Arabic words and prayers have been placed between brackets within the main body of the text. Lengthy passages, however, will be found as footnotes.
B O O K O N E
FAITH
Faith means to believe; one who believes will derive strength from what he believes in. Those who believe in nothing will lack a spiritual foundation. That is why we always see people of faith overcoming those lacking faith. When the heroes of the Ottoman Empire drove back their enemies at Çanakkale and Sakarya, when Alparslan at the Battle of Malazgirt with fifteen thousand horsemen routed the tremendous Byzantine army of two hundred thousand men, their victories were not due to superiority in numbers, but rather the result of their outstanding faith. Therefore, faith in Allah Almighty is the greatest source of strength for us, and an inexhaustible powerhouse.
The Six Articles of the Declaration of Faith
1 – Belief in Allah l, for He has the Power to do anything; 2 – Belief in the Angels, for Allah l has created them;
3– Belief in the Holy Scriptures, because Allah l has re-
vealed them;
4– Belief in in the Prophets and Messengers, because Allah
l has sent them;
5– Belief in the Hereafter and the Last Day, for Allah l
will certainly make that day come;
6– Belief in Destiny, both good and bad being from Allah
l. To know that in Allah’s dominion His Will alone can manifest; whatever is not His Will cannot occur. Allah is the Absolute Sovereign over this world and the next.
1 – belief in allah
Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He, has brought us and all things from non-being into existence, He has no partner and no one is like Him; He alone is the Absolute Possessor of Greatness, Power, and all Perfection.
He has Power over all things. If He says: “Be!” He brings things into Being from Nothingness. If He says: “Be not!” He can obliterate all creatures from existence in an instant. He does as He wills, He is in no need of counsel or advice from anyone. No one can say to Him: “Why have You done
this?”
All sovereignty belongs to Allah l. He owns this world and the world to come. We are His servants. This belief is sufficient.
This belief satisfies those who have faith in Allah Al- mighty. Allah will take under His Divine Protection who- ever harbours this faith in his heart. He will not be troubled or fearful either in this world or in the next. Moreover, even the prophets cannot know or describe how great a reward Allah holds in store for a person who calls upon his Lord Allah, be it only once in his life.
Every Being is Engaged
in the Remembrance of Allah (dhikru llâh)
In order to uphold its existence in this world, even the smallest particle of creation is in need of Allah’s grace in every instant. Without this grace all creatures would van- ish into nothingness. Since every particle of creation has its own perception and understanding, all things are engaged in the dhikr of Allah l who sustains their existence.
Angels in Heaven, men on Earth, the fish in the sea,
the birds in the sky, the animals on dry land, mountains, stones, water, and plants – every creature engages in the remembrance of Allah (dhikr).
Allah says: “Know Me!”
Allah l says, “I was a hidden treasure and wanted to be known; therefore I called this creation into existence.”
This being the case, the purpose of our life is to know and recognise Allah.
To Know Allah is the Purpose of Creation
As the purpose of our being in this world is to know Allah l, every single creature gives us testimony of Allah’s Ex- istence and Perfection.
To ascertain whether a servant has achieved his life’s goal or not, when he has left this world and has been laid in his grave, the first station of the afterlife, the questioning angels first of all will ask him this question: “Who is your Lord?” Those who can answer “My Lord is Allah,” are then saved.
What are the words of the Testimony of Faith (shahâda)?
Ashhadu an lâ ilâha illâ llâh
wa ashhadu anna Muªammadan ‘abduhu wa rasûluh.
These blessed words are Allah’s greatest favour to us, His servants. For by uttering these blessed words, a person en- ters the religion of Islam. And whoever becomes Muslim has saved himself from eternal torment and ruin. Whoever is able to utter these words with his last breath is forgiven all sins and will enter paradise. Even if an unbeliever uttered these blessed words with his last breath, he would be cleansed of his unbelief and attain Paradise. Even if an unbeliever testified only with his tongue and not with his heart, Hellfire would not burn his body from without, but from within. A believer who recites the declaration of faith (shahâda) will be cleansed of all the sins he has committed up until that moment.
If a person recites the words of the shahâda every day when lying down to sleep and upon rising in the morning, were he to die that very day, on account of these words he would die as a believer destined for Paradise. The words of the shahâda are the words that Allah l loves best of all.
