Thursday, March 19, 2020

CIRA International expose Islamic contradiction; why pray when already guided?

In answer to the video "Adam, Eve, Satan and The Fall in the Quran - The Islamic Original Sin Dilemma"

76:3,90:8-10,91:7-10"And (by) a soul and He Who proportioned it. And inspired it with its wickedness and its virtue. One has succeeded whoever purified it. And one has failed whoever corrupted it".

The concept of freewill and accountability that distinguishes mankind from the rest of creation 2:30,64:1-2 presupposes the free ability to do both good and evil. Man is therefore not a spiritualy static, stagnant entity.

There is an ingrained guidance, the fitra by which one is able to instinctively recognize the great moral truths, sense an overall purpose for life, feel the presence of a Creator, and reasonably derive the conclusion that one must be accountable to Him. But, by virtue of what makes us humans in the first place, the freedom to choose between different paths, one is never forced to make the right spiritual and life choices. So, just like one is equiped with a brain that knows certain beneficial and harmful things and yet the person may still do things that go against that firm knowledge, similarly one may contravene the instinctive spiritual awareness through choices that contradict its firm knowledge.

There is thus in man a mechanism, a driving force that creates a flux. It is al nafs allawwama/the self-reproaching soul 75:2 which much be nurtured and trained to confront the moral obstacles in one's life. The more it is trained the more it morphs into a positive state called al nafs al mutmainna 89:27 and the more it is neglected the more it changes into al nafs al'ammara bil sou'/the soul that incites to evil 12:53. One has therefore to train and purify his spiritual side just as he would train and strengthen his physical body, and make it rise to the noblest spiritual station. This is done through 'ibada, the act of servitude to God in every possible aspect of one's life.

In sura maarij for example, it speaks of man's tendency to be hasty and of impatient disposition, somewhere else referred to as an ingrained weakness of human nature 4:28.

 This is the manifestation of man's animalistic side, seeking immediate satisfaction of base desires regardless of the consequences. That tendency however can be tamed, as already said, through 'ibada or what the Quran calls the essential purpose of mankind 51:56. It includes regular prayer, then a commitment towards fellow humans in need, hearkening one's sense of moral accountability (the self-reproaching soul), understanding God's threat of chastisement and never feeling secure or self-conceited in the matter, maintaining all that is connected to sexuality inside specific boundaries, being trustworthy and act upon one's word 70:18-35.

So what is so special about prayer. It is the real means by which one is constantly kept on the right path, continuously reminded and spiritually "refuled" throughout the day and night. In a parable, the prophet likened the prayers to a wholesome stream by the person's doorsteps, available for the spiritual cleansing of the one washing and bathing in it daily. It is the "call" of God to the believers, and every obedient worshipper answers it duly 43:38. While a believer can certainly engage in worship such as remembering or glorifying God at any time
3:191"standing, sitting or lying on their sides"
some periods of time have special and unique blessings associated with them. Praying cannot be confined to moments of inspiration or desperation - praying only when one is moved by events and "feels like" praying. Anyone who waits for the mood to strike is not a praying person, and probably will not be able to pray authentically even when the mood arrives.
One needs to domesticate the stimulus - to make prayer a natural, comfortable event, a day-to-day happening. Ritual prayer is designed to become second nature, a part of a person, a daily diet. In that way, one comes to be on comfortable speaking terms with God, who, in turn, becomes accessible, almost a conversation partner. There is also a form of religious arrogance in wanting to pray as one feels like it. Taking the example of the change of qibla, the Quran explains that Without God's commission, no place has spiritual excellence or preference in its own essence. The direction in itself is therefore not something to be disputed and argued about. If one wishes to remain in a specific direction as if the place is intrinsically sacred then he may do so. He would have however disobeyed a divine injunction, prioritizing his personal desires and preferences
 2:143,148,177"and We did not make that which you would have to be the qiblah but that We might distinguish him who follows the Messenger from him who turns back upon his heels, and this was surely hard except for those whom Allah has guided aright...And every one has a direction to which he should turn, therefore hasten to (do) good works; wherever you are, Allah will bring you all together...It is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards the East and the West, but righteousness is this that one should believe in Allah and the last day and the angels and the Book and the prophets, and give away wealth out of love for Him to the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and the beggars and for (the emancipation of) the captives, and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate; and the performers of their promise when they make a promise, and the patient in distress and affliction and in time of conflicts-- these are they who are true (to themselves) and these are they who guard (against evil)". 
This is the general principle behind every ritual, to do as one is told, as evidence of submission to the way of God. That is one of the reasons prayers for instance, are made at specific times, with even intervals where they cannot be offered. Islam is the purest form of servitude to God's will, leaving no place even for religious arrogance 
"The Prophet forbade praying after the Fajr prayer till the sun rises and after the 'Asr prayer till the sun sets". 
One can of course recite the Quran, reflect on spiritual matters or make dua/supplications in those restricted intervals.

Linguistically, among the few potential roots all related to another in a certain aspect, salaat stems from silah meaning a close connection. In a horse race, when the second horse follows the first one so closely that its head always overlaps the first horse's head, that horse is called the musalli. The word is thus highly appropriate, as it describes the most essential manner by which the believer holds permanent and perpetual contact with the great Origin of Creation, establishing a relationship with Him, expressing and internalizing his humility, obedience, gratefulness, seeking guidance, protection and forgiveness, as well as imitating the way of the righteous among the prophets and their followers. It is the most significant manifestation of one's humility, refusal to become complacent simply because of "belonging" to a certain group.

But what about Jesus, why did he need to pray, even beg himself/God, bowing with his forehead on the ground to save himself from his own masterplanned sacrifice at the cross? And why did he teach others to pray if one is sinful anyway and nothing one can do by oneself can earn salvation?

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