The Power of Prayer

The Power of Prayer

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1994 10 October 13-14 The Power of Prayer (366)

During the caliphate of ‘Umar Farooq, the second caliph, there was a clash between the Islamic and Persian empires. The Persian army was under the command of Rustam, of whom Ibn Khaldun, (1332-1406) the great Arab scholar, writes in his Muqaddama Thn Khaldun: “When Rustam saw Muslims assembling for prayer, he would say: ‘Umar has caused a great upset. He is teaching those Arab dogs how to behave” (p. 152).

At that time, there being no mosques in Persia, the Muslim army used to say their prayers out in the open air. The men would assemble at the appointed times and, as a rule, one man would stand out in front in the capacity of a prayer leader, and all the rest would stand behind him in orderly rows. Rustam saw how these people, following the prayer leader, stood erect, bowed, and prostrated themselves in unison. He felt that by the order of the Islamic Caliph, not only were individuals being initiated with the rules of correct behaviour, but that the Muslim army as a whole was having discipline instilled into it. He knew how difficult it was to overpower a people who submitted to proper discipline and who acted according to a strict code of conduct.

The Muslims who observed the rites of prayer in ‘Umar Faruq’s time were far less in number than the present, worldwide throng of worshippers. Yet, the sight of worshippers \ in those early days of the first era would make people tremble, unlike today, when the sight of worshippers has no such revolutionary effect on observers.

The reason for this difference is that the worship performed by Muslims in the first phase of Islam as well as being a behavioural lesson, was a fresh, uplifting experience, whereas the prayers (namaz) said by today’s Muslims are more akin to a soulless ritual. Today, people also stand in rows behind an Imam, but their obeisance is lifeless and empty. If the act of prayer for early Muslims was full of life and meaning, for the Muslims of today it is a hollow, routine charade. A ritual which is devoid of spirit can never be the equal of a living, meaningful act.