The Meaning of the Words of the shahâda
I testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muªammad ( peace be upon him) is His servant and the true messenger sent to us.
To teach our children these blessed words, which are the foundation of our religion, before anything else and thus prepare them for a sound future, is one of the most impor- tant rights of our children over us, their parents.
2– allah’ s angels
They are created of light. They are so beautiful that men cannot bear to gaze at them. That is why Allah l has hid- den them from us. Angels neither eat nor drink, they are neither male nor female, and they do not sleep. From the moment they are created, they are in Allah’s service. They
dwell in the Seven Heavens, the Divine Throne, and the Di- vine Court. They never disobey Allah, Exalted be He. They are free from sin. Among the angels are some who have been charged with the maintenance of creation. The prophets among the angels are Jibrā’îl, Mîkā’îl, Isrāfîl and ‘Azrā’îl
z. The following tasks have been entrusted to them:
Jibrâ’îl – to deliver Allah’s revelations to the prophets; Mîkâ’îl – to bring rain and to care for all that grows; Isrâfîl – to blow the Trumpet at the End of Time; ‘Azrâ’îl – to take the souls and bring death.
There are also two angels for every person, who record his deeds. One of them stands to the right, the other to the left of a person. These two angels are charged with writing down everything he says and does.
In the Declaration of Faith, belief in the angels comes right after belief in Allah l so that man might believe that he is always accompanied by two angels, and that the awareness of all his actions being thus scrutinized might in- duce him to act with sincerity and righteousness.
3– allah’ s
holy
scriptures
Allah l has sent one hundred and four Holy Scriptures to mankind, in order to show us the right way. One hundred of these consist of a single page, while four of them are large
books. Today, the only original scripture in existence is the Holy Qur’ān. The Psalms, revealed to Dāwûd, ‘alayhi s-salâm, the Torah, revealed to Mûsā, ‘alayhi s-salâm, and the Bible, revealed to ‘Îsā, ‘alayhi s-salâm, have been modi- fied and are no longer accessible in their original form. For example, even though only one holy book, the Injîl (gospel), was sent down to ‘Îsā, ‘alayhi s-salâm, Christianity today has four gospels. Therefore it is not permissible to rely on any of these.
The Holy Qur’ân is the Word of Allah
The Holy Qur’ān is the enlightened scripture, which was revealed to the Prophet Mukammad, ‘alayhi s-salâm, over a period of twenty-three years through the mediation of the Angel Jibrā’îl, ‘alayhi s-salâm, and it is the assurance of happiness for all humankind. It is the venerable Word of Allah Himself. No one has ever changed one letter of these words, nor will anyone ever be able to do so. The
Holy Qur’ān will remain as it was revealed by Allah l un- til the Day of Judgment. It is the book that will release the
entire world from darkness and guide humanity towards the light. The whole world has no choice but to accept its eternal validity.
4– the prophets
The first man and first prophet is Adam, on whom be peace. The greatest, best, and last of all prophets is our Holy Prophet and intercessor Mukammad Mustafā, peace and blessings be upon him. Allah l has sent one hundred twenty-four thousand prophets to mankind. The names of
twenty-eight prophets have been explicitly stated in the Holy Qur’ān, whereas the other prophets’ names have been hidden in the depths of the Holy Book. The twenty-eight prophets the Holy Qur’ān mentions by name are:
1) Âdam, 2) Idrîs, 3) Nûk, 4) Hûd, 5) Zālik, 6) Ibrāhîm, 7) Ismā’îl, 8) Lût, 9) Iskāq, 10) Ya‘qûb, 11) Yûsuf, 12) Ayyûb,
13) Dhu l-Kifl, 14) Shu‘ayb, 15) Mûsā, 16) Hārûn, 17) Dāwûd, 18) Luqmān, 19) Sulaymān, 20) Ilyās, 21) Alyasa‘,
22) Yûnus, 23) Dhu l-Qarnayn, 24) ‘Uzayr, 25) Zakariyyā,
26) Yakyā, 27) ‘Îsā, 28) Mukammad. – Peace be upon them all.
We accept and confirm all these prophets without making any distinction between them.
