A Lovely Prayer — Essence of Islam Vol. 3

14 Sep, 2026 Essence of Islam 0

Essence of Islam Book Cover by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS)

Introduction

In this discourse from Essence of Islam (Volume 3), Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS), the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, expounds upon A Lovely Prayer, presenting profound spiritual insights and scriptural verities.

Book Series: Essence of Islam (Volume 3)
Author: Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian (AS)
Section: Part 2: Faith, Certainty and Insight
Navigation: Book Table of Contents | « Previous: The Soul at Rest | Next: Steadfastness in Faith »

with all our faculties, to the cause of God Almighty, and should then occupy ourselves with supplication for meeting Him, and should thus find God through God Himself. The most lovely prayer which instructs us concerning the time and occasion of supplication, and depicts before us the picture of spiritual zeal is the one that God, the Beneficent, has taught in the opening chapter of the Holy Qur’an.

بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ

“In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all the worlds,” (Surah Al-Fatihah, 1:1-2)

‘Every possible praise belongs to Allah alone, Who is the Creator and Sustainer of all the worlds.’

ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

“The Gracious, the Merciful,” (Surah Al-Fatihah, 1:3)

‘He provides for us out of His mercy before any action proceeds from us, and after we have acted He rewards our actions out of His mercy.’

مَٰلِكِ يَوۡمِ ٱلدِّينِ

“Master of the Day of Judgment.” (Surah Al-Fatihah, 1:4)

‘He alone is the Master of the Day of Judgement. He has not committed that day to anyone else.’

إِيَّاكَ نَعۡبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسۡتَعِينُ

“Thee alone do we worship and Thee alone do we implore for help.” (Surah Al-Fatihah, 1:5)

‘O You Who comprehends all these attributes, we worship You alone and seek Your help in all our affairs.’
The use of the plural pronoun ‘we’ in this context indicates that all our faculties are occupied in His worship

Faith, Certainty and Insight 73 and are prostrate at His threshold. Every person by virtue of his inner faculties is a community and a nation. The prostration of one’s entire faculties before God constitutes the condition referred to as Islam. 63

‘Guide us along the straight path and establish us firmly on it; show us the path of those on whom You have bestowed Your bounties and favours.’ 64

‘And save us from the paths of those who incur Your wrath, and could not reach You and lost their way.’
Amin. O Allah, accept our supplication. These verses tell us that Divine bounties and favours are bestowed only upon those who offer their lives as sacrifice in the cause of God and, devoting themselves wholly to and being occupied entirely with His pleasure, continue to supplicate so that they might be granted all the spiritual bounties that a human being can receive by way of nearness to God, meeting Him and hearing His words. With this supplication they worship God through all their faculties, eschew sin and remain prostrate at His threshold. They safeguard themselves against all vice and shun the ways of God’s wrath. As they seek God with high resolve and perfect sincerity, they find Him and are filled with the cups of Divine knowledge….
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 3]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 3, p. 72]

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Introduction