A prayer



Thediscipleswept at the words of Jesus and besought him saying: 'Lord,teach us to make prayer.'Jesus answered: "Consider what ye would do if the Roman governor seized you to put you to death, and that same do ye when ye go to make prayer. And let your wordsbe these: " O Lord our God, hallowed be thy holy name, thy kingdom come in us, thy will be done always, and as itis done in heaven so be it done in earth; give us the bread for every day, and forgive us our sins, as we forgive them that sin against us, and suffer usnot to fall into temptations, but deliverus from evil, for thou art alone our God, to whom pertaineth glory and honour for ever.'

Then answered John: 'Master let us wash ourselves as God commanded by Moses.'Jesus said: 'Think yea that I amcome to destroy the law and the prophets? Verily I say unto you, as God liveth, I am not come to destroy it, but rather to observe it. For every prophet hath observed the law of Godand all that God by the other prophets hath spoken. As God liveth, in whose presence my soul standeth, no one that breaketh one least precept can be pleasing to God, but shall be least in the kingdom of God, for he shall have no part there. Moreover I say unto you, the one syllable of the law of God cannot be broken without the gravest sin. But I do you to wit that it is necessary to observe that which God saith by Isaiah the prophet, with these words "Wash you and be clean, take away your thoughts from mine eyes."'Verily I say unto you, that all thewater of the sea will not wash him who with his heart loveth iniquities. And furthermore I say unto you, that no one will make prayer pleasing to God if he be not washed, but will burden his soul with sin like to idolatry. 'Believe me, in sooth, that if man should make prayer to God as is fitting, he would obtain all that he should ask. Remember Moses the servant of God, 'who with his prayer scourged Egypt, opened the Red Sea, and there drowned Pharaoh and his host.Remember Joshua, who made the sun stand still, Samuel, who smote with fear the innumerable host of the Philistines, Elijah, who made the fire to rain from heaven, Elisha raised a dead man, and so many otherholy prophets, who by prayer obtainedall that they asked. But those men truly did not seek their own in their matters, but sought only God and his honour.'

An Islamic Perspective
and
Commentary
by
Ishaq Zahid

Every Muslim recites the following verses five times daily:In the name of God, Most Gracious,Most Merciful. Praise be to God, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the world; Most Gracious, Most Merciful; Master of the Day of Judgment. Thee do we worship, and Thine aid we seek. Show us the straight way, The way of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy Grace, those whose (portion) is notwrath, and who go not astray. (The Holy Quran, Chapter 1)Also, part of the prayers is supplications to God seeking His forgiveness and asking for good in this life and the hereafter.






An Islamic Perspective
and Commentary
by
Ishaq Zahid


A person must perform ablution or be in the state of ablution before any prayer in Islam. The ablution involves washing of hands, mouth, nostrils, face, arms and feet. Additionally, one sweeps the hair, neck and ears with wet hands. A person must also be wearing clean clothes. It is also important that one has cleaned himself or herself with water after a"bathroom visit." Thus the body and clothes must be completely clean before the prayer. Many muslims keep themselves in the state of ablution by using water in every visit to the bathroom and then doing an ablution.