The Prophet Mukammad, peace be upon him, is the great- est and the last of all prophets. He was not sent to only one people or for one period of time. His prophethood encom- passes all humanity and all periods of time. The Qur’ān he received from Allah l addresses all of mankind. He was
sent to do away with the disagreements between men and
to teach all mankind good character by joining all men as brothers in the service of the one God, Allah.
5– the
last
day
This is the last day of the world. As all things in existence have a lifespan, this world too has a lifespan. One day its allotted time will draw to an end and the Day of Judgment will dawn. Isrāfîl, peace be upon him, will blow the Trum- pet the first time and no living thing will remain in heav- en or earth, everyone will die. Then, Isrāfîl will blow the Trumpet a second time; at that time all the dead will be revived and rise from their graves, gathering at the Place of Judgment. There the Lord Almighty Himself will judge His servants and reward or punish them according to their deeds in this world. Everyone’s deeds will be weighed at the Place of Judgment. After this, whoever is able to pass over the bridge of sirât will cross into Paradise, while those who cannot pass will fall from the sirât bridge into Hell.
The Seven Questions that will be asked on the Bridge of #irât
At seven points on the bridge of sirât Allah l will ask His servants a question:
1– about their faith;
2– about their prayers;
3– about their fasting during Rama¡ān;
4– about whether or not they gave zakât (obligatory poor tax);
5– about whether or not they performed the ªajj (pilgrim- age to Mecca);
6– about the rights of their parents;
7– about whether or not they enjoined what is good and impeded what is evil.
Those who can answer these questions will pass on, while those who cannot are halted at that point for a thousand years and punished.
6 – destiny
Both good and bad come from Allah
Whatever happens in this world occurs by the Will of Allah
l. Good and bad things are the results of men’s deeds and both are from Allah. Good things are favours, whereas bad things are troubles. Whoever finds himself favoured with
blessings owes Allah Almighty a debt of gratitude.
There are two kinds of trouble:
–the trouble that comes along of its own accord;
–the trouble that you bring upon yourself.
If a person is struck by a calamity that occurs of its own ac- cord, then it is from Allah l, so that by bearing that trou- ble patiently that person may reach the highest degrees. If you have brought misfortune upon yourself, it comes from Allah l as well, as a punishment for your actions. It is the
servant’s duty to be grateful for the blessings and to be pa-
tient in the face of calamities.
The Religion of Islam
Among all the belief systems of the whole world, the only one deserving to be called religion (dîn) is Islam. The only religion accepted as true in the Divine Presence is the re- ligion of Islam. Allah l warns humanity, “Do not die be- lieving in any faith other than Islam.” Allah Almighty also
warns the whole world regarding those who leave the reli- gion of Islam in search of a different religion: the religion they choose will not be accepted.
B O O K T W O
THE
ESSENTIALS OF BEING A MUSLIM
1 – cleanliness
(tahâra)
Islam commands cleanliness and every Muslim is obliged to keep himself clean. A Muslim’s heart and body, his work and home, his words, food, and clothing must be clean. Good health is the result of keeping clean. For this rea- son Muslims are robust and healthy. In Islam, cleanliness comes before anything else, and Islam aims to help mankind achieve inner and outer purity.
The Muslim Way of Bodily Cleansing
Worship of Allah l can take place only when heart and body are in a condition of purity. It is faith that purifies the heart. For the cleansing of the body, there are two forms of
ablution: 1) ghusl, the major ablution, 2) wu¡û’, the minor ablution.
How and When ghusl, the Major Ablution, is Performed
A person who is junub, ritually impure, should – when pos- sible – wash without delay. For if a person is junub, the angels of mercy will not come near him, just as the noble angels shy away from an unbeliever’s dead body. If a per- son intentionally remains in a state of ritual impurity, all things will curse his every step, the stones, earth, and trees. A person who goes around in such a state (of janâba) will not be successful, and he will be haunted by misfortune. He will lose his health and his physical alacrity. Finally, he will
incur the wrath of Allah Almighty and be ruined. Allah l
says, “It is My right over My servants that they should per-
form ghusl when they are junub, ritually impure.” Fulfilling this obligation is a burden of debt upon the servant.
