Among the aesthetic beauties of the Prophetic biography (Seerah)
Is the use of parables to bring concepts closer to understanding
Like a flowing, surging river
That refreshes the soul and cleanses the body
Bestowing clarity and happiness
Prayer exerts its effect upon the one who desires it with humility
And thus the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, described it
In a superior pedagogical style to his Companions
By way of a parable
To illustrate for them the virtue of prayer and its excellent outcome
On the authority of Jabir, who is the son of ‘Abdullah
He said
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said
The likeness of the five daily prayers
Is like a deep, flowing river
At the door of one of you
In which he bathes five times every day
He said
Al-Hasan said
Does that leave any dirt behind?
Narrated by Muslim in his Sahih
This is a magnificent representation of the status of prayer
And that it is an expiation for sins
And a purification from misdeeds
A thorough cleansing of both the outward and the inward
It is a compelling method
To encourage prayer and care for it
By standing for it
Like one bathing in a bountiful river
Which cleanses him of every ailment
Expands his chest and invigorates his body
And just as his body is cleansed by the action of water
His soul is cleansed by the action of the virtuous, adorned prayer
Which blossoms with the lights of the Sunnah
Is imbued with sincerity
And is elevated above violations and deviations
Through the excellence of its ablution and its performance
And Allah is the Grantor of success