Increasing Prostrations

My dear brothers and sisters, Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta'ala) sent prophets and revealed books, and from the wisdom's of this, is so that we can worship Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta'ala) the way he wants to be worshiped. From the ways that Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta'ala) wants to be worshiped is through Salah, and Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta'ala) says as taught to us by Rasoolullah (ﷺ) in a hadith, that there is no better way of gaining closeness to Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta'ala) other than observing the obligatory acts specified by Allah (Subhaan wa Ta'ala). And then Rasoolullah (ﷺ) teaches us, that after observing these obligatory acts, there is no better way to gain closeness to Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta'ala) than observing the voluntary acts of worship, and in the Sunnah it states, that a person doesn't continue with these voluntary act of worship until this person becomes beloved to Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta'ala). May Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta'ala) make us from amongst those that are beloved to Him! 

The greatest act of worship after the Shahada (testimony of faith) is As-Salah, and Rasoolullah (ﷺ) has taught us outside of the obligatory acts of prayer, with the permission of Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta'ala), other voluntary salawaat that you and I can use to gain even more closeness to Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta'ala) and become beloved to him. For example, we have the 'Sunan ar Rawaatib' - in which Rasoolullah (ﷺ) taught us, that a person who observes them, these 12 rak'at or units of prayer in his or her day and night, they did not observe it except that Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta'ala) builds for them a house in Jannah! And Rasoolullah (ﷺ) taught us that there is no person who observes the fajr salah and then sits in his places remembering Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta'ala) until the sun rises then gets up and observes two rak'at, two units of prayer, except that Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta'ala) rewards him or her, with the rewards of Hajj and Umrah, and in some narrations, the complete rewards of Hajj and Umrah, La Ilaaha IllAllah. I ask Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta'ala) to preserve us in his obedience and inspire us to come together solely for his sake. 

Assalaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakaathuhu

By Sheikh Sajid Umar