Article appeared Friday, April 18th, 2014 in The News Today, Bangladesh

The Revelation ( 24!

yo"s"# $ah%"%"l &sla$, 'h(

)an prayer %e witho"t a p"rpose* +"sli$s, all over the world, line "p #or #or$al prayers in masjids and individ"ally in their places o# so,o"rn- &s it possi%le #or a prayer to %e ,"st an e.ercise witho"t $eaning* To answer this /"estion, let "s start %y loo0ing at what #a$o"s people have said a%o"t prayers- +ahat$a 1andhi (1823 4 1348! {1}, a leader, who led &ndia to independence thro"gh a non5violent $ove$ent against the British r"lers, had the #ollowing to say a%o"t how people sho"ld pray, 'rayer is not (a%o"t! as0ing- &t is a longing o# the so"l- &t is a daily ad$ission o# one6s wea0ness- &t is %etter in prayer to have a heart witho"t words than words witho"t a heart- {2} 7hat are prayers generally a%o"t* &s the p"rpose o# prayers ,"st to ask #or good health, wealth, children, relie# #ro$ pro%le$s, etc.* &n the /"ote, 1andhi s"ggests that prayer is a longing of the soul- 7hat co"ld the longing %e* 7hat co"ld one8s so"l long #or* )o"ld it %e an earnest and heart#elt desire to %e grate#"l to the )reator* &t is only an intelligent h"$an %eing that can wor0 o"t the %lessings o# the )reator and %e earnestly grate#"l- 1andhi s"ggests, there#ore, that a heart that cannot #ind words to e.press gratit"de is %etter than words said witho"t #eelings- To help those who wish to analy9e or "nderstand one8s relationship with the )reator, +eister :c0hart (1220 4 1 2;!, the 1er$an theologian, philosopher and $ystic{3} le#t %ehind a n"$%er o# sayings- To help "nderstand o"r attit"de towards the <things= given %y the )reator, To %e #"ll o# things is to %e e$pty o# 1od- To %e e$pty o# things is to %e #"ll o# 1od- {4} To help "nderstand that o"r relationship with the )reator is a straight path that leads directly to >i$, i.e., there is no croo0edness in the path, no dishonesty or no via $edia, :c0hart said, The eye with which & see 1od is the sa$e eye with which 1od sees $e- {4} That is, i# we "se o"r intelligence to search #or 1od, we will indeed #ind >i$- &t is ,"st that we are not loo0ing #or >i$ 4 instead we are #oc"sed on the %lessings that >e has given "s? 1od is at ho$e, it6s we who have gone o"t #or a wal0- {4} As a last /"ote #ro$ :c0hart, he said, &# the only prayer yo" ever say in yo"r entire li#e is than0 yo", it will %e eno"gh- {4} The /"estion is whether one wishes to %e grate#"l or si$ply 0eep as0ing #or $ore and $ore witho"t %eing grate#"l and approach the )reator ,"st to #"l#ill one8s needs- @o #or people who attend masjids or say prayers in response to the <)all #or 'rayer= or Azan, witho"t "nderstanding the essence or p"rpose o# praying to the )reator, >e gives an analogy in the A"r8an, The para%le o# those who re,ect #aith is as i# one were to sho"t li0e a goat5herd to things that listen to nothing %"t calls and criesB dea# d"$% and %lind they are void o# wisdo$- C2-1;1D @o i# we si$ply r"sh to pray, witho"t "sing the given intelligence to wor0 o"t 7ho we are praying to, or why we are praying, or what sho"ld o"r attit"de %e to the )reator who has %lessed "s with everything ($ostly witho"t as0ing!, how sho"ld the )reator loo0 "pon s"ch a person* To help "nderstand, in the s"%se/"ent Eerse, we are re$inded o# one o# the %lessings, F yo" who %elieveG :at o# the good things that 7e have provided #or yo" and %e grate#"l to Allah if it is Him you worship. C2-1;2D

&# it is not the )reator we worship, who or what do we worship* )o"ld it %e the things or %lessings that >e has given* (o wealth, health, children, stat"s, co$peting with the neigh%ors, n"rsing o"r egos, etc. hold a greater val"e in o"r lives* So is the only reason we approach the Creator to further our en isaged needs! &# so, sho"ld the )reator accept o"r prayers and contri%"tions* &n )hapter 3 o# the A"r8an, Allah enlightens "s how >e regards prayers witho"t earnestness towards >i$ and >is +essengers? The only reasons why their contri%"tions are not accepted are? that they re,ect Allah and >is ApostleB that they come to prayer without earnestness" and that they o##er contri%"tions "nwillingly- C3-H4D &n the s"%se/"ent Eerses, Allah points o"t so$e o# the characteristics o# people who re,ect gratit"de, altho"gh they appear to %e praying,

9.55 Let not their wealth, nor their (following in) sons dazzle o!" in realit #llah$s %lan is to %!nish the& with these things in this life and that their so!ls &a %erish in their ('er ) denial of #llah.
Allah as0s whether people with wealth, children, stat"s, etc. are especially #avored, i.e., they are great people so that they do not need to %e h"$%le and grate#"l to >i$- Allah clari#ies in the #ollowing Eerses? (o they thin0 that %eca"se 7e have granted the$ a%"ndance o# wealth and sons, 7e wo"ld hasten the$ on in every good* Nay, they do not "nderstand- Eerily those who live in awe #or #ear o# their IordB those who %elieve in the @igns o# their IordB those who join not #in worship$ partners with their %ord" and those who dispense their charity with their hearts #"ll o# #ear %eca"se they will ret"rn to their Iord- &t is these $en and wo$en who hasten in every good wor0 and these who are #ore$ost in the$- C2 -HH 4 2 -20D Those who worship wealth, #or e.a$ple, or give wealth priority a%ove the )reator, in e##ect ,oin partners with >i$- 7e are in#or$ed that s"ch people are even a#raid o# de$onstrating their love o# wealthG

9.5( )he swear * #llah that the are indeed of o!+ *!t the are not of o!+ et the are afraid (to a%%ear in their tr!e ,olors). 9.5- .f the ,o!ld find a %la,e to flee to or ,a'es or a %la,e of ,on,eal&ent the wo!ld t!rn straightwa thereto with an o*stinate r!sh.
@"ch people do not even li0e that al$s or charity %e given to the poor 4 as they #eel they wo"ld %e deprived o# that a$o"nt-

9.5/ #nd a&ong the& are &en who slander thee in the &atter of (the distri*!tion of) the al&s. .f the are gi'en %art thereof the are %leased *!t if not *ehold0 )he are indignant0 9.59 .f onl the had *een ,ontent with what #llah and 1is #%ostle ga'e the& and had said 2s!ffi,ient !nto !s is #llah0 #llah and 1is #%ostle will soon gi'e !s of his *o!nt " to #llah do we t!rn o!r ho%es02 (that wo!ld ha'e *een the right ,o!rse).
5555555 {3otes}? {1} http?JJen-wi0ipedia-orgJwi0iJ+ahat$aK1andhi {2} http?JJwww-%rainy/"ote-co$J/"otesJ/"otesJ$J$ahat$agan40 3H2-ht$l {3} http?JJen-wi0ipedia-orgJwi0iJ+eisterK:c0hart {4} http?JJwww-%rainy/"ote-co$J/"otesJa"thorsJ$J$eisterKec0hart-ht$l