I pray five times a day. Prayer is the second pillar of Islam, I am Muslim and – at the risk of sounding redundant – so I pray.
The five prayers are dispersed throughout the day at dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, and late evening. Salah, the Arabic term for prayer, literally comes from the root word meaning connection. Our prayers are our direct connection to God; there is no intermediary and it maintains a constant connection between Him and myself. Life is interspersed with distractions in the form of work, stress, happiness, sadness, family, etc. My prayers place God into the equation of life in case I’ve forgotten; my prayer is a fixed opportunity for me to attribute my blessings to Him, thank Him for my source of happiness, ask Him to help me overcome a difficult situation, and so on.
“Leilaa, we’re about to start.”
I’m being called down to pray with my family. I could finish the chapter I’m reading, the post I’m typing for my blog, the show I’m watching, etc. I could finish whatever it is I’m doing and later, pray on my own. But in my house, that constitutes as a no-no. If my mom and I, for example, are both home during prayer time, it is expected that we pray together. Of course it would be easier for each of us to pray when it is most convenient for our separate schedules, but that’s not the way things work. We both accommodate each other so that we can pray together.
Understand that my Muslim duty to pray five times a day would be fulfilled whether I pray alone or with my family. However, the reward is multiplied 27x if I pray in a group (I’m going to investigate why 27). As a child, I would sometimes take the opportunity of a commercial break to complete my prayer. When I told my dad, “I already prayed by myself,” he would ask, “Did you pray 27 times so that you can get the same reward?” Of course I hadn’t; I had finished my prayer as fast as possible so that I could quickly return to my show without being interrupted later on at a crucial part of the episode.
I realize now why my parents always stressed the importance of praying in a group. When I pray with somebody else, I can’t rush the prayer and I am forced to be more conscious of what I am saying/doing. The fact that I may be forced to interrupt my schedule to pray fulfills, in my opinion, part of the purpose of our five daily prayers. There is also the idea that whatever it is I am doing, God comes first. In my home, prayer brings my family together; it’s one of the places where our lives intersect. It’s something we share, we worship God together, and He bestows His mercy upon us as a family. It’s a blessing.
I’m reminded of something I once heard: A family that prays together stays together.
Well said. As a child of conservative Baptists we started the day with breakfast and devotions as a family, prayer at the other meals, prayer at bedtime. I soon grew weary of the word "amen." But, this time together did draw us closer. One property of the number 27, I figure you already know, is that it's the product of 3 cubed.
ReplyDeleteI am glad that you pray daily with your family. My wife and kids and I pray as a family every day, too.
ReplyDeleteSome years ago there was a study that showed that families who prayed together daily had a much reduced risk of divorce. Also, they found that families who worshipped together weekly, in addition to praying, had an even greater reduced risk. So, as you put in the title, the families that pray togther really do stay together.
I like what your Dad said about praying 27 times. He sounds like a wise man.
ReplyDeleteI believe in the power of prayer, both in groups and alone. Thanks for your powerful words.
Thanks for the wonderful insights...in high school I had a friend that was Muslim and I often wanted to ask questions about prayer beliefs and didn't...thanks for clarifying, it is interesting to hear about other religions.
ReplyDeleteI am very happy that you have such insight and strong beliefs your family instilled within you.
ReplyDeleteI am envious because I am not a big prayer person. I am still searching for my whole identity with God.
Actually I have no problems with God, it is that intimate relationship that I am supposed to have with Jesus that most people like to shove down my throat.
I have often wanted to try to pray like Muslims do.
Funny that I read this after returning home from vacation Bible school, where we talked with the kids about the importance of prayer. Some children have never been taught to pray at all, let alone have the added benefit of prayer together as a family.
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