“Your Lord says: Call on Me and I will answer you”
Holy Qur’an 40:60
“Prayer is a daily necessity, a direct communication of the spark with the universal flame”
Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah, Memoirs of Aga Khan
Performed individually and collectively, prayer, in its endless varieties and manifestations, provides believers with a regular and direct means through which to encounter and communicate with the sacred. It is through this language and these recurring conversations of the soul, that the relationship between the sacred and human is nurtured and sustained.
“Therefore, remember me”, proclaims Allah in the Qur’an-e-Sharif, “(and) I will remember you” (2:152). Prayer is, thus, a most basic expression of faith and acknowledgment of the existence of a higher power to which one is intimately connected and overwhelmingly dependent.
Forms and Functions of Prayer
Like religious practices in general, prayer comprises of a wide array of forms and types across the religious traditions of the world. It is performed formally and spontaneously, individually and collectively, privately and publically, loudly and silently, at home or at specially designated spaces. Prayer may take the form of the recitation of verses from sacred books, the chanting of religious songs and poetry, the repetition of sacred words, the movement of the body in a particular rhythm, or silent contemplation.
Formal canonical prayers generally take place at prescribed times and places, and follow a fixed set of rituals. They are usually conducted in the context of a congregation, a gathering of believers, but may also be recited alone.
This multiplicity and plurality of forms and expressions of piety and prayer has existed in the Muslim context right from the time of the Prophet and continues until today across the diverse geographical, linguistic and cultural contexts in which over one billion Muslims reside. There is a coexistence of an incredibly rich array of prayers and other devotional practices that have evolved over the course of Muslim history which have nurtured the bond between an individual and that which he or she considers sacred, such as God, the Prophet, the Imam, etc.
Prayer is necessary to the practice of the faith, according to the Qur’an. Its verses on prayer demonstrate the relationship which the Qur’an expresses between Allah and human beings. Believers are urged to remember their Creator, and to be constant in offering prayers. As the All-Hearing and All-Knowing God, Allah receives the prayers of those who call on Him:
“I am near to answer the call of the caller, when he calls Me…” (2:186)
In the Shi’a Ismaili tariqah of Islam, under the guidance of the Imam of the Time we find a variety of prayers through which we can submit ourselves to the Divine. This includes collective practices that we observe in Jamatkhanas, and individual practices that we can engage in at any time of the day.
Mawlana Hazar Imam explained the importance of prayer in a speech at Peshawar University in 1967, warning that:
“The day, we no longer know how, nor have the time nor the faith to bow in prayer to Allah because the human soul that He has told us is eternal is no longer of sufficient importance to us to be worthy of an hour of our daily working, profit-seeking time, will be a sunless day of despair.”
Through our personal prayers, we find hope, solace and courage to face our difficulties and adversities. We can draw strength from prayer, practiced alone or with our families, and seek Divine grace, mercy and assistance.
