PRAYER: Whispering To God; Your Connection To The Divine!

 

Prayer: Whispering To God;

Your Connection To

The Divine!

(M. Javed Naseem)

Most people on this earth claim to be believers but how many of them truly believe in the dominion of One and Only God and worship Him? People love the world and its pump & show more than they love Allah the Almighty who created this universe. They claim something but they practice something else. And that is hypocrisy.

Addressing the selfish priests and scribes – the hypocrites and the corrupt preachers – Prophet Jesus, the son of Mary, said:

“Hypocrites! You do this to fill your purse, and therefore you tithe rue and mint.”

Talking about idolatry, Jesus said:

“O miserable ones! For to others you show the most clear way, by which you will not go. You scribes and doctors lay upon the shoulders of others weights of unbearable weight, but you yourselves the while are not willing to move them with one of your fingers. Truly I say to you, that every evil has entered into the world under the pretext of the elders….

And how much does God lament this by the prophet Isaiah, saying: 'Truly this people worships me in vain, for they have annulled my Law given to them by my servant Moses, and follow the traditions of their elders.” – (From the Gospel of Barnabas).

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“And it is certain that without faith it is

impossible for any one to please God.”

--- (Jesus Christ)

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When you claim to believe in One God and his sovereignty, you try to live by His commands and laws. Obedience to Him becomes the top priority of you life. The best way to please God is to remember Him through prayers.

Prayer is an integral part of the ‘Deen’ (way of life + religion) and is the most personalized way to show Allah the gratitude and appreciation for all the favors and blessings He has bestowed upon us in this world. Prayer serves as a wall of protection for us. Allah says that prayer restrains from evil and sin.

“Recite what is sent of the Book by

inspiration to you, and establish regular

prayer; for prayer restrains from shameful

and unjust deeds; and remembrance of Allah

is the greatest (thing in life) without doubt.

And Allah knows the (deeds) that you do.”

(al-Quran 29:45)

Allah, Who has created us, tells us that the greatest (or the best) thing in this worldly life is to remember Him. And the key to remembrance of Allah is the prayer or supplication. We must glorify Him as much as possible because He is the Creator of heavens and earth, and everything between them. He wants us to be consistent and steadfast in our prayers. This is an obligation that cannot be ignored:

“And establish regular prayers at the two ends

of the day and at the approaches of the night.

For those things, that are good remove those

that are evil. Be that the word of remembrance

to those who remember (their Lord).”

(al-Quran 11:114)

Those who remember Allah with their prayers, they’ll have no worries. They are connected to the Divine. When you try to become a humble servant of Allah, He knows that and protects you from evil and disaster. He promises those servants that there ‘shall be neither fear nor grief’ for them.

“Those who believe, and do deeds of

righteousness, and establish regular prayers

and regular charity, will have their reward

with their Lord; on them shall be no fear,

nor shall they grieve.”

(al-Quran 2:277)

When you fear Allah, you are relieved from all other fears. You don't fear any tyrant, any dictator, any corrupt authority or influential person. You are on the right path and you meet other people who are following the same path. Those like-minded people become your friends and you enjoy the circle of righteous believers. That helps in creating a just society. Allah is the best friend of the true believers. The true friends of believers are the believers who fear Allah, stay away from evil-doing, establish prayer and help others.

“Your (real) friends are (no less than) Allah,

His Messenger, and the (fellowship of) believers –

those who establish regular prayers and regular

charity, and they bow down humbly (in worship).”

(al-Quran 5:55)

Prayer is one of the big pillars on which your entire structure of Faith stands. You talk to your Merciful Creator through prayer. When you pray, you whisper to God! That's the most direct contact you can establish with Allah. The Almighty tells us to guard the habit of prayers.

“Guard strictly your (habit of) prayers,

especially the middle prayer; and stand

before Allah in a devout (frame of mind).”

(al-Quran 2:238)

Prayer has been prescribed for us by Allah, as it was prescribed for other nations of believers that followed other Prophets and Messengers of God before our time. In the following verse, the Almighty confirms that prayer and charity (Salat and Zakat) were ordained for the Children of Israel (the nations of Moses and Jesus) as obligatory:

“Allah did aforetime take a covenant from

the Children of Israel; and We appointed twelve

captains among them. And Allah said: “I am with

you, if you (but) establish regular prayers; practice

regular charity; believe in my Messengers, honor

and assist them, and loan to Allah a beautiful loan.”

(al-Quran 5:12)

We can get closer to Allah through prayers and charity. Therefore, the prayer is very important for all those who believe in One God (Allah), His prophets, His Books or Scriptures and in the Day of Judgment.

Jesus On Prayers:

Prophet Jesus, the son of Mary, told his disciples how to pray to God. Here is an excerpt from the Bible (the Gospel of Barnabas), Chapters 36-37:

“Then Jesus said: 'Truly I say to you, that he who makes not prayer, is more wicked than Satan, and shall suffer greater torments.'”

“Even as of such spoke the prophet David: 'The fool has said in his heart, there is no God. Therefore are they corrupt and become abominable, without one of them doing good.

Make prayer unceasingly, O my disciples, in order that you may receive! For he who seeks finds; and he who knocks to Him it is opened: and he who asks receives. And in your prayer do not look to much speaking, for God looks on the heart; as he said through Solomon: “O my servant, give me your heart.” (From the Gospel of Barnabas).

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