Voices of Islam (70 page)

Supplicatory Prayer

The term
du‘a
is derived from the Arabic verb meaning ‘‘to supplicate’’ or ‘‘to call upon.’’ Other similar terms for such prayer are
munaja, nida,
and
al-daru‘a.

Munaja
means ‘‘a secret conversation with God,’’ usually with the intention of seeking delivery and relief. Referring to this form of prayer, God says in the Holy Qur’an:

Say: Who delivereth you from the darkness of the land and the sea? Ye call upon Him humbly and in secret, (saying): If we are delivered from this (fear) we truly will be of the thankful.

(Qur’an 6:63)

Nida
means ‘‘to call upon God while withdrawn from people.’’ The Holy Qur’an relates the story of the Prophet Zachariah who, having no son, beseeched God in his old age to give him a successor to inherit his prophetic knowledge and duties:

The Importance and Meaning of Prayer in Islam
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A mention of the mercy of thy Lord unto His servant Zachariah. When he cried unto his Lord a cry in secret, Saying: My Lord!
.. .
give me from Thy Presence a successor who shall inherit of me and inherit (also) of the house of Jacob
.. .
(It was said unto him): O Zachariah! Lo! We bring thee tidings of a son whose name is John; We have given the same name to none before (him).

(Qur’an 19:2–7)

Al-daru‘a
means ‘‘a loud entreaty to God for safety,’’ as mentioned in the Holy Qur’an:

Before thee We sent (apostles) to many nations, and We affl the nations with suffering and adversity, that they might submissively entreat (Him)!

(Qur’an 6:42)

Ritual Prayer

The Linguistic Root of Prayer: Salat

Ritual prayer in Islam is called
Salat
, a word whose full meaning is best understood by examining its linguistic roots. One of the origins of
Salat
is the root word
silat,
which means ‘‘connection’’ or ‘‘contact.’’ One of Islam’s most renowned philosophers, Ibn Rushd, said:

It derives from the word ‘‘connection’’ (
silat
) in that it connects the servant with his Creator, meaning that the prayer brings him near His Mercy and connects him to His Generosity and His Heavenly Paradise.
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This word is also used in the context of close relations (
silat al-rahim
) whose connections with an individual are due to blood ties and are therefore imperishable in the eyes of the Divine. In this sense, prayer is seen as the unseverable bond between the individual and his or her Lord.

Commenting on this, another renowned Qur’anic exegete, Qurtubi said:

The word
Salat
derives from the word
silat
, one of the names of fire as when it is said, ‘‘The wood is burned by fire.’’
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Qurtubi attributed six different meanings to the word
Salat
in his commentary on the Holy Qur’an:

Prayer is the invocation of God; it is mercy, as when one says, ‘‘O God, bestow prayers on Muhammad’’; it is worship, as when God says, ‘‘And their worship at the (holy) House’’ (Qur’an 8:35); it is a supererogatory prayer, as when God says, ‘‘And enjoin upon thy people worship’’ (Qur’an 20:132); and it is God’s praise, as when He says, ‘‘And had he

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Voices of the Spirit

not been one of those who glorify (God)
...
’’ (Qur’an 37:143); Prayer is also recitation.
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RITUAL PRAYER IN DIVINE LAW (
SHARI‘A
)

Ritual prayer is bound by detailed obligations and structure. It encom- passes both obligatory (
fard
) prayers, which are observed fi times daily at specifi intervals, and voluntary prayers, which are performed by the worshipper before or after the obligatory prayers as well as at other times.

The Obligatory Nature of Ritual Prayer

The Prophet Muhammad, upon whom be peace and blessings,
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called prayer ‘‘the pillar of religion.’’ No fundamental element of Islam is stressed as much as prayer in the Holy Qur’an. Indeed, God mentions it in over 700 verses of the holy text. Among those that define its role in the religion of Islam are:

Worship at fixed hours hath been enjoined on the believers.

(Qur’an 4:103)

Be guardians of your prayers, and of the midmost prayer.

