Running to catch a Rak'ah is prohibited, even if one misses the Ruku, because the Prophet ﷺ said: "When the congregation stands for prayer, do not come running, and come walking with tranquility. Pray whatever Rak'ahs you get, and complete whatever is missed afterwards." (Aham Masail / Vol: 1 / Page: 50)
Fear of Allah is the Outcome of Divine Recognition
Imam Jalaluddin Rumi (R.A.) has written that a man once set out on a journey. He kept walking through a dense forest for a very long time until exhaustion overtook him, and he was overwhelmed with sleep. He thought of taking a rest, but he couldn't muster up the courage because it was a lonely forest path. He wondered, "How can I rest safely on such a path?" He kept wishing to find something that could provide him with a sense of security so that he could rest. Moving further ahead, he spotted an animal sleeping. He said to himself, "Wonderful! Some animal is sleeping here, let me sleep right next to it." Due to the immense exhaustion and overwhelming sleep, he lay down beside the animal and fell fast asleep the moment his head touched the ground. After some time, two men happened to pass by the same path. As they reached the spot, they witnessed an astonishing and terrifying sight—a man was sleeping peacefully, and the animal sleeping right next to him was actually a fierce lion! The men grew extremely worried that the lion might wake up and devour the poor man. They quietly called out to the sleeping man and woke him up. When he opened his eyes, they anxiously said to him, "Where on earth are you sleeping? That animal next to you is a lion! A lion!" Upon hearing this, the man was seized with sudden panic and sheer terror; his heart stopped out of fear, and he passed away on the spot. This incident proves that fear is always born out of recognition (marifat) and knowledge. If there is no recognition of what a danger is, fear cannot exist. The moment recognition occurs, fear sets in immediately. Look at this example! As long as the man lacked the recognition and knowledge that the animal was a lion, he felt absolutely no fear of it. But the very moment he gained that recognition, the fear seized him so intensely that it claimed his life. In the exact same way, when a human truly recognizes Allah—attaining the realization of how Magnificent, All-Powerful, and Supreme He is, and what He is capable of doing—it is simply impossible for his heart not to be stirred with a deep, profound awe and fear of Allah. (Book: Waqiat Parhiye Aur Ibrat Lijiye, Page: 78-79 | Author: Hazrat Maulana Mufti Shoaibullah Khan Sahib Miftahi — Selection: Islamic Tube Pro App)
