Why should we pray?/ Bond with the One God in the challenging world
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Why should we pray?/ Bond with the One God in the challenging world
Pars Today- Prayer is a kind of worship, humbleness and servitude whereby human being gets a new attention to God; and just as all worships have educational effect, prayer, too, will have such effects.
God says in verse 186 of chapter al-Baqarah of the holy Qur'an, "And when My servants ask you about Me, [tell them that] I am indeed nearmost. I answer the supplicant's call when he calls Me. So let them respond to Me, and let them have faith in Me, so that they may fare rightly."
There are a few points in this verse which we explain:
Since prayer and worship are among the means of communication of servants with God, in this verse, God addressing the Prophet, says, "When My servants ask you about Me, tell them that I am near, nearer than what you imagine, nearer than yourselves and nearer than your jugular vein as we read elsewhere in the holy Qur'an, "And We are nearer to him than the jugular vein."
Then the verse continues, "I answer the supplicant's call when he calls Me. So let the servants respond to Me and let them have faith in Me, so that they may fare rightly." Interestingly, God points to Himself seven times and to His servants seven times! This shows the highest scale of bond and relation and also God's mercy towards His servants.
Prayer is a kind of self-awareness, wakefulness of heart and thought and an inward bond with the source of everything that is good and beautiful.
Imam Sadeq (PBUH), a descendant of the Prophet of Islam and the 6th Infallible Imam of Shia Muslims, says, "There are positions with Allah, the Exalted and Mighty, which cannot be achieved except through prayer."
A scholar says, "When we supplicate, we link and relate ourselves with the interminable power who has made the entire creation linked together."
Finally, we should know that:
Prayer is useful everywhere and every time as God says, "I am nearmost". God is near to us but, how about us? If sometimes His wrath befalls us, it is because of our distance from God as a result of sins.
Moreover, according the above-mentioned verse, God's answering is permanent.
Although God knows everything, praying and supplication is our duty.
Prayer will be answered when it is accompanied with faith in the One and Only God.
Prayer is the means of growth, guidance, education and calm.
RM/ME
