by Kazuko Shiojiri

A scholar of the theology of Islam describes the Islamic view of humanity and the role of worship in
that faith and points out that it is possible to see in the religion's fundamental beliefs
a common concept with those held by Judaism and Christianity.

Prayer is an appeal to, or a dialogue with, the object of our religious devotion, and for the believer it can be service or practice. Although the words used and how prayer is conducted have a unique quality that is linked to the view of humanity presented by a particular religion, I believe there is a common spirituality in all believers, those who do the praying, that supersedes the framework of dogma and tradition in any religion.

In Judaism, which has the belief of the Jews' being the chosen people, the daily morning and evening Shema prayer services recite, "Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God! The Lord is One!" declaring repeatedly that God is the God only of the people of Israel, the chosen people. In the Christian faith, the representative Lord's Prayer begins with the words "Our Father, Who art in Heaven . . . ," taking a direct, personal tone, with God as a "supreme father figure." In Islam, on the other hand, the most fundamental prayer is Sura [chapter] 1 of the Qur'an, which begins, "In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. . . ."
The complete text of this prayer is:

In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds,
The Compassionate, the Merciful,
Master of the Day of Judgement,
Only You do we worship, and only You do we implore for help.
Lead us to the right path,
The path of those You have favoured
Not those who have incurred Your wrath or have gone astray.^*

This short prayer can be compared to the Lord's Prayer of Christianity, but it expresses the essence of Islam. It is frequently said that Islam is a monotheist religion with a severe God, but from the beginning God (Allah) is described as having an existence suffused with love. "Lord of the Worlds" signifies that God is the creator of the world and the entire universe, and "Master of the Day of Judgement" contains the warning that he will also be the supreme judge of people on the Last Day of Judgment.

If one were to concisely express the distinguishing characteristics of Islam (al-Islam), they would include "absolute obedience to God," "equality," and "mutual aid." The original meaning of the Arabic word islam is "obedience," and so the term that means "absolute obedience to God" became the name of the religion. Claiming that islam also means "peace" and "calm," one hears Muslim followers and scholars asserting that Islam is the religion of peace, but that is not the original or essential meaning of the word. To be certain, islam does contain a sense of "enforcing peace" or "subjugating," but when the Japanese think of peace they generally do not think of subjugation. What this interpretation points to is this: If humanity absolutely submits to the laws of the all-surpassing God, wars and rebellions will disappear from the world and God's will shall prevail widely.

When we hear the phrase "absolute obedience to God," we might feel it means stubborn subordination or blind obedience, but it is the same creed as Judaism's and Christianity's "love of God" and "belief in God," or Buddhism's "absolute refuge in the Buddha." By submitting to God and following his teaching, human beings can save their souls, and their minds can attain tranquillity.

Accordingly, it is worship and prayer that embodies, for both mind and body, "absolute obedience to God." In Islam, there is a clear distinction between obligatory prayer (salat) and private prayer (du'a'). Obligatory prayer must follow a formula and be carried out in Arabic, but private prayers do not have to be in Arabic; use of the mother tongue of the believer is permitted.

The Role of Worship

In Islam, obligatory prayer is performed ritually at five prescribed times of day. The fundamental creed and religious rites of Islam can be summed up in the phrase "Six Articles of Faith, Five Pillars (Duties)." The Six Articles of Faith are belief in the existence of God, belief in the angels, belief in the holy books, belief in the prophets, belief in the resurrection, and belief in God's plan (destiny). The Five Pillars are the fundamental religious duties incumbent on all Muslims - the profession of faith, prayer, almsgiving, fasting, and pilgrimage. Obligatory prayer is ranked second among them.

The five daily times at which obligatory prayer must be performed are sunset (maghrib), evening ('isha'), dawn (fajr), noon (zuhr), and afternoon ('asr), while facing in the direction of Makkah (Mecca), in Saudi Arabia. Valued above all is the group prayer service held in mosques at noon on Fridays. Following a prescribed purification of the body, worship is conducted with established procedures and gestures, and the words recited are also established, with the first Sura of the Qur'an always being recited. As long as prayer is performed facing in the direction of Makkah, it can be done anywhere. Group prayer at a mosque is often led by the prayer leader (imam), and everyone, leader and congregation, faces in the direction of Makkah, the holiest city in Islam.

