Q&A About Islam #1 (Prayer In Islam)

QUESTIONS :

No pictures, no idols, no symbols,
then what do Muslims pray to?

No burning of incense or paper money,
no lighting of joss sticks, no flowers,
then what do Muslims use for prayer?

No priests,
Then who guides the Muslims
in their prayer?

Is the Imam an intermediary
between God an man?

No holy water, no peacock feathers,
then how are Muslims blessed?

No chairs in mosques,
then where do Muslims sit
when they pray?

They don’t speak in Arabic here,
then why do Muslims here pray in Arabic?

A big prayer hall,
but why are only a few Muslims
praying here?

ANSWERS :

The Unseen Creator
Muslims pray to The Unseen Creator who created everything. His power to create is limitless. All He has to say is “Be’’ (“Kun” in Arabic) and it comes into existence. Everything came from Him and will return to Him. He does not have a son and was not fathered by anyone. He has no partners, and is unlike anything that the human mind can imagine. The Unseen Creator calls Himself by the personal name of “Allah” in The Noble Quran. Some say that when we drink water, we must remember the person who dug the well. The aims of a Muslim’s prayer are to remember and be grateful to Allah who created everything including the water and the person who dug the well!

Environment-friendly prayer
Prayer in Islam is a simple activity that consists of a series of body posture and recitation of verses from The Noble Quran. It is an environment-friendly prayer in that it does not require the burning of paper or other substances. The practice of making “offerings” to God is unacceptable in Islam. God is self-sufficient and has no needs.

No Priests
The person who leads the prayer is called Imam in Arabic. A person who has good knowledge and is able to recite The Quran well and lecture to the gathering during the Friday noon prayer is appointed as the Imam of a Mosque. The Imam is not like a priest. He is not an intermediary between God and man. Muslims seek the Mercy of God directly.

Reason and logic
Islam calls on the Believers to base their faith on reason and logic and not on blind beliefs such as believing that sprinkling holy water on the body or stroking the body with peacock feathers or other objects will drive away bad luck and bring prosperity. To receive the Mercy and blessings of God, Muslims are commanded to base their life on what is permitted, and keep away from the prohibited (such as intoxicants, gambling and adultery) in The Noble Quran and the traditions of the Prophet (pbuh).

Furniture-free
The Muslim prayer positions consist of standing, bowing, sitting and placing the forehead on the floor. It is no possible to do these while sitting on a chair. Thus all Muslim prayer places are furniture-free. There are no reserved places in the Mosque. All Muslims pray as equals.

Prayer in Arabic
Muslims use the words of God when praying to Him. They recite from The Noble Quran which is in Arabic. Praying in the language of The Quran ensures uniformity. A Muslim can go to any Mosque in the world and join the prayer without any difficulty. Praying in the language of The Quran ensures accuracy. Translations of the meanings of the verses in the Quran are not used in prayer. At the end of the formal prayer, Muslims can seek the forgiveness and blessings of God in their own languages. This is called ‘’du’a’’ or supplication

Prayer in any clean place
Muslims can performs their prayers in Mosques, homes or in any clean place. In some places, only a small number pray in Mosques, and they are usually those staying near the mosque and visitors. Muslims are required to perform the Friday noon prayer in the Mosque. The Mosque is packed during this prayer and in some places, Muslims pray in the compound of the Mosque due to lack of space inside.