“It is I. I am Allah! There is no god worthy of worship except Me. So worship Me alone, and establish prayer for My remembrance.”
Quran, Surah Taha, chapter 20, verse 14.1
Throughout human history, we have come across various civilizations and communities that lived on this earth. Those who have travelled beyond our shores would have seen the remnants of the people who lived during those glorious years reflected in various books of history. Which often left us fascinated and wondering what life was like back then? How did they find peace with themselves and others around them, and what could have brought the end of their colorful story? One question that I would ask myself – whenever I was lucky enough to visit the awe-inspiring monuments – is how did they find God and connect with Him? I believe that it is only human to have the desire to connect to God.
Muslims believe that when the souls were first created by Allah, they were asked: “Am I not your Lord?” The souls replied with a resounding: “Yes, You are! We testify.”2
A Muslim who obeys and submits himself to the Will and command of Allah understands their need for Allah. He is free from all needs, for Allah owns the character of The Sustainer, Al-Samad (الصمد) – He is the Sustainer who is relied upon not just by humans, but the entire creation in His cosmos. As such, our response to the question: “Why do you pray to God?” would most often be that it is because we need Him, and our prayers act as the direct line of communication with our Lord.
The act of prayer is not something new for Muslims. Our history shared a glimpse of how the descendants and followers of the teaching of Prophet Ibrahim Peace Be Upon Him (PBUH) used to perform two units of prayers in the morning and two units of prayers in the evening. Allah had mentioned in the Quran that Prophet Ismail (PBUH) used to urge his people to pray.3 This act was continued by our beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) before the five daily prayers were prescribed to him during the Night of Journey and Ascension (Isra’ and Mi’raj), which took place about 18 months before his migration from Mecca to Yathrib. It is interesting and important to note that in the light of recent events, where the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) lost his two most beloved and strongest supporters, i.e. his wife Khadijah and his uncle, Abu Talib, and faced rejection by the people of Taif, that Allah prescribed the five daily prayers to His beloved creation Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). It is as though He is showing us a way to communicate and speak to Him, especially when you are at your lowest and in need of His Divine guidance and presence. Muslims should then be comforted to know that while others may not wish to hear them talk about their problems and seek assistance, Allah is always near to them and ready to answer to the caller whenever they call out to Him.4
I believe that the five daily prayers were prescribed to us as means for the faithful to connect and speak to our Lord and bring comfort to the weary heart. A Muslim should then strive hard to ensure that his daily schedule revolves around his five daily prayers. Not only because these pillars of the religion will ensure that the heart of the believer remains close and faithful to his Lord, but also because those who perform the five daily prayers faithfully will have their sins wiped out by Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful to His servants.
The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said to his companions: “Do you think that if there was a river by the gate of one of you, and he bathed in it five times each day that there would remain any filth on him” They (the Companions) said: “No filth would stay on him”. He Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “That is the parable of the five prayers, Allah wipes out the sins with them.”5
May Allah make us among those who understand the value of the five daily prayers. May Allah grant us the sweetness of being close to Him, and may He help us in our journey to be amongst those who listen to what is said and follow the best of it.
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Delve deeper into the 5 Pillars of Islam by reading this next article: 5 Pillars of Islam: Zakat – purification of wealth, a symbol of social justice.
References:
1) Quran, Surah Taha, chapter 20, verse 14. Translation by Dr Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran
2) This conversation was recorded in Surah Al-A’raf, chapter 7 verse 172 that reads “And remember when your Lord brought forth from the loins of the children of Adam their descendants and had them testify regarding themselves. Allah asked, “Am I not your Lord?” They replied, “Yes, You Are! We testify!” He cautioned, “Now you have no right to say on Judgment Day, ‘We were not aware of this.’ – Translation by Dr Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran
3) Quran, Surah Maryam, chapter 19 verse 55.
4) “When My servants ask you O Prophet about Me: I am truly near. I respond to one’s prayer when they call upon Me. So let them respond with obedience to Me, perhaps they will be guided to the Right Way.” Koran, Al-Baqarah, chapter 2 verse 186.
5) Hadith Narrated by Imam at-Tirmidhi – Chapters on Parables, Book 44, Hadith 3107