"Many people whilst performing worship feel that devotion void of some kind of spiritual ecstasy, such as tears in du'ā or total concentration in ṣalāh, is useless. However, this notion is incorrect, for neither are they a means of pleasing Allāh ta'ala nor by their absence will Allāh ta'ala be displeased.

People who aim for these things feel despondent when they cannot achieve them or after they disappear, and they eventually abandon all their practices.

Remember our ultimate goal is the Pleasure of Allāh ta'ala and this will be achieved through fulfilling His commands, whether we feel a high in worship or not.

This can be understood by the following example. When you travel on a train during your journey you may see some beautiful scenes, some that are not so beautiful, and others that are plainly horrible. Do these affect you in anyway? No! Your journey continues, because the objective is your destination, not the sceneries you see on the way.

Likewise, in your spiritual journey remember your destination is Allāh ta'ala and His pleasure and not the spiritual highs that you may experience during worship."

Courtesy of In Shaykh's Company: a blog maintained by the students of Shaykh Muhammad Saleem Dhorat hafizahullah www.shaykh.org