Ninth Word Fifth Point Bowing And Prostration With The Universe General Result

And then he thinks of the mightiness of the All-Glorious One, of Whom the by now sleeping plants and animals, the hidden suns and sober stars are all soldiers, subjugated to His command, and lamps and servants in this guesthouse of the world, uttering: "Allah is Most Great!", he bows down. Then he thinks of the great prostration of all creatures. That is, when, at the command of " كُنْ فَيَكُونُ 'Be!', and it is" (2:117; 36:82), all the varieties of creatures each year and each century - even the earth, and the universe - each like an orderly army or an obedient soldier, is discharged from its duty, that is, when each is sent to the World of the Unseen, through the prostration of its decease and death with complete orderliness, it declares: "Allah is Most Great!", and bows down in prostration. Just as they are raised to life, some in part and some the same, in the spring at an awakening and life-giving trumpet-blast from the command of " كُنْ فَيَكُونُ 'Be!', and it is", and they rise up and are girded ready to serve their Lord; insignificant man too, following them, declares: "Allah is Most Great!" in the presence of the All-Merciful One of Perfection, the All-Compassionate One of Beauty in wonderstruck love and eternity-tinged humility and dignified self-effacement, and bows down in prostration; that is to say, he makes a sort of Ascension. For sure you will have understood by now how agreeable and fine and pleasant and elevated, how high and pleasurable, how reasonable and appropriate a duty, service, and act of worship, and what a serious matter it is to perform the 'Isha prayer.

Thus, since each of these five times points to a mighty revolution, is a sign indicating the tremendous dominical activity, and a token of the universal divine bounties, it is perfect wisdom that being a debt and an obligation, the prescribed prayers should be specified at those times.