Learning Prayer from Early Childhood
A traditional Muslim becomes familiar with prayer from early childhood. Writing about female spirituality in Islam, Saadia Khawar Khan Chishti notes:
“A spiritually attuned mother nurtures her infant’s soul through the powerful recitation of the Shahada and through constantly repeated prayers—especially Surah al-Fatiha—as well as through the Beautiful Names, or Attributes, of God, which she sings like a lullaby while rocking her child to sleep or comforting the infant when it cries or feels afraid. In doing so, the mother contributes to filling the child’s being with the most powerful words of the Qur’an.”
The Opening Prayer of the Qur’an
The prayer referred to as “the constantly repeated prayer” is the opening chapter of the Qur’an:
“In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds,
the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,
Master of the Day of Judgment.
You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help.
Guide us on the straight path—
the path of those You have blessed,
not of those who have earned Your anger, nor of those who have gone astray.”
Regarding the Beautiful Names of Allah, scholar G. D. Newby writes that Allah was, for Muhammad, the only true reality—Truth, Creator, Sustainer, Ruler, Destroyer, and Savior, possessing all power and authority. Allah is the All-Seeing, All-Knowing, All-Hearing, and All-Wise. These attributes, often referred to as “names” in Islam, function throughout the Qur’an as descriptive expressions of God. Although Muhammad sought to describe God more as a prophet than as a theologian, later Islamic tradition systematized approximately ninety-nine such descriptions, known as the Ninety-Nine Beautiful Names of Allah.
Muslim Prayer (Salat)
Muslim prayer (salat) is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. Two related terms are dua (supplication) and dhikr (remembrance of God). Muslims are required to pray five times a day: before dawn, after midday, in the afternoon, at sunset, and at night.
Before each prayer, ritual purification is required. Believers wash their face, hands, head, and feet, and also rinse their mouth and nose. Specific prayers are traditionally recited during these acts of purification. For example, while washing the feet, a believer may pray:
“O God, make my feet firm on the Path on the day when they may slip.”
If water is unavailable, purification may be performed using clean sand. After sexual discharge or menstruation, a full ritual bath is required. Proper dress is also essential: men must cover at least from the waist to the knees, while women are expected to cover their entire body except for the face, hands, and feet.
Place and Direction of Prayer
Prayer does not have to take place in a mosque—women traditionally pray at home rather than alongside men in mosques—but the place must be clean. The worshipper must face Mecca, indicated in mosques by a niche called the qibla. Traditionally, prayer times are announced by the muezzin, whose call originates from the mosque’s minaret.
Prayer includes ritual bows and prostrations, the number of which depends on the specific prayer time (for example, two units before dawn and four after midday). Worshippers stand in straight rows behind the prayer leader (imam), following his movements. The congregation recites prayers softly, so that only the imam’s voice is clearly heard. Prayer may also be performed individually.
Prayer in the Qur’an
The Qur’an contains passages traditionally associated with the prayers of prophets and holy figures, such as Muhammad, Noah, Abraham, and Moses. Because the Qur’an was carefully compiled, many Muslims apply certain verses to specific life situations. For example, Noah’s entry into the ark may symbolize the beginning of a new undertaking, while Abraham’s plea for forgiveness for himself and his father may be used in situations involving moral transgression.
One particularly revered prayer is recited during the month of Ramadan, when Muslims are required to fast. It is a prayer seeking forgiveness:
“O my God, those who ask stand before Your gates,
and the oppressed seek refuge in Your courts.
The ship of the condemned rests upon the shore of the ocean of Your mercy and generosity,
seeking permission to enter the presence of Your compassion and grace.
My God, if in this month You forgive only those whose fasting and conduct are perfect,
who will care for the misguided sinner drowning in the sea of sins and transgressions?
If You show mercy only to the obedient, who will care for the rebellious?
If You accept only the successful, what will become of those who have failed?
Those who fast have indeed attained much;
the righteous have triumphed;
the just have been saved.
But we—Your sinful servants—have mercy on us, for You are Compassion itself.
Free us from condemnation through Your forgiveness.
Forgive us and all believing men and women through Your mercy,
O Most Faithful One.”
What Does Prayer Express?
This Ramadan prayer expresses the traditional Muslim understanding of God. The believer stands eternally as one who asks—indeed, as a servant. God’s power and greatness are such that divine mercy and compassion are seen as an immeasurable gift. Were God not merciful, nothing would endure.
The repeated plea in this prayer—for God to accept even those who failed to observe the fast without valid reason—reveals the Islamic understanding of grace. Islam does not share the doctrine of original sin found in Jewish and Christian interpretations of Genesis. Instead, Muslims view human beings as weak and prone to forgetfulness.
God’s greatness is such that no human can ever achieve true virtue by their own efforts alone. The practice of dhikr (remembrance), which developed especially among Sufis, helps believers remain mindful of God’s constant presence and divine majesty. For the believer, God—the All-Seeing and All-Knowing—is always present. The most important step on the path toward holiness is accepting this constant divine presence within the heart.
Source:
Denise Lardner Carmody & John Tully Carmody, Prayer in the World’s Religions.
Published by lietuvosvalstybe.com (republication requires attribution).