Prayer is a solemn and humble approach to Divinity in word or thought usually involving beseeching, petition, confession, praise, or thanksgiving. Pure sincerity of heart, sincere worship or belief without involvement of any personal benefit is required while praying. The Qur'an says that whatever has been created from the tiniest atom to the big cosmos perforce praise their Creator. Yet, man, being the most refined creature endowed with consciousness is required to establish regular prayers in full consciousness of his creator. When thy Lord drew forth from the Children of Adam - from their loins - their descendants, and made them testify concerning themselves, (saying): "Am I not your Lord (who cherishes and sustains you)?"- They said: "Yea! We do testify!" (This), lest ye should say on the Day of Judgment: "Of this we were never mindful": (7/172)
ALL CREATURES ARE IN DEVOTION
The seven heavens and the earth, and all beings therein, declare His glory: there is not a thing but celebrates His praise; And yet ye understand not how they declare His glory! Verily He is Oft-Forbear, Most Forgiving! (17/44)
Whatever beings there are in the heavens and the earth do prostrate themselves to Allah (Acknowledging subjection),- with good-will or in spite of themselves: so do their shadows in the morning and evenings. (13/15)
Seest thou not that to Allah bow down in worship all things that are in the heavens and on earth,- the sun, the moon, the stars; the hills, the trees, the animals; and a great number among mankind? But a great number are (also) such as are fit for Punishment: and such as Allah shall disgrace,- None can raise to honour: for Allah carries out all that He wills. (22-18)
Say: "Everyone acts according to his own disposition: But your Lord knows best who it is that is best guided on the Way." (17/84)
All that has been created amongst others clusters of stars and galaxies and the tiniest atoms, neutrons and protons etc. praise their Creator and prostrate before Him, The Kaaba that Abraham had erected upon God's commandment has been the center toward which all the Muslims in the world turn while praying, and every year it receives the pilgrims coming from the four corners of the earth to circumambulate it like the neutrons and protons that gyrate around the atom.
Just to note here marginally, Mawlana Djalaleddin Rumi (1207-1273) in whose time not much was known about the stellar movements had intuitively perceived and emulated them whirling around a central point, thus praying His creator.
YE SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME
… Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds … (1/2)
… Thee do we worship, and Thine aid we seek. (1/5)
Praise and thanksgiving are two-fold. In the first place the individual expresses his gratitude by word of mouth, in the second he does good deeds and charities. Address is to the Sustainer of the worlds He created. "To Allah do belong the unseen (secrets) of the heavens and the earth, and to Him goeth back every affair (for decision): then worship Him, and put thy trust in Him: and thy Lord is not unmindful of aught that ye do." (11/123)
THE REASON WHY MAN WAS CREATED
I have only created Jinns and men, that they may serve Me. ((51/56)
O ye people! adore your Guardian-Lord, who created you and those who came before you, that ye may have the chance to learn righteousness; (2/21)
God Almighty created men to serve and praise Him. (To the righteous soul will be said:) "O (thou) soul, in (complete) rest and satisfaction! “Come back thou to thy Lord - well pleased /thyself) and well-pleasing unto Him, enter thou, then, among my devotees! “Yea, enter thou my heaven! (89/27-30)
LOVE BETWEEN THE CREATED AND THE CREATOR
Then do ye remember Me; I will remember you. Be grateful to Me, and reject not Faith. (2/152)
When My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them): I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth on Me: Let them also, with a will, Listen to My call, and believe in Me: That they may walk in the right way. (2/186)
God answers the prayers of His sincere servants. … those of Faith are overflowing in their love for Allah…. (2/165) . O ye who believe! if any from among you turn back from his Faith, soon will Allah produce a people whom He will love as they will love Him,- lowly with the believers, mighty against the rejecters, fighting in the way of Allah, and never afraid of the reproaches of such as find fault. That is the grace of Allah, which He will bestow on whom He pleaseth. And Allah encompasseth all, and He knoweth all things. (5/54) Love is the raison d'être of the creation; it is the most powerful source of energy; while prayer is an exchange of love between the Creator and the created.
THE TRUE PATH LIES IN PRAYER
"It is Allah Who is my Lord and your Lord; then worship Him. This is a Way that is straight." (3/51)
Did I not enjoin on you, O ye Children of Adam, that ye should not worship Satan; for that he was to you an enemy avowed?- "And that ye should worship Me, (for that) this was the Straight Way? (36/60-61)
Man has an innate sense of the divine. When thy Lord drew forth from the Children of Adam - from their loins - their descendants, and made them testify concerning themselves, (saying): "Am I not your Lord (who cherishes and sustains you)?"- They said: "Yea! We do testify!" (This), lest ye should say on the Day of Judgment: "Of this we were never mindful": (7/172) Thus God has laid down His law in the Qur'an. Nevertheless, Satan has been given respite and is ever ready to cause the fall of man like his own doom. Man is expected to be conscious of his precarious position upon the earth and try to remain deaf to his temptations resigning himself to God. One should not forget that Satan's guiles shall remain ineffective if one sincerely believes in God and submits to His will. Prayers must be free of dissimulation, of hypocrisy. "Seest thou one who denies the Judgment (to come)? Then such is the (man) who repulses the orphan (with harshness), And encourages not the feeding of the indigent. So woe to the worshippers. Who are neglectful of their prayers, Those who (want but) to be seen (of men), But refuse (to supply) (even) neighbourly needs." (107/1-7)
THOSE NEGLECTFUL OF THEIR PRAYERS
… My Lord is not uneasy because of you if ye call not on Him: But ye have indeed rejected (Him), and soon will come the inevitable (punishment)!" (25/77)
And your Lord says: "Call on Me; I will answer your (Prayer): but those who are too to serve Me will surely find themselves in Hell - in humiliation!" (40/60)
The raison d'être of man is to pray and praise him with all the purity of his heart in complete submission and resignation. Otherwise he will be the loser.
WARNING
DIVINE TEST