Two Aspects of Prayer — Essence of Islam Vol. 2
Introduction
In this discourse from Essence of Islam (Volume 2), Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS), the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, expounds upon Two Aspects of Prayer, presenting profound spiritual insights and scriptural verities.
Book Series: Essence of Islam (Volume 2)
Author: Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian (AS)
Section: Part 10: Divine Decree and Determination
Navigation: Book Table of Contents | « Previous: Prayer and Divine Determination Are Juxtaposed | Next: Man Will Have Nothing but What He Strives For »
116
Call Me, I shall respond to you. That is why I have always said that the God of the Muslims responds to their supplications; but the god who has not created a single particle or who died under the scourging of the Jews, how can he respond? 117
It is not wise to attempt reconciliation between choice and compulsion on the basis of one’s self-conceived and supposed logic and reasoning. This is a vain attempt. One must Honour Godhead and Providence duly and an attempt to comprehend the mysteries of Godhead is disrespectful. 118 Divine decrees and determination have a close relation-
117 You did not fare well in performing the tasks of this world; By what right, then, do you seek to handle the heavens. [Publisher]
119
God Almighty requires obedience to His will. The meaning is that man’s response to an absolute Divine decree must be: 120
The other time is of the upsurge of the waves of the grace and mercy of God Almighty; it is indicated in:
وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ٱدۡعُونِيٓ أَسۡتَجِبۡ لَكُمۡ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَسۡتَكۡبِرُونَ عَنۡ عِبَادَتِي سَيَدۡخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَاخِرِينَ
“And your Lord says: ‘Pray unto Me; I will answer your prayer. But those who are too proud to worship Me will surely enter Hell, despised.’” (Surah ‘Pray unto Me, 40:61)
A believer should have knowledge of both these aspects. The Sufis say that a person’s absolute dependence upon God does not become perfect without his being able to distinguish the proper place and occasion for supplication. It has been said that a Sufi does not pray till he recognizes that it is time for prayer. Sayyed ‘Abd-ul-Qadir Jilani (may Allah be pleased with him) has said that through prayer an unfortunate one is rendered fortunate. He has even gone so far as to affirm 119 ‘And We will try you with something of fear and hunger.’—AlBaqarah, 2:156 [Publisher] 120 ‘Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.’—AlBaqarah, 2: 157 [Publisher]
[Malfuzat, vol. III, pp. 224-226]
121 ‘Pray unto Me, I will answer your prayer.’—Al-Mu’min, 40:61 [Publisher]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 2, p. 337]
It is the way of Allah that when an action proceeds from man its effect is duly manifested by God Almighty. For instance, when we close all the doors of a room, this is our action and the result it entails, namely, that our room becomes dark is the effect of our action manifested by God Almighty. This is God’s eternal law. In the same way if we were to swallow poison in a fatal dose, this would doubtless be our action; our death following upon this action of ours would be God’s action in accord with His eternal law. Thus every action of ours is followed by a Divine action that is manifested after our action and is its necessary result. This system operates both in that which is manifest and also in that which is hidden. Every good or bad action of ours creates an effect which is manifested after our action. The meaning of the verse of the Holy Qur’an:
خَتَمَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمۡ وَعَلَىٰ سَمۡعِهِمۡ ۖ وَعَلَىٰٓ أَبۡصَٰرِهِمۡ غِشَٰوَةٞ ۖ وَلَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٞ
“Allah has set a seal on their hearts and their ears, and over their eyes is a covering; and for them is a great punishment.” (Surah ‘Allah has set a seal on their hearts.’—Al-Baqarah, 2:8)
is that when a person does evil its effect is manifested by God Almighty on his heart and his countenance. The same is the meaning of the verse: 123
that is to say, when they turned away from the truth God Almighty turned their hearts away from being in accord with the truth and in the end, in consequence of their hostility, a change was brought about in them and they were so corrupted that the poison of their hostility overwhelmed their natural light.
[Kitab-ul-Bariyyah, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 13, pp. 47-48]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 2, p. 339]
Book Series: Essence of Islam (Volume 2)
Author: Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian (AS)
Section: Part 10: Divine Decree and Determination
Navigation: Book Table of Contents | « Previous: Prayer and Divine Determination Are Juxtaposed | Next: Man Will Have Nothing but What He Strives For »