Page 173 - The Book of Rumi

Tears during Prayer

ne of the fi ve pillars of Islam is prayer—done fi ve times a day—and
Onothing must interfere with praying. The words spoken in prayer are the
Moslem’s tools for connecting with God and are paramount to one’s existence.
It’s imperative, during the prayer, that one’s mind doesn’t drift off and enter-
tain thoughts other than the words of the prayer itself.
One day a man went to his mufti and asked him: “Are tears allowed dur-
ing prayer?”
“Depends on the tears, my good man,” replied the mufti.
“How so?”
“If the tears have their source in the spiritual world—if they’ve sprung
forth because of a spiritual experience and one’s established a connection with
the divine—then tears are a grace! However, if they’ve sprung from some
physical pain or emotional discomfort, then they’re a distraction and indeed
may cut off one’s connection with God; such tears are certainly not welcome.”
The Moslem had his answer, thanked the mufti graciously, and left for
the mosque.

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