Human beings for our limitations in many fronts, despite our advancement in others, we bother ourselves too much on the unseen worlds whereas, what the scripture demands from us is not searching for the unseen but the belief on them as explained in the scripture and its explanation; the Sunnah of prophet Muhammad ( salla-llahu alehi wasalam)
This is the reason many a believer ask themselves frequently, how does prayer answer? Who can tell us the exact way or ways God does answer the prayers of the questioners. They bother their heads and minds on what they do not need until they become befuddled, perplexed and confused till they loss faith in what their creator Has commanded them to do for the good they desire and the evil they fear.
If the benevolence of this world and the hereafter we seek is a house, know that the key that which can only open it and grant us access to its bliss is nothing but prayer! And if prayer is the key to the good of this life and the one to come, then, bothering on how to do it, be constant in it and wear the needed manners it needs are what required of you and me to enjoy its proceeds but not how does God answer it.
The Blessed Sahabah Did Not Ask How Prayer Was Answered.…
The blessed companions of our prophet (salla-llahu alehi wasalam) did not ask how prayer was answered when alive but they just had the requisite faith that the one who had called them to prayer would definitely answer it.
We have the example of the second rightly guided caliph, Umar Bn Khattab in this line. He said that:
” I don’t bother to carry in my head the thinking on how prayer is answered but I do bother to think on how to pray and when I have prayed it comes with needed answers!”
Oh you who desired that your prayers be answered; do not bother to worry on how your prayers will be answered, instead think of the inimitable power of the one that has summoned you to prayer in the first instance; think on how best to stoop and humble to the one who has institutionalized prayer as a means to Him.
The righteous people of the past did not put themselves in unnecessary heartache on how prayers are accepted to the extent that they asked needless questions from the prophets or themselves till they loss their heads and become dejected. What they focus on in the arts of praying were how to be purposeful, sincere and intentional while addressing God for they had realized from their experience that prayer is the key to the good things of this life and the hereafter and he who God Has granted the key of prayer, He would surely answer his prayer.
This what it contained in one of the ahadith of prophet Muhammad as follows:
” He whom is given the allowance to pray will not be denied the grace to answering it!”
And in Qu’ran 40:60 we read;
“And your Lord says: Call upon me, I will answer you; Surely those who are too proud for my service shall soon enter hell abased”
The One Who Feels To Big To Call God And Seek For His Service Through Prayer Will Soon Enter Hell Abased
Since God is the owner of the heavens and Earth and all what abound therein and He is the Creator of man and the one who Has called man to call on Him whenever he needs Him, He Has also vowed to disgrace any man who feels to big or proud to direct his request only to Him while He Has promised him hell fire in an abasing condition as the verse mentioned above has suggested!
What this verse portends is that to call on God is a worship for the believer and as such there is nothing dearest and respectable in the God’s as prayer as opined by prophet Muhammad ( salla-llahu alehi wasalam) in an another saying of his, than praying to God! Therefore, he whoever feels proud and abandons the way to God’s mind will be disgraced here and in the life to come while his ordeal will overwhelm him.
The Similitudes Of Prayer
Prayer is so important in the life of a believer to the extent that it is in the position of the head to the rest of the body parts and the similitude of water to living things’ survival on the surface of the earth. It is also one of the attributes of the pious and righteous men of God.
It is the stabilizer of man in this ever-changing world and his aid in all that he is incapable! It is the only road opened to the oppressed out of the oppression of the oppressors and the focus of the poor. It is a pointer to the belief of the believers and a confession through which man acknowledges the power and true kingship of the Lord of the universe!
For that, do not ever stop praying for prayer is one of the ever useful antidotes to problems. It is an enemy of tribulation; it defends and still cures it! It prevents its descend and bans it or it levitates it; lessens its effects if even it descends . It is the weapon of the believers against every form of life inanities and obstacles.
Even Satan The Accursed Prayed… Even Satan the accursed prayed to God even after he had been banned from the Paradise where he dwelled with the angels for not prostrating to Adam, the progenitor of man in obedience to God.
It is recorded in Qur’an 7: 14-15 that when the Satan had been banned from the Paradise he prayed to God as follows:
” He said: respite me until the day when they are raised up”
And Allah said : ” Surely you are of the respited ones”
Prayer Acts In Three States In Accordance To Misfortune
Prayer according to the scholars of Islam, may act in three states in accordance with misfortune. They are:
It may be more stronger than the affliction and when it is like this ,it defends you against it!
It may be weaker to misfortune and when it is like this, it may make misfortune to afflict man but sometimes, the prayer may lessen the affliction despite its weakness!
They ( the prayer and misfortune) may be equal in strength with one another and when they are like this, they struggle with one another while prayer wins in the end if the doer of it does not relent!
Praying to the Lord of the universe is so important that it is useful for what has been and what has not been! Hakim reported in “Mustadrakah” in the Aisha’s Hadith that, She said that the prophet ( salla-llahu alehi wasalam) said :
” Cautiousness has no effect on predestination but prayer is useful on what has descended and what has not descended and indeed misfortune does afflict ; use prayer to face it and let the two ( prayer and misfortune) be fighting one another till the day of resurrection!”
For the tradition of the prophet Muhammad ( salla-llahu alehi wasalam), let the oppressed pray so that he will be helped by God against his oppressors!
Let the people in sorrow pray so that their sorrow vamoose! Let the sick pray, so that his sickness heal. Let the bothered pray, so that they become relieved. Let the poor pray, so that their want be settled. Let the sinner pray, until he is forgiven. And let the one who desires the fortune of this life and that of paradise also pray, for it is the in the prayer the duo fortunes lie!
One Of The Things Which Prevent Prayer From Be Answered
One of the things which prevent prayer from being answered or which debar the caller unto God to see the effects of his prayer is his hastening or rushing to see his prayer answered so that after he has prayed for a while, he started showing weariness for not quickly seeing his prayer answered!
It is like the grower of a corn who has invested his time and resources in planting and irrigating it but for not quickly riping for the harvest, he abandons irrigating it while the corn recedes in its growing for lacking water!
In Sahih Bukhari, in an Hadith narrated by Abu Hurrairah who said that the prophet salla-llahu alehi wasalam said:
“The prayer of everyone of you will be answered when he is not in haste and be saying; I called upon God but He did not answer me!”