When we stand before our Creator in prayer, we acknowledge that we are His servants. Pondering upon this daily activity can help us reap a multitude of blessings!u
“Recite, [O Muḥammad], what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing…”
Surah Al-Ankabut verse 45
Becoming conscious of Allah SWT’s presence and our deeds
In prayer, we stand before Allah SWT. Reflecting over this fact can lead us into being conscious of our deeds. This happens because we realize that none of our thoughts can escape the One who knows everything. He created everything and determines what happens even at the atomic level. Then how can we ignore the presence of such an unimaginably powerful entity? When we stand before Him in prayer, how can we have the audacity to hold evil in our hearts?
This is where the drive to improve ourselves is born. This is how prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing; we become aware of how Allah SWT, Creator and Sustainer of all, cannot be separated from the life we live. Therefore, we must always ask to be increased in piety.
Piety rooted in gratitude
Prayer is an excellent way of realizing the sheer magnitude of blessings at our disposal. At the beginning of prayer, we say to Allah SWT that He is indeed Ar-Rahman (The Most Merciful) and Ar-Raheem (The Ever-Merciful). This is both an acknowledgement and reminder to ourselves that our blessings far exceed our challenges, in number and weight. As a result, we ask ourselves that since Allah SWT has given us so much, how can we disobey Him? This leads to clarity in our perspective on life, and hence ease in living by the Quran.
Clarity in our perspectives on life
As a consequence of the realizations from prayer discussed above, we see this life as what it is; a means of earning the Hereafter. We are brought here to prove how good we can be. So our earthly life is about the choices we make as individuals, not about what choices another person makes. What we fill our lives with is up to us. Our options include light or darkness, positivity or negativity, and so on. The following verse is a strong reminder of this:
“[He] who created death and life to test you [as to] which of you is best in deed – and He is the Exalted in Might, the Forgiving”
Surah Al-Mulk verse 2
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In short, prayer is designed by Allah SWT in such a way that we see ourselves and our lives in a clear light. We don’t control the circumstances of our lives in the context of hardship or ease but we have full control over the choices we make, regardless of what we have or don’t. So let’s make the most of it; we all can!
3 thoughts on “The Power of Prayer”