An in-depth study of the nature and significance of Islamic spirituality by Abul A’la Mawdudi (1903–79).

With a focus upon the social dimension of worship Mawdudi's original approach to religious ritual and self-purification considers worship's transformative role in social life, as well as on the spirit. This work offers an illuminating and unique study of the nature and significance of Islamic spirituality by a leading Muslim intellectual from the twentieth century.

Contents
Transliteration Table x
introduction (by professor anis ahmad) xi

part one

spirituality and the islamiC way of life
1. islam and man 3
1.1. man’s relationship with god 4
1.2. Two Dimensions of man’s personality 5
1.3. Basic human Ethics 6
1.4. Basic islamic Ethics 7
1.5. The Concept of spirituality in islam 8
1.5.1. man as god’s Deputy on Earth 8
1.5.2. Body–soul Conflict 9
1.5.3. The middle road of islam 10

2. the spiritual system of islam 12
2.1. The meaning of Being Close to god 13
2.2. strengthening one’s Bond with god 14
2.3. The practical way to achieve nearness to god 15
2.3.1. prayer (Salah) 17
2.3.2. remembrance of god (Dhikr Allah) 18
2.3.3. Fasting (Sawm) 19
2.3.4. obligatory and Voluntary Charity
(Zakah and Sadaqat) 19
2.3.5. pilgrimage to the house of god (hajj) 20
2.4. accountability in the hereafter 20
2.5. measuring the strength of spiritual Ties with god 22

3. islamic social order: the Catalyst for a new world system 24
3.1. human society and its leadership 24
3.2. islamic social order and its leadership 25
3.2.1. The party of islam and the struggle for
islamic social order 25
3.2.2. Essentials of the islamic system of governance 28

4. addendum 31

part two [Ibadah: its signifiCanCe in the islamiC soCial order

5. [Ibadah: its meaning and significance 37
5.1. The spirit of [Ibadah 37
5.1.1. [Ibadah in the age of ignorance (Jahiliyyah) 38
5.1.2. The ascetic Concept of worship 38
5.2. The islamic Concept of [Ibadah 39
5.2.1. The pathway to allah 42

6. islamic acts of worship 43
6.1. obligatory prayer (Salah) 44
6.2. obligatory Fasting (Sawm) 46
6.3. obligatory Charity (Zakah) 47
6.4. pilgrimage to the house of god (hajj) 48
6.5. Collective struggle against the Forces of Evil (Jihad) 49

7. obligatory prayer (Salah) 50
7.1. a reminder 50
7.2. The obligation of Duty 51
7.3. Building Character 54
7.4. self-Control 56
7.5. a Training programme 57
7.6. Building Community 59
7.7. The Congregational prayer (Salat al-Jama[ah) 60
7.8. The Call to prayer (Adhan) 61
7.9. how to proceed for prayer 63
7.9.1. ablution (Wudu’) 63
7.9.2. lining Up for prayer (Taswiyat al-Sufuf) 64
7.9.3. The Call for Commencement of prayer (Iqamah) 65
7.9.4. Collective supplication 65
7.9.5. Salah from Beginning to End 66
7.9.5.1. glorification of god (Tasbih) 66
7.9.5.2. seeking refuge and protection with the lord (Ta[awwudh) 67
7.9.5.3. invocation of his name (Tasmiyah) 67
7.9.5.4. praise and supplication (al-Hamd) 67
7.9.5.5. reciting Qur’anic Verses 67
7.9.5.6. Bowing Down (Ruku[) 69
7.9.5.7. prostration (Sujud) 69
7.9.5.8. The act of Bearing witness (Tashahhud) 69
7.9.5.9. sending Blessings upon the prophet (Salat [ala al-Nabiyy)
7.9.5.10. seeking the protection of the lord 70
7.9.5.11. greeting (Salam) 71
7.9.5.12. The supplication of subservience (Du[a’ al-Qunut) 71
7.10. leading the Congregational prayer (Imamat Salat al-Jama[ah) 72
7.11. has prayer lost its power? 76
7.11.1. a parable of the Clock 76
7.11.2. The objective Before the muslim Ummah 77
7.11.3. The wholeness of islamic Teachings 78
7.11.4 abusing the Clock 79
7.12. The significance of the Qiblah 80
7.12.1. Does Facing the Qiblah resemble idol worship? 82
7.12.2. how to Determine the Qiblah on the moon and other planets? 83

8. obligatory fasting (Sawm) 84
8.1. The impact of Sawm as a Training system 84
8.1.1. a life of worship 85
8.2. how does Fasting Develop our inner selves? 87
8.2.1. a sure sign of Faith 87
8.2.2. a sense of allegiance 88
8.2.3. The spirit of Taqwa 92
8.2.4. Building Character 93
8.2.5. self-restraint 97
8.2.6. not an ascetic’s self-restraint 100
8.3. a road map 101
8.4. The social aspect 103
8.4.1. The Environment of piety and goodness 104
8.4.2. Communal harmony 107
8.4.3. The spirit of Cooperation 108
8.5. why does Fasting not produce the Desired results? 109
8.6. The meaning of putting the Devils in Chains 110
8.7. moon sighting 110
8.7.1. why a lunar Calendar? 111
8.7.2. The Timetable for [Ibadat 112

part three - responses to some CritiCal Questions

9. the role of worship in Behavioural Change 115

10. the language of Salah and the friday sermon 121
10.1. some important preliminaries 122
10.2. The language of regular prayer 125
10.3. arabic as the language of Salah 126
10.4. The language of the Friday sermon 130
10.4.1. a Difference of objectives 131
10.4.2. reservations against the non-arabic Khutbah 135
10.4.3. some practical problems 137
10.5. Two more Queries regarding the language
of Friday sermons 139
10.5.1. is it obligatory for the Khutbah to be in arabic? 139
10.5.2. is the non-arabic Khutbah also obligatory? 143

11. the friday Congregation in a Village 146
11.1. The social side of islam 147
11.2. The real significance of the Friday assembly 148
11.3. points of Consensus regarding the Friday Congregation 150
11.4. Differences of opinion 150
11.5. in response to a rejoinder 153
11.5.1. Jumu[ah as a Duty 154
11.5.2. The preconditions for observing Jumu[ah 155
11.5.3. resumé 157

12. the use of loudspeakers for Salah 160
13. the islamic festivals of eid al-adha and eid al-fitr 167
13.1. how did the islamic Community of the golden Era Celebrate the Festivals? 169

14. Blood sacrifice: the islamic and un-islamic approaches 173
14.1. Blood sacrifice in islam 173
14.2. is animal sacrifice a ‘pagan and wasteful Exercise’? 177
14.3. The Economic aspect of animal sacrifice 185
14.3.1. a Tract on Blood sacrifice reviewed 187

15. Sawm and self-restraint 193

16. the night of acquittal from sin (laylat al-Bara’ah) 197

appendix i: [Ibadah – The means as well as the Ends 201

appendix ii: sayyid mawdudi and Tasawwuf 204

index 211