A Personal Conversation with God
Prayers and supplications exist in all religions. Praying can be described as a personal conversation with the Creator. It sometimes takes an official form, such as prayer ceremonies in Christianity which are held in church or communal prayer in Islam. In those cases, too, prayer includes one’s personal emotions, thoughts and desires.
Sometimes praying is described as a sign of abjectness and weakness of people and therefore some oppose it. This is while such a description is for those who consider praying to be a replacement for striving and making efforts. Such individuals want God to give them everything without any effort.
But that is not the case in Islam. Praying is not a replacement for efforts. Praying is a natural need in human beings. That is today, we need to pray just as we need to breathe, eat and drink. We need something to resort to and bring peace to our hearts when we face difficulties.
Even in its simplest form, which is a simple and love-filled dialogue with the Creator, praying links us with the everlasting power of God, leads the soul to perfection and elevates us from this world to the highest levels.
God says in verse 28 of Surah Raad: “… and the faithful ones whose hearts are comforted by the remembrance of God. Remembrance of God certainly brings comfort to all hearts.”
Praying and supplication can lead us to peace if they turn our attention to God and if they include remembrance of God, not by just repeating certain words or phrases.
The result of getting away from prayer and considering it as a sign of weakness is the anxieties and psychological problems that have afflicted industrial and advanced societies. It is such that, according to American writer and lecturer Dale Carnegie, “On average, one person commits suicide every 35 minutes, and one person goes crazy every two minutes in the United States. If these people had the peace and tranquility that religion and worship given to the man, most of these suicides and many insanities could have been prevented.”
Great Muslim mystics did not have any anxiety in life because of constantly praying to God and having Tawakkul (putting trust in God).
Followers of all monotheistic religions, including Islam, Christianity and Judaism, pray to God. Mankind seeks a refuge in life and there is no safer place than being close to God.
