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PRAYER,
ITS IMPORTANCE AND TYPES OF PRAYER
In
His Name
There
is nothing that does not glorify Him with praise.
In
the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate
Say
(O Muhammad): ‘My Lord would not concern Himself
with you but for your prayer’. (25:77)
Reflect
on the following five points concerning the verse just
quoted:
Prayer
is a great mystery of servanthood to God, the very essence
of it.
Prayer
is a great mystery of servanthood to God, the very essence
of it. As I have mentioned in several sections of my
books, there are three kinds of prayer.
Types
or kinds of prayer
The
first kind of prayer is that which is made by the tongue
of innate disposition. All seeds and seed-stones pray to
the All- Wise Creator through their disposition, their
nature, to grow and flourish into an elaborate plant or a
huge tree, so that they may make fully manifest the
inscriptions of His Names.
Prayer through natural disposition
The
existence of all the circumstances necessary for a
particular effect to come about is also a prayer
through natural disposition, a plea that that effect
be realized. That is, the arrangement of necessary
circumstances may be likened to a tongue of
disposition praying to the All-Powerful and Majestic
One to create the desired effect. For example,
water, heat, soil and light come together for a seed
to grow into a tree to the effect that they pray
God, ‘O Creator, make this seed grow into a tree!’
It is inconceivable that those unconscious,
inanimate, individual material existences, like
water, soil, heat and light, could of themselves
create a tree, which is, in essence, a miracle of
Divine Power, so the assemblage of causes that lead
to a certain result is a sort of prayer done by the
tongue of disposition.
Prayer made with the tongue of natural, vital needs
The
second kind of prayer is that which is made with the
tongue of natural neediness. All living beings pray
to the All-Compassionate Creator through their
neediness, to satisfy their needs, which they are
unable to meet by themselves. For we see that God
always sends them, just on time, the provision that
is impossible for themselves to supply. In this
sense, their neediness is a kind of prayer.
In
short, what reaches the Court of God from the whole
universe is a kind of prayer. Causes are petitions
to God to create the desired result.
Prayer of conscious living beings
The
third kind of prayer is that which is made by
conscious living beings for their special needs to
be satisfied. This kind of prayer falls into two
categories.
Active prayer
For
example, to act in accordance with causes is
an active prayer. Man, by complying with
causes, tries to gain God’s approval for his
request, for causes alone are not sufficient
for the result to be produced, and it is God
alone Who produces the result. To plough the
earth, for example, is another active prayer,
which is actually to knock at the door of the
treasury of God’s Compassion. This type of
prayer is in most cases acceptable since it is
an application to the Divine Name, the
All-Generous
Prayer made in desperation or to have natural, vital
needs met
The
first category consists of the supplications
made in desperation or in connection with
natural needs or by the tongue of disposition
or with sincerity and pure intention. Most of
such supplications are accepted. The great
majority of scientific discoveries and
technological innovations (regarded as a means
of pride by supporters of modern civilization)
are the results of the petitions made in the
tongue of needs and potential or natural
capacity; they are therefore normally
acceptable unless some obstacle intervenes.
Prayers that we say every day
The
second category consists of those prayers that
we say every day. These also are of two types:
one is active and by disposition, and the
other verbal and from the heart. To plough the
earth, for example, is an active prayer and
means to knock at the door of the treasury of
God’s Mercy and Munificence, not to beg
provision from the earth.
Omitting
the details of other kinds, we will explain some mysteries
of the verbal prayer in the following point.
Some
mysteries of the verbal prayer
Prayer
has a very great effect; it yields a result in most, even
in all, cases, especially when what is asked for is
expressed in a universal form. It may even be argued that
one of the reasons for the creation of the universe is
prayer. That is, since the Creator knew before the
creation of the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and
blessings, that the Prophet would desire in the future, on
behalf of mankind, or indeed of the whole creation,
eternal happiness, and that he would desire to be favored
with the manifestations of the Divine Names, He accepted
the future prayers of Muhammad and created the universe.
