PRAYER AND THE MUSLIM

Most people associate Muslim prayer with bowing down and prostration towards Makkah. You would be forgiven for thinking the only manner a Muslim prays in is this, and only 5 times in a day at that!

While the daily compulsory prayers do create the foundation for Muslims, prayer in itself is a vast and multi-layered concept in Islam. Let me try and explain a (very) little of it. (I'll be using 'he' to refer to both genders in this article because he/she is cumbersome but there is no partiality to the male.)

As with all other faiths, prayer in Islam is turning to and asking from God. It can involve praise, glorification, repentance, request or just a general need to communicate with Him.

In Islam, the different methods of prayer can be generally divided into 4 groups:

1. Ritual prayer

   This is the most common and famous kind. In the Qur'an, God speaks directly to us and through prayer, we to Him - thus a two-way conversation is established!

   A ritual prayer consists of units that are each made up of a cycle of standing, bowing and 2 prostrations.

   In each position, we recite selected chapters of the Qur'an. Usually in the beginning or upright position, the recited verses praise God and reaffirm our faith and dedication to Him - a kind of Loyalty Pledge if you will. Bowing down is a symbol of submission to Him alone and the final prostration serves to create humility and awareness of His Magnificence and Authority over us.

   In the history of Islam, the Prophet Muhammad once undertook a journey to the Heavens, and was shown the secrets of the Universe by God. This is called 'The Ascension' or Me'raj (pronounced May-raj). The Muslim considers prayer to be his personal Me'raj.

   The philosophy behind spreading out the compulsory prayers over the whole day is to ensure that a Muslim remembers the presence of God in every moment of his existence. It is a lifeline that constantly pulls him back into the connection with Divinity.

   Of course, with every level of faith that a Muslim graduates to, prayer takes on deeper, more spiritual meaning.

   Initially, as a child, he prays in imitation of his parents, as he grows and understands his belief, it becomes a constant reminder, and as belief further develops into faith, the prayer too transcends to the level of communion. Finally, when conviction is achieved, then the soul truly ascends into a purer realm to converse with its Creator.