All in Good Faith

Author(s): Jean Potter, Marcus Braybrooke
Publisher: World Congress of Faiths

Page 54

The Prayer in Islam
prayer in Islam consists of recitation from the Holy Qur'an and glorification of God accompanied by various bodily postures. The five times of worship correspond to the five periods of the day: daybreak, noon, afternoon, the close of day, and night, corresponding to the organisation of man's time around various activities. In addition to this, through the bodily postures of the prayer, which consist of standing, bowing, prostrating and sitting, repeated a specified number of times in each prayer, the Muslim expresses submission, humility and adoration of God Most High with his entire being. The heart which is filled with the love of God, indeed has an urge to express all these feelings in physical as well as verbal form. By means of an established prayer, which enlists the participation of man's total nature, Islam provides the means of expression, in an extremely dignified and moving form, for these needs and feelings. Indeed, the self-discipline which is needed to perform prayer regularly and at the proper times - to perform the ablution before the actual prayer, and to carry on these prayers in the early morning when sleep is so attractive, during the busy daylight hours when one is busy with work, family and other activities, and at night when one is tired and wants to relax or sleep - reaffirms the human being's total dependence on his Creator and his position as His servant. Thus Prayer is truly the complete expression of man's voluntary submission to God. Man gets spiritual pleasure and enjoyment from prayer. With prayer, man thanks God for His Love, Mercy and Favours which, by developing his inner self, lend purpose and meaning to it. Purposeful prayer diverts man's attention towards God and gives him a wonderful feeling of the divine Presence. The Holy Prophet once said: 'There is no prayer without presence of mind and prayer is an ascension for believers.'
A Muslim is required to pray at the fixed times wherever he may be - whether in a Mosque, in his home, at work, or in any other clean environment indoors or outside - but it is preferable to pray in congregation with his fellow-Muslims. In such a congregational prayer, in which Muslims stand in straight rows shoulder to shoulder as one body united in the worship of God, the elements of discipline, brotherhood, equality and solidarity are very strongly expressed. It should be borne in mind that God does not need man's prayer, because God is Free of all needs. God is only interested in human beings' prosperity and well-being in every sense. When God commands and charges the Muslim to pray regularly, he means to help us; because whatever good we do is for our own benefit, and whatever offence we commit is against our own souls. It is possible to hide from the world but not from God. Muslims should come together to form strong communities to help each other in their life Mission : serving God, obeying Him, observing His Laws and promulgating it in the world. Prayer may be said to be supplication and praise. Proper worship of God is a degree of perfection not attainable by
anyone.
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