AUDIENCE WITH ALLAH

AUDIENCE WITH ALLAH (PART 3) (Capt. M. H. Cheema) 7 (The first two parts of this article appeared in the December 1985 and September 1987 issues of the Review of Religions) The third rung of the spiritual ladder is Duaien (Supplication, prayers). This stage includes both obligatory prayers as well as.other voluntary prayers. Here, we are discussing the latter in detail. Thus supplication, here, means those prayers that one makes in one’s own words and choice to Almighty Allah, as distinguished from obligatory prayer (Salat) In the opening Chapter of the Holy Quran, God Almighty teaches us to pray: “Thee alone do we worship, and Thee alone we implore for help.’ (1:5) The question arises how does prayer or supplication effect the happening of something, and of what use are prayers if one has to work and struggle in order to obtain one’s desired object? Thus, Allah, the Affectionate says it is He: “Who responds to the afflicted person when he calls upon Him, and removes the affliction .. .’ (27:63) This verse of the Quran suggests that a very profound and total belief in the existence of Allah and His powers forms the basis of prayer. Disbelievers, on the other hand, do not enjoy the fruits of prayer as they do not believe either in God or in any of His attributes. Thus the Quran emphasises: ” …. and despair not of the mercy of Allah; for none despairs of Allah’s mercy save the unbelieving people.” (12:88) Man sometimes becomes despondent and frustrated, especially when he finds no way out of his difficulties despite leaving no stone unturned. On such occasions supplication infuses inspiration and courage. This is the spirituality of prayer. In consequence of prayer, the grace of Allah, the Almighty descends upon the supplicant and bestows the fruit of success in diverse ways. 8 REVIEW OF RELIGIONS . Now-a-days most people question thewery concept of God and find it hard to believe in His existence. Yet in every nation, country and community, there have been and are people who, through prayer, have found the eternal truth of the existence of God within the recesses of their minds and hearts. This is the first and best attribute of prayer. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, peace be on him, says in his book Ayyam-e-Sulh: “Prayer which like a flash of lightning pulls a person out of the pit of darkness and brings him into the open atmosphere of light and makes him stand before God, Almighty. Through prayer thousands of the wicked are reformed and thousands of the corrupt are purified.” BENEFITS OF PRAYER: l. It is a means to recognise Allah, the Almighty and to establish communion with Him. 2. It is a source of approach and of attaining nearness to Allah. 3. It leads one to virtue. 4. It enhances the spiritual as well as the physical life. 5. It heals both moral and physical illnesses. 6. It is a powerful weapon as well as a strong shield. 7. It provides such comfort and delight as are not to be found in any worldly pursuit. The Holy Quran repeatedly invites us to pray and gives instances of deliverance achieved through prayer. The whole basis of the lives of the diligent ones, their great achievements and blissful successes, was through their prayers. Therefore, one should be diligent in prayer in order to foster one’s capacity for faith and righteous conduct. It is through prayer that transformation can be achieved; and thereby, a good end of this worldly existence can, by the Grace of Allah, be expected. Prayer is akin to a spring of sweet water. A believer sitting on its bank may drink his fill whenever he chooses. As a fish cannot survive without water, so a believer cannot live without prayer; it is his life giving water. The highest occasion for supplication is during the course of Namaz (prayer). That is the time when a believer is in command of himself, shunning all of his worldly thoughts, and deeply AUDIENCE WITH ALLAH 9 concentrating on one job, namely the performance of Namaz, realising to a degree of certainty that he is present in the court of Allah, the Creator; seeing Him or at least realising that he is seen by Him. I now quote from the paper AI-Hakam, dated 24.5.1904, in which Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah, explains how one may feel the presence of God during namaz (prayer): “Y ou should be praying for yourself during the prayer and you should never be pleased with a prayer offered absent mindedly. Try to concentrate, and if you fail in doing that, you should pray to God, in every Rakat of the five daily Prayers in this wise: ‘0 God, who is All Powerful, I am a sinner, and the poison of sin has permeated my heart and has entered into all my views to such an extent that I cannot concentrate during my prayer. Do Thou forgive my sins, and overlook my shortcomings, and make my heart meek, and entrench Thy greatness and fear and love in my heart, so that my heart may not remain hard any more and I may feel Thy presence during my Prayers.” This prayer should not be restricted to the standing position only. You should do the same while in Roku and Prostration and after the recitation of Attahiyyat. It should be said in your own language and you should never get tired of it. With patience and steadfastness you should continue it in your five daily Prayers and also during Tahajjud prayer. You should ask for the forgiveness of your sins much, because it is due to sinfulness that the heart bec