(Qur’an 2:238)

Enjoin prayer on thy people, and be constant therein. We ask thee not to provide sustenance: We provide it for thee. But the (fruit of) the Hereafter is for right- eousness.

(Qur’an 20:132)

Recite that which has been revealed to thee of the Book, and observe Prayer. Surely, Prayer restrains one from indecency and manifest evil, and remembrance of God indeed is the greatest virtue. And God knows what you do.

(Qur’an 29:46)

(They will be) in Gardens (of Delight): they will question each other, and (ask) of the sinners: ‘‘What led you into Hell Fire?’’ They will say: ‘‘We were not of those who prayed.

(Qur’an 74:40–43)

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The Messenger of God made ritual prayer the second of the Five Pillars of Islam:

Islam is built on fi testifying that there is no god except God and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God, establishing ritual prayer, paying the poor-due, pilgrimage and fasting Ramadan.
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Thus, the ritual prayer is an obligation from God on every sane, adult Muslim. The Prophet said:

The first thing about which a person will be questioned on the Day of Judgment is prayer. If it is found to be sound all his other actions will be sound as well. If his prayer is not sound all his remaining actions would be spoiled.
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The Prophet also said:

Giving up prayer is tantamount to disbelief and associating partners with God.
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He also said:

The one who misses one of the ritual prayers, is as if he has lost all his family and property.
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And he said:

Ritual prayer is the best means of struggle in the way of God (
Jihad
).

It is reported that the Prophet’s last words were:

Prayer! Prayer! And fear God regarding those whom you are in charge of.
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Abu Bakr ibn al-Jaza’iri states:

Among the wisdoms in the implementation of prayer is that it purifi and welcomes the worshipper to converse with God and His Messenger, and, while he or she remains in the material world, brings him or her into proximity with the Divine in the next life and wards off indecency and manifest evil.
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God’s Messenger Muhammad said:

The simile of the five prayers is like a flowing river of sweet water in front of the door of one of you, in which he plunges five times a day. What dirt will remain on him? They said, ‘‘None.’’ He said, ‘‘Surely the five prayers eliminate sins just as water eliminates dirt.’’
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Voices of the Spirit

God’s Messenger also said:

Five (daily) prayers and from one Friday prayer to the (next) Friday prayer, and from Ramadan to Ramadan, are expiations for the (sins) committed in between (their intervals) provided one shuns the major sins.
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One of the primary aims of prayer is to prevent iniquity and vice. The Prophet of God said:

The one whose prayer does not prevent him from iniquity and vice, gains nothing from God except remoteness.
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While the five prayers are an obligation, Muslims are also enjoined to perform other prayers in accordance with the practices of the Prophet Muhammad. These include

• Witr
  (the final prayer to end the day)
  

• The two festival (
  ‘Id
  ) prayers
  

• The Eclipse Prayer (
  Salat al-Kushuf
  )
  

• The Prayer for Rain (
  Salat al-Istisqa
  )
  

  All the above are given in established traditions of the Prophet. Other than
  

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  these are what are classified as voluntary worship.
  

  In addition, there are a number of supererogatory prayers (
  sunan
  ), which were part of the normative practice of the Prophet Muhammad, and which remain part of the everyday worship of many traditional Muslims.
  

  History of Ritual Prayer
  

  After the Prophet Muhammad was commissioned with prophethood in his 40th year, the first order he was given by God was to pray. It is related that the Archangel Gabriel came to him, and a spring of water gushed out from the rocks in front of them. Gabriel then showed the Prophet how to perform the ablution that is a prerequisite of the ritual prayer in Islam. Gabriel then showed the Prophet how to offer the ritual prayer to God. The Prophet then went home and showed his wife Khadija what the Archangel Gabriel had taught him.
  