If, then, prayer is so significant and comprehensive, is
it conceivable that the prayers uttered consistently for
fourteen centuries by hundreds of millions of Muslims and
innumerable blessed ones among mankind, by the jinn, by
the angels and other spiritual beings, for the Prophet
Muhammad to receive the greatest Divine Mercy, to gain
eternal happiness and to achieve all his aims, is it
conceivable that those prayers should not be accepted?
Since
the prayers made on behalf of the Prophet Muhammad, upon
him be peace and blessings, have such permanence,
comprehensiveness and universality that they have reached
the level of the prayers done in the tongue of potential
and natural needs, then the Prophet Muhammad has acquired,
by virtue of those prayers, in addition to his Prophethood
and personal merits, such a great rank that if the whole
of mankind were to unite their intelligence into a single
one, they could not comprehend it.
So,
O Muslim, consider how great an intercessor you may have
on the Day of Judgment. In order to deserve his
intercession, follow his Sunna!
The
voluntary verbal prayer is accepted in two ways
The
voluntary verbal prayer is accepted in two ways:
For
example, someone prays for a son but God Almighty grants
him a daughter like the Virgin Mary. In that case, we
should not say, ‘His prayer has not been accepted’,
rather we should say, ‘His prayer has been accepted in a
better way’.
Likewise,
another one prays for worldly happiness but his prayer is
returned with eternal happiness. In this case, we should
rather say, ‘His prayer has been accepted in a more
beneficial way’, than say, ‘His prayer has not been
accepted’, and so on.
Since
God Almighty is All-Wise, we beg from Him, and He returns
our request in accordance with His Wisdom. A patient, for
instance, may ask for honey, and the doctor gives him
quinine sulphate for his fever. In this case, the patient
should not criticize the doctor, saying, ‘He has not
heeded my request’: the doctor diagnosed the illness
very well and did what was better for the patient.
The
most pleasurable result of prayer is that the one who
prays knows that there is One, Who has Absolute Power
over everything, Who hears him and provides a remedy
for his pains.
The
most beautiful and pleasurable, and the quickest, result
of prayer is that the one who prays knows that there is
One, Who has Absolute Power over everything, Who hears
him, has pity on him, and provides a remedy for his pains.
He is not alone in this guesthouse of the world, rather
there is an All-Munificent One Who looks after him and
provides him with companionship. He imagines himself to be
in the actual presence of a Being Who is able to satisfy
all his needs and overcome all his enemies, and, feeling
relief as if a heavy burden were removed from him, he
says, ‘All praise be to the Lord of the Worlds’.
Prayer
is the very essence of being a slave of God and an
indicator of sincere belief
Prayer
is the very essence of being a slave of God and an
indicator of sincere belief. The one who prays
demonstrates, through prayer, that there is One Who rules
over the whole universe and is aware of all his affairs
down to the most insignificant ones, and Who hears him and
enables him to achieve his aims. Since he witnesses that
that Being does everything down to the smallest, he hopes
that He will fulfil his expectations. Consider, then, the
comprehensiveness of the conception of Divine Unity formed
by prayer, and the pleasure and purity of the light of
belief it exhibits. Then, ponder the meaning of the verse,
Say: ‘My Lord would not concern Himself with you but for
your prayer’, (25:77) and heed the Divine decree, Your
Lord said, ‘Pray to me and I will answer you’ (40:60).
If
He did not want to give, He would not give the desire to
want.
Glory
be to You! We have no knowledge save what You have
taught us. Surely You are the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
O
God, grant blessings to our master Muhammad from past
eternity to future eternity, to the number of what is
contained in God’s Knowledge, and to his family and
Companions, and grant them peace. Also, grant us peace
and make us and our religion safe from every danger! All
praise be to God, the Lord of the Worlds.
Why
should we pray for the Prophet, upon him peace and
blessings?