The fact that obligatory prayer is conducted at set times of day on the basis of prescribed ritual indicates that in their prayers believers are attached to the greater community of Islam. When, at the end of formal prayer, they look to the right and the left and recite, "May peace be with you," one can say this has the meaning of praying for peace for fellow believers and of raising awareness of equality and solidarity.

The sight of Muslims of a particular region gathering to worship in a prescribed manner at a set time might seem odd to many people in Japan, where attachment to religion has greatly decreased. In Judaism and Christianity, however, prayer services conducted following a prescribed form are not unusual. Even today, Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches follow a church calendar and hold Sabbath services on Sundays. Even if two people do not speak each other's language, they will be able to worship together, if the liturgy and gestures always follow established forms.

Obligatory prayer in Islam is conducted throughout the world in Arabic only not just because Arabic is the sacred language of God but also because it links Muslims throughout the world in a community of faith through prayer. Even Muslims who do not speak Arabic learn the words used in worship. This is much like the way in which ordinary believers chant the sutras in Sanskrit in Buddhist services. Words that are not always understood are not a problem for devoted believers.

Private, Voluntary Prayer

In addition to the obligation to worship five times a day, Islam has many types of voluntary prayer that are considered to achieve more merit than obligatory prayer.

Private prayers can be expressed in many forms, such as requesting something from God, asking for protection, and offering thanks. They resemble obligatory prayer in having a certain degree of formality, but believers can freely choose the words, the number of times the prayers are recited, and when they are said, and can pray in their own language. Although private prayer is often offered immediately following obligatory prayer, the believer can choose other times. Generally, private prayers are performed with the elbows slightly bent and pressed to the sides, the hands lifted to chest level with the palms open and turned upward. When the prayer is finished, the palms lightly stroke the cheek from the forehead down.

Although God is generally the object of the prayers, in regions where saints are popular and revered many pilgrimages are made to shrines, and prayers may be offered to a familiar saint rather than to a transcendent God.

There is also a type of prayer that is somewhat of a change from the form of obligatory prayer. This is Nafl prayer, said as an extra prayer following the obligatory prayer. There are also voluntary prayers said in the middle of the night, prayers said every night during the fasting in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar (Ramadan), prayers for rain, and some others. There are also special prayers, such as those recited during solar or lunar eclipses, prayers for success on the battlefield, and funeral prayers said before the deceased is buried.

In the prayers particular to Sufism, a mystical form of Islam, there is repetition of the beautiful names of God in a short chant (dhikr), or a master and disciple face each other and pray to deepen meditation.

The Spirit of Praying Together

As in Judaism and Christianity, Islam holds that human beings are creatures of God and that all things in nature and the entire universe were made by a single creator, working alone. God created humankind as his representative or steward on earth, with the role of abiding by God's will. But God likewise assigned to nature the role of symbolizing the existence of the Creator. In other words, all natural phenomena, including the existence of humankind, are proof of the existence of a creator, a divinity that transcends the human intellect.

This view of humanity is similar to those found in Christianity and Judaism, which along with Islam are the Abrahamic religions that have a shared tradition. One can also see a common concept in their teaching of God's love and other fundamental beliefs. Islam's doctrines of "equality" and "mutual assistance" are not so different from Christianity's teachings that all human beings are equal in the sight of God and that one should love one's neighbor. In Islam, however, "love of one's neighbor" is prescribed in the form of the third obligatory act of worship, almsgiving (zakat), a practice that funds mutual assistance for believers.

Today a large number of Muslims are inevitably caught up in the disruptions and conflicts caused by the confusing policies of international society. Through worship and prayer they obtain the strength to accept their harsh fate and face another day together, shoulder to shoulder, under the rule of an omnipotent, all-knowing God. Whether obligatory or private, prayer relieves people's spirits, strengthens ties with fellow believers, and is a method of affirming love of one's neighbors. Whether people believe in a special creed or not, it can generally be said that they pray for happiness and to live another day. The worship and prayers of Islam are no different from ours.

For there to be mutual understanding and a peaceful world through dialogue between cultures and religions, we must spare no effort in making it objectively understood that the harsh criticism, filled with ill will, toward Islam and Muslims that seems to appear daily in the mass media is wrong. Considering the suffering and sorrow of all innocent followers of the Islamic faith, I want to emphasize the need for a spirit of praying together.