  After that, the Messenger of God began to pray two cycles (
  raka‘at
  ) of ritual prayer twice a day—once in the morning and once in the evening. From that time forward, the Prophet never went through a day without praying. In the ninth year of the Prophet’s mission, he was taken by the Archangel Gabriel on a miraculous journey by night to Jerusalem and, from there, ascended to the heavens and the Divine Presence. During this
  

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  tremendous journey, God commanded the Prophet and his followers to observe the ritual prayer 50 times a day. Returning from the Divine Presence, the Prophet Muhammad met the Prophet Moses who said, ‘‘Seek a reduc- tion, for your people cannot bear it.’’ The Prophet did so and it was granted. After many such dialogues, the command was reduced to observe fi prayers, which would be the equivalent of the original command to observe
  

  50. For this reason, Muslims feel a great debt to the Prophet Moses for this intercession on their behalf.
  

  Requirements of Ritual Prayer
  

  In Divine Law (
  Shari‘a
  ), there are a number of requirements for valid ritual prayer:
  

• Purification
  

• Time
  

• Direction
  

• Covering
  

• Fundaments of prayer
  

  In addition to these essentials, there are a number of normative practices of the Prophet, which are strongly recommended as part of the ritual prayer, known as
  sunna:
  

• Congregation/Imamate
  

• Humility before the Divine (
  khushu‘
  )
  

• Place
  

• Attire
  

Prayer Is According to the Prophetic Pattern

The practice of the Prophet is essential to understand the Holy Qur’an. God said:

Establish prayers (
Salat
) and pay the poor-due (
Zakat
).

(Qur’an 2:43)

From this, it is clear that both prayer and the poor-due are obligations. However, to find the necessary details to complete the prayer, that is, the manner and timing of the prayer and upon whom it is obligatory, and

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Voices of the Spirit

so on, we must turn to the practice of Prophet Muhammad. Islamic doctrine states that for every single event in his lifetime God revealed to the Prophet’s heart what to say and what to do. The Qur’an and the Prophetic Narrations (
ahadith
) both derive from revelation and are thus inseparable sources for understanding and implementing Islam’s divine guidance.
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The Prophet said, ‘‘Pray as you see me pray.’’
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What is meant here is to

follow the method of observing prayer, both in its form and in its inward composure and states.

The Prophet used to practice the ritual prayer constantly, outside the obligatory times. In doing so he was observing God’s recommendation:

Nay, seek (God’s) help with patient perseverance and prayer: It is indeed hard, except to those who bring a lowly spirit.

(Qur’an 2:45)

According to the scholars of Divine Law, recommended acts are divided into three categories: those acts whose demand is confirmed, known as the ‘‘confi normative practice of the Prophet’’ (
sunan al-mu’akkada
). According to Ahmad ibn Naqib al-Masri, ‘‘Someone who neglects such an act
...
deserves censure and blame.’’
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Second are those acts that are rewardable in Divine Law, but the one who neglects them deserves no blame. These are called the extra
sunan
(
sunna nafila
). The third category is the superlatively recommended, ‘‘meaning those acts considered part of an individual’s perfections.’’
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These are called the desirable acts (
mustahab
) or decorum (
adab
).

Purification

A precondition of ritual prayer in Islam is that the worshipper be in a ritually pure state and perform his or her prayer in a ritually pure location.

There are two levels of ritual impurity, each with its own remedy:

1. Major impurity:
   This occurs as a result of menstruation, childbirth, and sexual intercourse or emission. Its remedy is ritual bathing, as prescribed in the Holy Qur’an:
   

   O ye who believe! Approach not prayers with a mind befogged, until ye can understand all that ye say,- nor in a state of ceremonial impurity (Except when travelling on the road), until after washing your whole body.
   

   (Qur’an 4:43)
   

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2. Minor impurity:
   This occurs due to answering the call of nature, bleeding, vomiting, or sleeping. Its remedy is ritual ablution. This, too, is mentioned in the Holy Qur’an:
   

O you who believe! When you get ready for ritual prayer [salat], wash your faces, and your hands up to the elbows, and lightly rub your heads and (wash) your feet up to the ankles.

(Qur’an 5:6)

The Holy Prophet said:

Ablution is the key to prayer as prayer is the key to Paradise.
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