Salat - Prayer

3salamu 3laikoum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh... One thing that I have always known all my life is the power of prayer. I have always prayed because I know this allows me to maintain my focus on God and maintain an open relationship with him. There are so many benefits to prayer, that I would spend a book writing about it. One of the first things that caught my attention about Islam, was how Muslims pray. I really admire their dedication to prayer and the passion and total reverence with which they do it. When I see them praying, I feel in my heart this is how the prophets prayed before them.

I always believed that if we really comprehended whom we are praying to, we cannot help but fall to the floor and worship. When I imagine Jesus, peace be upon him, praying, I see him prostrated, not upright in complete adoration and reverence of God. Jesus prayed in a posture and with an attitude of reverent submission, so why don't all Christians do so as well? I don't remember being taught in church that it is normal to put our faces to the ground as Jesus did. I wonder why not. Are we not to follow in his example? In the bible in the chapter of Matthew 26:39, it is written: “Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." Masha Allah. We know that sometimes he got up early to spend time with Allah. On occasions he would give a whole night to prayer.

I know as a Christian while I prayed a lot, I knew I could make time to pray longer and pray more often. It is common for people to find excuses for not praying. But what is it that lies beneath these immediate excuses? It really is our own self-centered attitudes and our defensiveness toward God. People may build up a wall between us and God because they are not ready to give up their sinful lifestyle or feel guilty about something. It is easy to fall into that trap of avoiding communication with God through prayer. In the bible, in the very first chapter, Genesis, we quickly see the first man and woman, Adam and Eve disobey God and start to avoid him:

"That evening they heard the Lord God walking in the garden, and they hid from him among the trees. " Genesis 3: 8

Like Adam and Eve we know that to come to God face to face in prayer can expose us. We can't in any way claim to be open to God while at the same time nursing resentments, bearing grudges and generally insisting on running our own lives. That is just one of the many benefits of prayer; it opens us up to God, and exposes our sin. This is one important step in repentance. Exposing out sin. It is no longer hidden. In the face of all this, there is only one thing to do. We have to stop running, get on our knees, and pray.

I have been learning how to pray the Muslim five daily prayers and what they are all about for a few months now. I am now officially ready to begin consistently praying the five daily prayers. I begin today insha Allah. I am very excited for this new and healthy addition to my permanent lifestyle. I will get into more detail about Salat in future postings. Gotta get back to my studies. Fee aman Allah.