Humility in Prayer
Imâm Ahmad ibn Hanbal

Imâm Ahmad ibn Hanbal - rahimahullah - said:

You should know - may Allâh have mercy upon you - that when the slave [of Allâh] leaves his house to go to the mosque, that he is going to face Allâh, the Irresistible, the One, the Omnipotent, the Exalted in Might, the Oft-forgiving, in the knowledge that nothing is hidden from Allâh, wherever it might be, and that nothing is hidden from Allâh and that even something as small as a mustard seed is not concealed from Him, nor even something smaller, nor larger - in the seven earths or the seven heavens, in the seven seas or the lofty mountains, fixed and firm. And verily, the mosque to which he comes is one of the Houses of Allâh. He desires only Allâh and he sets out to one of Allâh’s Houses, which:

“Allâh has permitted to be raised to honour, for the celebration in them of His Name: In them He is glorified in the mornings and the evenings [over and over] by men whom neither traffic nor merchandise can divert from the practice of regular charity: Their [only] fear is for the Day when hearts and eyes will be transformed.” [Qur'ân 24:36-37]

(more…)