That
blessed person, upon him be peace and blessings, concerns
himself with the happiness of his whole umma both
individually and collectively, and he is anxious about
whatever may befall them. Although he has, for himself,
infinite degrees of eternal happiness and levels of
perfection, yet he wishes ardently for the happiness in
all times and degrees of each member of his nation and is
grieved about each of their misfortunes, and so he needs
and most certainly deserves countless blessings and
prayers.
Why
is it that sometimes we pray for things sure to happen -
like the prayer made when the sun or moon is eclipsed
and sometimes for things which cannot possibly happen?
Prayer
is a kind of worship. A servant proclaims through prayer
his helplessness and poverty before God. The apparent
purposes for prayer are rather causes for doing the
worship of prayer. The reward for worship is principally
given in the Hereafter. If the intended worldly aims are
not achieved through prayer, one should not say, ‘My
prayer has not been accepted’, rather one should say,
‘The time for prayer is not yet over’.
Besides,
is it conceivable that the people of belief will not be
given the eternal happiness for which they ask continually
with great zeal and utmost sincerity, that the absolutely
Benevolent and Compassionate One, to Whose infinite Mercy
all the universe testifies, will not accept their prayer
to establish the World of Eternal Happiness?
Is
every prayer answered by God? What
does answering prayer mean?
If
someone objects: “We pray many times, but we are not
given what we pray for, although the verse cited says that
every prayer will be accepted inclusively,” the answer
would be as follows:
The
prayer being answered does not necessarily mean its “acceptance”
in all circumstances. There is an answer for every prayer;
but to accept the prayer, and to give what is prayed for
depends upon the Wisdom of the All-Mighty. Suppose that a
sick child is asking a doctor to give him a certain kind
of medicine. The doctor either will give him that certain
kind of medicine or he will give him a better one for the
benefit of the child. Or he will give him no medicine at
all, if he judges that any kind of medicine may be bad for
the health of that child.
Similarly,
the All-Mighty, Who is the All-Hearing and All- Seeing,
certainly answers the prayer of His servant, and He
changes the depression of loneliness into the pleasure of
His company. But His answer does not depend on the fancies
of man, rather it depends on the Divine Wisdom. According
to His Wisdom, He either gives what is requested or what
is better or He gives nothing at all.
Moreover,
prayer is a form of worship and the reward for worship is
principally given in the Hereafter. Prayer, in essence, is
not done for worldly purposes; worldly purposes are rather
causes for saying the prayer. For example, prayer for rain
is a kind of worship and the lack of rain is its occasion
not its purpose. If rain is to be held as the only aim of
prayer, then this prayer will not be acceptable since it
will not be sincere, not intended to obtain the pleasure
of God.
Sunset
likewise determines the time for evening prayer, and the
solar and lunar eclipses are two special occasions for two
particular kinds of worship. Since the eclipses of those
luminous signs, the sun and the moon, are two means of the
manifestation of Divine Majesty, the All-Mighty calls His
servants to a sort of worship peculiar to those occasions.
But such prayer is not done to cause an eclipse to pass
away-the duration and the end of such events are already
known through astronomical calculations. The same argument
applies to drought and also to other calamities or perils.
They are all occasions for certain kinds of prayer. Man,
at such times, best realizes his impotence and,
accordingly, feels the need to take refuge in the high
Presence of the Absolutely Powerful One through prayer and
supplication. If, therefore, a calamity is not lifted
despite many prayers, one should not say, “My prayer has
not been accepted” but should say, “The time for
prayer is not yet over.” If, on the other hand, God
removes the calamity, then this is because of His endless
Grace and Munificence, and that moment marks the
disappearance of that special occasion for prayer.
Man
must pursue God’s pleasure through his worship. He must
affirm his own poverty and weakness in his prayer, and
seek refuge with Him through prayer; he must not interfere
in His Lordship. He should leave the taking of measures to
Him and rely on His Wisdom. He should not accuse His
Mercy.
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