Page 39 - The Vision of Islam

The Vision of Isla m

do all of them justice; one is obliged to admit that one’s worship of
God can never be commensurate with His blessings. Ideally, man
should always be in a worshipful state; he should remain in eternal
supplication before his Lord.
Five specific times of prayer have been ordained by a merciful
God, Who does not wish to tax us beyond our capacity. Prayer,
as the Quran says, is a duty incumbent on the faithful, to be
conducted at appointed hours (4:103). Prayer at other times
takes no specific form. But whether performed at the appointed
hours or at other times, the purpose of prayer is remembrance
of God (20:14). Remembrance of God has even been called the
highest form of prayer (29:45). If one keeps this reality in mind,
the meaning of those verses which enjoin remembrance of God
in the various circumstances of life will become clear. Although
prayer, in a specific form is obligatory only five times a day, one
should, in reality, be praying at all times. One is required to remain
in a prayerful state even when engaged in what seem to be purely
worldly pursuits. One should be like the “men whom neither trade
nor profit can divert from remembering Him.” (24:37).
When the Quran refers to the people of Paradise as having
been “in constant prayer” (70:23), prayer is meant in this vast,
all-embracing sense. This constant prayer, or remembrance of
God, does not consist of the repetition of any set words. True
remembrance is expressed by spontaneous utterances, not by
fixed formulas. When one becomes aware of higher realities, one
becomes immersed in thoughts of God; one’s whole being shares
in this divine state. The words which one then addresses to the
Lord spontaneously are the stuff of true remembrance. In the
words of the Prophet, it seems at that time as if one were grazing in
the pastures of paradise: Whoever would like to graze in heaven’s
pastures should remember God much (Tabarani).
The Quran has divided prayer into two kinds:
1. Humble prayer (23:2)
2. Unmindful prayer (107:5)

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