After rising from sleep in the morning

NOVEMBER 18 After rising from sleep in the morning Islam teaches us that when a man rises from sleep early in the morning, he should first of all thank God for having given him sound sleep and making the sun rise so that he may perform his life’s duties in the sunlight. The next thing a believer must do in the morning is to perform his ablutions (wudu) or if possible take a bath in order to cleanse himself, and then say the fajr prayer, the first prayer of the day. After this prayer he should engage himself in other daily activities, keeping the teaching’s of Islam before him at all times. Instead of being led by his desires, he should follow God’s commands. Assalamu Alaikum Islam teaches Muslims to greet their brothers when they meet them, by saying Assalamu alaikum that is, peace be upon you. According to the Islamic code of behaviour, when a Muslim meets another Muslim brother, he should greet him with these words ‘may peace be upon him or you’ and the other person must say in return, ‘And peace be upon you too’. This greeting is a form of prayer. A believer is the well-wisher of other believers. He has good feelings in his heart for others. He even keeps praying for them in his hours of privacy. As such, on meeting them, this inner feeling of wellwishing finds expression in the form of these words of greeting: Peace be upon you. The phrase ‘Assalamu Alaikum’ is an expression of the kind of life that an individual ought to lead in society. Everyone must live in this world as the wellwisher of others, desiring peace and security for all. By greeting others with this phrase, one introduces oneself as a well-wisher, one from whom no harm may be expected. This greeting truly symbolizes an attitude of peace and goodwill towards all human beings. The greeting ‘Assalamu Alaikum’ is not a mere ritual repetition of a salutation. It is, in fact, a sacred covenant by which one leads a principled life. Its utterance is an indication that the speaker would observe the spirit of this phrase—the spirit of peace and goodwill towards all. Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem