Worship in Islam: Being a Translation, with Commentary and Introduction, of al-Ghazzali's Book of the Ihya' on the Worship

THE EXCELLENCES OF THE WORSHIP, PROSTRATION, CONGREGATION, CALL TO WORSHIP, ETC.

He (may Allah bless him and give him peace) said, ‘Three there will be on Resurrection Day upon a hill of black musk whom no accounting will frighten and whom no fear will reach, until there is surcease from what is [happening] among men: (1) aman who recited the Qur’an, out of desire for the Face of Allah (who is almighty and exalted), and led [in Worship] a people well-pleased with him; (2) a man who gave the Call to Worship in a mosque and summoned to Allah, out of desire for the Face of Allah; and (3) a man who was tested by slavery in this life, but that did not make him too busy for the work of the next life’.

Muhammad said, ‘No jinzi,) or man, or thing bears the Call of the mxz’adhdhin but he will bear witness for him on Resurrection Day’. Muhammad said, ‘The hand of the Compassionate One _ is upon the head of the mx’adhdhin until he finishes his Call’. It is said in exposition of the saying of Allah, ‘And who speaks better words than he who summons to Allah and does what is right?’ (Qur’an xi. 33) that it was sent down concerning the mu’adhdhins. Muhammad said, ‘Whenever you hear the Call say the like of that which the mx’adhdhin says’; and that is desirable except when he gives the hai‘alatain for in their case he says, ‘There is no power or strength but in Allah!’ And when he says, ‘The time for the Worship has come!’ he says, ‘May Allah institute it and may He continue it as long as the heavens and the earth continue!’ At the tathwib, what he says is, ‘You have spoken the truth, you have acted rightly, you have given good advice!’ And at the finish he says, ‘O Allah, Lord of this complete Call and instituted Worship, give Muhammad mediation and excellence and raise him up to the praiseworthy station which Thou didst promise him: “Thou dost not break a promise!”’ (Qur’dn iii. 192). Sa‘id bin al-Musaiyab said, ‘Whoever worships in a desert place has an angel worship on his right and an angel worship on his left, but, if he gives the Call and the zgdéma, Institution, there worship behind him the likenesses of mountains consisting of angels ’.