It is necessary to formulate an intention when undertaking any action. Before a person begins to perform his ghusl, his major ablution, he should say: “O Lord, I intend to cleanse myself of the impurity of being junub, in accordance with Your command and for the sake of Your good pleasure.” While he expresses this intention in words, his heart must confirm it. Then he begins by saying: “A‘ûdhu bi-llâhi mina sh-shaytâni r-rajîm. Bismi llâhi r-raªmâni r-raªîm.”1 While performing the major ablution, one should not be facing in the direction of the qibla (i. e. towards Mecca). Before im-
1 I seek protection in Allah from Satan, the accursed. In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
mersing one’s hands in the water, one ought to wash them well up to the wrists. The water to be used for the ablution should be set up in a high place, so that no dirty water can drip into it, neither splattering off the body nor splashing up from the floor. First of all, any impurity that has issued from the body is removed and cleaned; then one performs the minor ablution, wu¡û’. After one has made wu¡û’, three bowls of water are poured first over the head, then three bowls are poured over the right shoulder and three bowls over the left shoulder. One washes oneself by rubbing one’s hands all over, making sure there is no part of the body not touched by water. One washes and rinses one’s mouth and nostrils thoroughly, since washing mouth and nose is one of the mandatory parts of the ghusl. One should neither speak nor recite anything while performing ghusl, because one’s private parts are exposed, and also because the place of the washing is not clean on account of the dirty water accumulating there. Supplications are to made only in clean places. The angels also shy away from a person performing the major ablution. From shame before them one ought not to utter any words at all. Pubic hair is to be removed after the ablution. For any hair removed from the body while in a state of ritual impurity (janâba), will accuse that person on the Day of Judgment, saying, “Why did you not remove me while you were clean?” It is not permissible to delay the removal of pubic hair for more than one month.
After having completed the major ablution (ghusl), one performs two rak‘aât of prayer for the sake of Allah’s good pleasure. One prays for whatever one requires. A person who performs ghusl and cleans his body according to Al- lah’s command, will also be cleansed of his sins. His body will become healthy and his spirit will be joyful. As a thirsting tree revives when it is watered, to the same de-
gree the human body rejoices and is revived through being washed. Having understood that point, Europeans have made it their habit to wash themselves every morning. But whereas for them it is a habit, in Islam it is an act of worship. That is to say, those washing their bodies benefit from their wash in this world and also gain Allah’s Pleasure in the world to come.
Wu¡û’, the Minor Ablution
A Muslim is obliged to make wu¡û’ before he performs his prayer. Here we shall describe how to perform wu¡û’:
A person wishing to make wu¡û’ first must achieve
tahâra, cleansing himself of all unclean matter; even if he has only passed water, he is required to wash those parts with water. While relieving oneself, one needs to be ex- tremely careful not to spatter any urine on oneself, for our Holy Prophet has informed us that the punishment of the grave comes from not paying attention to the spattering of waste matter. After cleansing and drying the private parts, one should stand in a somewhat higher place facing the qi- bla if possible, and begin to make wu¡û’. First one says: “O my Lord, I have made the intention of performing wu¡û’ according to Your command and for the sake of Your pleas- ure.“ Then one recites “A‘ûdhu bi-llâh ...” and after this the basmala, and washes each hand three times, beginning with the fingertips up to the wrists. The fingers of one hand are passed between the fingers of the other hand. If one is wear- ing a ring, one moves the ring around so that no dry spot remains underneath it. Then with the right hand water is poured into the mouth, which is rinsed out three times. The teeth are rubbed well with a miswâk, a tooth cleaning
stick, if one has one, otherwise a finger can be used. Then water is drawn into the nose three times from one’s right hand, and expelled with the help of the left hand. Then the basmala is recited once more, water is scooped up with the right hand and poured down over the face, from above the eyebrows, washing the face well using both hands. Splash- ing one’s face with water is to be avoided (makrûh). Those wearing a beard pass their wetted fingers through their beard. After that one washes the right forearm, then the left forearm three times each, including the elbows, while reciting the basmala. Then one wets the palm of the right hand and wipes it over one fourth of one’s head. Both hands are moistened again and the little fingers are inserted into the ear while the thumbs wipe the outside of the ear, the remaining three fingers wiping backwards along the neck. Finally, one washes first the right, then the left foot includ- ing the ankles while again reciting the basmala.
