The Importance of Prayer- II

Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, Allah (swt) has given me this opportunity to continue my sermon on the Importance of Prayer. So, it is said in the Holy Quran: “O God, give us in this world that which will help us hereafter also, and save us from the suffering of hell.” 

So, your daily duty is to pray to God. This is your real work. Never ponder whether or not your prayer has been heard in the Court of God. That is His prerogative. Our prayers should be in harmony with the will of God, and we should feel happy in whatever He wills. 

To pray effectively, it is necessary that we should conduct our life as desired by the Master, and that we should experience happiness in the remembrance of God Almighty.

Qur’anic Commandments-II

A TREASURE TROVE of practical wisdom, beneficial to humans in their every day individual and community life, are preserved in the Holy Qur'an in the form of Divine Commandments. Long before the advent of the Holy Prophet of Islam (sa) in Arabia, God's Prophets addressed their own communities on good and evil, on right living and right conduct, and on how to avoid wrongdoing and mischief in the land, and to preserve justice and peace among different communities in society. Thanks to the Divine Blessing of the advent of the Holy Prophet (sa) and the Holy Qur'an, we have access to those timeless teachings- the universal wisdom of the Ages- originally addressed by Allah (swt) to the ancient communities through their own messengers. 

The pearls of practical advice, recorded in a succinct way in the Book of God, invite every human to lead a life in profound awareness of the Oneness of God, the Creator, the Controller and Fashioner of our destinies in the world; a life of ethical moderation and spiritual contemplation where a Seeker trains his soul to leave behind the temptations and evil impulses of earthly existence, so as to embrace its heavenly destiny in remembrance of, and nearness to, God.  

The spiritual guideposts encourage one to adopt the virtues of modesty and balance in personal habits and temperament, beginning from the food we eat and the provisions we seek. We should cultivate humility and the spirit of accommodation as personal qualities in our relations with others. We should neither be domineering, nor high-handed in our engagements involving fellow beings. We should seek to avoid discord in relations with spouses, with the rest of the family, and within the wider community and society. Put differently, strive to be fair and just in fulfilling all your responsibilities; respect the rights and free choices of others; discharge your duties towards relatives as well as strangers, and try to avoid all that can lead to discord and conflicts in social and community relations. Learn to forgive and forbear in times of differences with others. Indeed, Qur'anic ethics, when practiced by real men and women, will lead to both inner peace, community solidarity and social tranquillity. 

The Divine Law warns against injustice and domineering attitudes in society as it can lead to disputes and violence and anarchy, destroying the whole edifice from within. Reminding us about those who sold their souls for cheap victories in this life at the price of the Hereafter, the Heavenly Light strongly urge us to consider, prefer and embrace truly-rewarding choices, in weighing the priorities in our moment in this world. Indeed, Qur'an's discerning teachings could work as foundational basis for anyone who seeks to construct a life rooted and nurtured in spiritual values; a life of prayer and utter devotion to God, and of performing good works and of sacrificing and giving for the benefit of fellow beings.  

The Importance of Prayer- I

Prayer is such a medicine that it can turn a dry wood into a green branch and can fuse life into (spiritually) dead people. It has unlimited credentials. If someone is in an unresolved situation, the prayer only can save him. 

A materialist considers this life to be a machine, the parts of which are being run by the blind forces of cause and effect, and he does not admit that there is an ultimate Being who is directing it. But one who knows the reality, while agreeing that the law of cause and effect is working, further knows that this is being done under the orders and directions of a Supreme Being. He, therefore, while keeping an eye on the causes and their effects, appeals to the Creator of the universe, the Supreme Cause for help, and surrenders gladly to His will and pleasure. God [Allah], the Creator of the Universe, may do whatever is good for him, for it is only the Lord (God) who knows what is good for him. 

Qur’an: Guiding Souls

Our life on earth is a gift from God, the Lord and Master of the Universe. It is our solemn duty to learn and recognize the Way of Life ordained by our Sustainer. For, His laws and commandments throw clear light on life’s complex crossroads so that we  find right directions and always remain on the correct path, the Way of the Righteous (Muttaqin). Indeed, a Muttaqi, even when bruised by the complicated trajectories of earthly trials, in submitting to the Divine expectations and regulations, will invariably find sprouting signs of  mercy, grace and infinite kindness of God around her. 

Moreover, to help and guide the deeply-flawed and evil-prone humans in every day life, our Creator and True Friend has sent down the Book of revelations (Kitaab) with practical wisdom (Hikmah) through the sublime blessing of Prophecy (Nubuwwah). Likewise, Sunnat Allah has established Wilayah/ Khilafa -the Divine practice of  raising holy men as an unbroken chain in every age in the Ummah to preserve, sustain and to renew the spiritual highway for all times. It is by accepting the Divine revelations and messages as well as by following in the noble footsteps of the Divinely-inspired men when they arrive that we can remain on the Way of Divine Pleasure, so as not to be lost or drowned, or be confused, in the difficult journey of earthly life. The ringing words of the Qur'an is as follows:  ‘When guidance comes to you from Me, as it certainly will, there will be no fear for those  who follow My guidance, nor will they grieve’----(2:39)