Benefits of the Hadith: (… from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) who said
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The Shaykh : Good, this hadith contains evidence that musk is among the most pleasant types of perfume, and it is so. For this reason, he said: and it is permissible Sahih al-Bukhari 7538 even though the bad breath of the fasting person, which is the smell that occurs due to fasting, is a smell disliked by people’s noses because it occurs when the stomach is empty of food. It has a foul odor, which is disliked by people, but with Allah it is more pleasant than the scent of musk because it arises from His obedience, Mighty and Majestic. And everything that arises from obedience is good and beloved to Allah. Have you seen the blood of the martyr? And blood, as we know, is abhorrent in the custom of people. The blood of the martyr comes on the Day of Resurrection flowing as blood, or his wound flows as blood; the color is the color of blood and the scent is the scent of musk.
Just as the effects of obedience that are disliked by people become beloved to Allah, so too do their effects have a noble impact on the heart of the person, provided that he performs the obedience in the most complete, prescribed manner. It is not that he performs the obedience in its form only, in its form and its reality. For this reason, Allah, Glorified and Exalted, said:[Al-'Ankabut 29:45] It restrains itself, as if it were a man who restrains you; if you wanted to commit an indecency, you would remember the prayer and stop. But the prayer of many people today does not restrain them from indecency and evil. He prays today and then goes to open the door of riba (usury or interest) in his shop. He prays and then goes to open the door of lying, fraud, and deception in his merchandise. And how is that? Allah says: [Al-'Ankabut 29:45] This is the truth and the truth, but the prayer intended is the prayer performed in the required manner, not just the form of the prayer. The form of the prayer is of no benefit; it does not benefit the heart in any way. What benefits is the meaning that comes from this prayer, which is the rectification of the heart, its tranquility, and the person’s feeling that he is connected to his Lord, conversing with Him.
I believe that if you entered upon a king of the kings of this world and sat with him for the duration of your prayer and then left, would your heart be affected by this sitting with him? Yes? Remember this. Remember that you sat with the king, for example, and spoke to him and he spoke to you, and the effect of this remains in your heart until you connect with him again. If the connection is close, otherwise you may forget. So how much more so when you connect with Allah, Mighty and Majestic, at least how many times a day and night? At least five times. How can this not affect your heart? By Allah, hearts are truly hard. Otherwise, it should be that the person is affected by these meetings with Allah, Mighty and Majestic, conversing with his Lord five times a day and night, and yet he is not affected. And the reason for this is what I told you: the person only prays what?
The questioner : The form.
The Shaykh : The form only, the form. And for this reason, it does not benefit. So we say that the fasting which is more pleasing to Allah than the scent of musk, its effect with Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is a tangible effect. And likewise, the heart’s effect of obedience, no one denies it if he performs the obedience in the most complete manner.
If one of you stood up in the night to perform tahajjud (the late-night voluntary prayer) with the presence of the heart and the feeling that he is before Allah, Mighty and Majestic, I believe he would remember this night for many long years. He would remember the night in which he was standing before Allah, conversing with Him, and perhaps he would weep out of fear of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and from reciting His Book. He would remember this night and speak of it at length. So how much more so if we, in the obligatory prayer, which is more complete, better, and more beloved to Allah than the voluntary prayer, if our hearts were present and humble, the person would remember this station before Allah, and he would stop from indecency and evil. He would find that this prayer restrains him, as if it were, I do not say a king greater than a king, but as if it were a king who, if you wanted to commit an indecency, would say, “Stop, do not do it. Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest).” Yes. Good, Jamal?
The bad breath
خَلوفthe smell which comes out of the mouth of a fasting person, is better in Allah's Sight than the smell of musk
خُلوف فم الصائم أطيب عند الله من ريح المسكJust as the effects of obedience that are disliked by people become beloved to Allah, so too do their effects have a noble impact on the heart of the person, provided that he performs the obedience in the most complete, prescribed manner. It is not that he performs the obedience in its form only, in its form and its reality. For this reason, Allah, Glorified and Exalted, said:
Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing
إِنَّ الصَّلاةَ تَنهى عَنِ الفَحشاءِ وَالمُنكَرِIndeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing
إِنَّ الصَّلاةَ تَنهى عَنِ الفَحشاءِ وَالمُنكَرِI believe that if you entered upon a king of the kings of this world and sat with him for the duration of your prayer and then left, would your heart be affected by this sitting with him? Yes? Remember this. Remember that you sat with the king, for example, and spoke to him and he spoke to you, and the effect of this remains in your heart until you connect with him again. If the connection is close, otherwise you may forget. So how much more so when you connect with Allah, Mighty and Majestic, at least how many times a day and night? At least five times. How can this not affect your heart? By Allah, hearts are truly hard. Otherwise, it should be that the person is affected by these meetings with Allah, Mighty and Majestic, conversing with his Lord five times a day and night, and yet he is not affected. And the reason for this is what I told you: the person only prays what?
The questioner : The form.
The Shaykh : The form only, the form. And for this reason, it does not benefit. So we say that the fasting which is more pleasing to Allah than the scent of musk, its effect with Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is a tangible effect. And likewise, the heart’s effect of obedience, no one denies it if he performs the obedience in the most complete manner.
If one of you stood up in the night to perform tahajjud (the late-night voluntary prayer) with the presence of the heart and the feeling that he is before Allah, Mighty and Majestic, I believe he would remember this night for many long years. He would remember the night in which he was standing before Allah, conversing with Him, and perhaps he would weep out of fear of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and from reciting His Book. He would remember this night and speak of it at length. So how much more so if we, in the obligatory prayer, which is more complete, better, and more beloved to Allah than the voluntary prayer, if our hearts were present and humble, the person would remember this station before Allah, and he would stop from indecency and evil. He would find that this prayer restrains him, as if it were, I do not say a king greater than a king, but as if it were a king who, if you wanted to commit an indecency, would say, “Stop, do not do it. Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest).” Yes. Good, Jamal?