After completing the ablution, one takes a bit of water in one’s right hand and drinks it while facing the qibla – provided one is not fasting – and recites the shahâda (the testimony of faith) and, if one likes, the following du‘â’: “O my Lord, make me one of Your purified servants who fear nothing for themselves.” There are great rewards for reciting Sura 97 beginning “innâ anzalnâhu”, (al-Qadr) after making wu¡û’, if one knows it.
Immediately after completing one’s ablution, one prays two rak‘aât of prayer for the sake of gaining Allah’s Pleas- ure. This prayer is a prayer of thanks for the ablution, be- cause while performing it all sins are washed and removed from the limbs that are washed.
–Washing your hands will cleanse them of the sins of your hands;
–Washing your mouth will cleanse your tongue of the sins of your tongue;
–Washing your face will cleanse your eyes of the sins of your eyes;
–Washing your feet will cleanse them of the sins of your feet.
It is a sunna for us believers to pray two rak‘aât every time we have performed ablution, expressing our gratitude to Allah l for saving us, on account of our wu¡û’, from the punishment for our many sins that would otherwise burden us on the Day of Judgment.
One needs to know the four binding requirements (far¡) of making wu¡û’:
1.To wash the face;
2.To wash the hands and forearms including the elbows;
3.To wipe over one fourth of one’s head;
4.To wash the feet including the ankles.
Tayammum
If no water can be found or if one is unable to use water, there is a form of purification that can be performed with- out water; it is called tayammum. This allows you to pray and to read Qur’ān. There are two binding obligations for making tayammum: one is to strike (the ground) twice and the second is to make one’s intention. One strikes one’s hands on a clean bit of ground, or on something resembling the soil, with the intention of making tayammum. With the first strike one wipes over one’s face, with the second strike
one wipes one’s hands up to the elbows. By doing so, one is cleansed of ritual impurity, whether one is junub or just in need of renewing wu¡û’, and one can now perform whatever worship one has made the intention for.
What breaks one’s wu¡û’
–Any discharge from the front or back;
–Flowing of blood or pus from any part;
–Vomiting a mouthful or more;
–Lying down and falling asleep;
–Loss of consciousness;
–Going insane.
The same things that break one’s wu¡û’ also invalidate tay- ammum. The moment water becomes available tayammum is no longer valid.
The Benefits of Ritual Ablution
Ablution (wu¡û’) is the means of gaining Allah’s Pleasure and keeping one’s body healthy and full of energy. Ablution is the believer’s spiritual weapon. If someone is in a state of ritual purity, absolutely nothing can harm him. If a person always keeps his wu¡û’, he will be granted the reward of one who is constantly at prayer. If that person dies while having wu¡û’, he will leave this world as a martyr.
2 – prayer
(salâh/namâz)
The ritual Prayer (salâh/namâz)
The ritual Prayer is the mainstay of Islam. Therefore, it is a binding duty for every Muslim to know how the prayer is performed. There are twelve binding requirements for Muslim ritual prayer:
1.To be cleansed of any impure substance issuing from the body and to be in a state of ritual purity (i. e. to have wu¡û’);
2.To be free of any major impurity (najâsa); one’s body, one’s clothes, and the place of prayer must be clean;
3.To cover the intimate parts of the body, the ‘awra. For men this means the area between the navel and the lower end of the kneecap; for women it means the entire body, excepting the face, the hands and the feet;
4.To stand facing the qibla, (the direction of the Ka‘ba at Mecca);
5.To be within the time period of (a particular) prayer;
6.To make the intention for performing that prayer.
These six requirements must be met before one engages in prayer, they are called the “conditions for prayer”. The fol- lowing six requirements apply after the commencement of the prayer, and are termed the “pillars of prayer”.
1.Takbîr, to pronounce the words “Allâhu akbar”;
2.Qiyâm, to stand upright with the right hand clasped over the left;
3.Qirâ’a, to recite Sûrat al-Fâtiªa and an additional sûra/ âyat of the Qur’ān;
4.Rukû‘, to bow forward from the waist;
5.Sajda, to touch
Link: https://www.nvrislam.net/index.php?j=eng&post=6044