Bring love, hope and reverence

Worship brings together love, hope and fear. Love draws the heart toward Allah and makes obedience willingly offered. Hope seeks His mercy, forgiveness, reward and acceptance. Fear recognizes His greatness, accountability and the consequences of disobedience.

Keep these connected. Hope should lead to repentance and action rather than complacency; fear should not become despair; love should not be separated from following what Allah has commanded. Recall His kindness and gifts as well as the responsibility of standing before Him.

Ask for Allah’s love, love of those He loves and deeds that bring you nearer to His love. Let the words of the prayer awaken the appropriate response: gratitude in praise, dependence in asking, humility in prostration and hope in forgiveness.