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PRAYER

 QUESTION

Some one has asked me the following questions: 

1. You say Islam is the name of Divine Laws. What is the importance and position of Namaaz  - Prayer  - in it?
2. What is the difference between Namaaz  -Prayer  -and Salaat? Have you made it clear anywhere that Salaat is intended to be Namaaz – Prayer?
3. Do you propose any other form of Namaaz – Prayer –besides its present form?

ANSWER 

Exposition of Islam

Islam is the name of obeying the Divine Laws in every walk of life; it is the complete submission to these laws. Prayer, in this way, is the practical admittance and concrete manifestation of subservience from the deepest recesses of the heart. By bowing down (being prostrated) to Allah, the human acknowledges (or expresses) the fact that he will obey His Laws in his every will, decision and action; whose heart is brimmed full with the passions of obedience and submission, his head will automatically bow down to the existence of Allah. And whoever feels shame or indignity in bowing down to Allah, his submission to Him will be a mere nothing. But along with it, it is evident too that whosoever rises against the Divine Laws in the various walks of life, his traditional bowing down to Him in prayer can not accomplish the purpose of Salaat. 

2. The Word "Namaaz" 

Prayer -Namaaz -is a Persian word (but even more than that, it is Pahlvi). It was used for the old method of worship among the Persians. Later on, this word was used for the congregations of Salaat and now this same word is in vogue among us. (I understand that the use of the terms, the Quran has prescribed, is better to be kept as such). The word Salaat that has come in the Quran is very vast and comprehensive. Its basic meanings are “ to comply some one from within or to submit and to be under the command of some one.” The Quran has also used this word for the congregations of Prayer –Namaaz. So when we talk of the word “Namaaz” it would mean Namaaz only. But when we use the word “Salaat”, it would include Namaaz and yet in addition to it, some more exposition to. At various places I have made it clear that the word “Salaat” has also come for the congregations of Namaaz in the Quran. For example, for the word Salaat (under its root S-L-O), in the Lughaat-ul-Quran – Lexicon of Quran, you will find the following passage:

“Various expositions of Salaat had been stated above. This make it clear that a person subservient to Allah, in whatever phase of life that be, accomplishes his assigned duties in accordance with the Divine Laws, is sheerly accomplishing the functioning of Salaat. It needs no identification of any time, place or any form fixed for it. But there are a few places in the Quran, where the word Salaat has been used for a particularly conspicuous act.” 

SALAAT

Then those verses of the Quran have been given whereby the word Salaat has been used for Namaaz – prayer. Thereafter, it is written: 

“It is clear from the above illustrations that the word Salaat in the Quran has also been used for those congregations which are normally called the congregations of Namaaz – prayer. (The word Namaaz is not of Arabic language; it is of Pahlvi language)” 

There after, the following has been written about the importance of the elements of Salaat: 

The human also expresses his passions through the concrete movements of the organs of the body and this has so deeply rooted in him that such movements go on being accomplished automatically by him. The passions of sorrow and anger, gaiety, wonder, firm determination and resolve, yes and no, etc and the like - and the declaration of his decisions - inadvertently go on coming to pass through the physical movements of the human. The same is the condition for the expression of passions – firm determination and respect, submission and regular obeisance. For respect, the human’s head involuntarily bows down; for submission, obedience becomes inadvertence. Though the Quran keeps a watching eye over the essence and reality of action and outweighs the sheer formalism, but wherever there is need for outwitting the essence and reality of passion, it does not give any deterrence provided this very form is not taken to be the mean itself. The practical form, in connection with the standing and prostrating etc. position, infiltrating down to us, is only for this very purpose. It is clear that when the manifestation of passion occurs in the collective form, the harmony among the concrete movements of the expression of passions is a must, otherwise there would look to be emerging chaos in the congregation. Keeping discipline in the expression of fervid passions of respect and honor, submission and regular obeisance, subordination and self-commitment in itself warrant vehement development of the self. 

In Mafhoom-ul-Quran, the following has been penned down in connection with the Quranic terminology: 

“A conspicuous term of the Quran is aqaa mate Salaat. Its general meanings are taken as ‘to establish Namaaz’, or ‘to recite Namaaz.’ The root of the word Salaat is S-L-O, the basic meaning of which are ‘to follow after some one’. So the exposition of Salaat would be ‘ to obey the Divine Laws from within’. For this reason, the exposition of aqaa mate Salaat would be ‘the establishment of such an Order or society in which the Divine Laws are obeyed’. This is the vast and comprehensive exposition of this term. The concept of  ‘obeying the Divine Laws’ through the congregation of Namaaz – Prayer – comes to the vision in the concrete and miniature form. The Quran has, therefore, used this term for these congregations as well. A little contemplating on the verses of the Quran makes it clear as to which are the places where congregations of Namaaz are intended from aqaa mate salaat and that which are where it is meant ‘the establishment of Quranic Order or Society’. These meanings have been made clear at their proper and relevant places in the Mafhoom-ul-Quran – The Exposition of the Quran.” 

It is clear from these illustrations that I have elicited the meaning of Salaat as Namaaz and that of aqaa mate salaat as the establishment of the congregations of Salaat. And it means the same Namaaz – Prayer – we offer. 

3. Change and Variety 

This reality has been stated in clear words – not on a single place, but on numerous occasions; not singly but on numerous combinatorials - that no one has the right to make any change in the methods of offering prayer which have come down through the various sections of the Ummah. That is why I have disagreement with the Ahl-e-Quran who have devised their own separate form of prayer. But to be sure, I emphasize this fact that if the system of caliphate-based-on-the-precept-of-Messengerhood is re-established, and it devises a single form of offering prayer – Namaaz – for the entire Ummah, it would be a very effective step for synchronizing oneness in Ummah. We would have to accept this fact that during the saga of the Messenger (S) and of the caliphs, the guided, the entire Ummah would have offered the prayer – Namaaz –on the one and the same method. There was oneness in the Ummah at that time, so when we divert to that felicitated saga, efforts would definitely have to be put forth for harmonizing oneness in the Ummah; and the prayer – Namaaz –is its greatest instrument for this purpose. But if any one says there is no possibility of inculcating harmony in the Ummah, then I regret to enter into the discussion with him any more.

(November, 1961)