| Did the Jews …
Cont’d from page 1
If God has modified any of the practices given to Abraham, He pointed
it out to us in the Quran (2:187). God also included in the Quran the
correct version of the corrupt practices; for example the practice of
ablution (5:6).
We see in the following verses of the Quran that Moses, Aaron and Jesus
observed the Contact Prayers and the Obligatory Charity:
GOD had taken a covenant from the Children of Israel, and
we raised among them twelve patriarchs. And GOD said, “I am
with you, so long as you observe the Contact Prayers (Salat), give
the Obligatory Charity (Zakat), and believe in My messengers and
respect them, and continue to lend GOD a loan of righteousness...”
(5:12)
We inspired Moses and his brother. “Maintain your homes in
Egypt for the time being, turn your homes into synagogues, and maintain
the Contact Prayers (Salat). Give good news to the believers.”
(10:87)
She [Mary] pointed to him [Jesus]. They said, “How can
we talk with an infant in the crib?” (The infant spoke and)
said, “I am a servant of GOD. He has given me the scripture,
and has appointed me a prophet. He made me blessed wherever I go,
and enjoined me to observe the Contact Prayers (Salat) and the Obligatory
Charity (Zakat) for as long as I live...” (19:29-32)
That was Jesus, the son of Mary, and this is the truth of this matter,
about which they continue to doubt. (19:34)
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Similar to Moses, Aaron and Jesus, the prophet
Muhammad was told to follow the Religion of Abraham (Millat Ibrahim).
Had he not known what the religion of Abraham was, then we would not expect
God to tell him to follow it.
Then we inspired you (O Muhammad) to follow the religion of Abraham,
monotheism; never was he an idol-worshiper. (16:123)
The Salat prayers as practiced by the Muslims today involve standing
in front of God, bowing and falling prostrate. Like all the rituals
of Islam, these practices were passed down to us from Abraham, and
followed by all the messengers of God.
These are some of the prophets whom GOD blessed. They were
chosen from among the descendants of Adam, and the descendants of
those whom we carried with Noah, and the descendants of Abraham
and Israel, and from among those whom we guided and selected. When
the revelations of the Most Gracious are recited to them, they fall
prostrate, weeping. (19:58)
However, right after the above verse, the Quran mentions that the Contact
Prayer was lost after some generations of the people of the book.
After them, He substituted generations who lost the Contact Prayers
(Salat), and pursued their lusts. They will suffer the consequences. (19:59)
Losing it involved changing it in every aspect. The Prayer as practiced
today by most of the Jews and Christians is different than what
was given to their prophets. Very few Jews and Christians kept the
inherited practice of the Contact Prayers.
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In a book entitled “To Pray As A Jew”
by Hayim Donin (1980), one can find a lengthy explanation of the
Prayers as done by the ancient Jews and a few of the contemporary
Jews. In this book the author includes diagrams showing the movement
and positions during the prayer. A look at these diagrams is enough
for the people to realize the similarity of the prayers of the Jews
then and Salat as practiced by the Muslims.
In his comments about these positions the author wrote: “In
most contemporary congregations very few people keep to the tradition
of falling prostrate. Sometimes it is only the Prayer Leader and
the rabbi who does so. In more tradiional congregations, however,
some worshipers, men and women, will join the Prayer Leader and
rabbi in the act of prostrating themselves. In Israeli synagogues,
the practice is more widespread than in synagogues elsewhere. Since
this is a position that we are unaccustomed to, one who has never
done this before might very well demur. But once accomplished, the
experience provides such a spiritual uplift that one looks forward
to repeating it. Those willing to try this ancient ritual form on
the rare occasions that call for it might welcome the following
diagrams of the correct procedure.”
It is also interesting to learn from this book that the prayers of the
Jews involve washing before the prayers, (like the ablution for Muslims),
and the call for Prayers (like the Azan for the Muslims). Something to
ponder!
Reference:
Donin, Hayim, 1980, To Pray As A Jew: A Guide To The Prayer Book
And The Synagogue Service, Basic Books, New York, 384 pp.
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