A Present to Kings — Page 22
( 22 ) cold water to to perform a devotion and in summer would sit in the sun and kindle several fires around them and thus inflict upon themselves the tortures of hell. Thus in respect of severity the devotions of these men outdo the Islamic devotions. Now, therefore, if the Nemaz of the Mussalmans should also become empty of its true essence, it will cease to have any superiority to these forms of worship. . THE QUALITIES OF TRUE ISLAMIC PRAYER,. In the Holy Quran Almighty God has described the qualities of Islamic 'Nimaz in the following words: all!. Nimaz deters men from indecencien " تنهى عن الفحشاء والمذكر and from evil ways. " But we find that, with rare exceptions, the Mussalmans in general attend the mosques and offer their prayers, not only the obligatory ones but even the optional ones, but when they leave the mosques they eschew no manner of sin. They speak lies, they receive bribes, they practise deception, they shun not breach of trust and avoid not fraudulent practices in trade. In short, they are engaged in a thousand kinds of sins. How then can it be said that the. Mussalmans perform their Nimas? Had they performed their. Nimaz in conformity with the conditions fixed by Islam, their hearts would have been purified, the foulness of sin removed and they secured against all vice and wickedness. Because in. Nimas, God has kept hidden secrets such that whosoever performs it with proper embellishments and attends to the conditions assigned by God for its performance forthwith perceives a change in himself, and many days need not elapse before a special faculty develops within him by which he can discern what is evil. He is made wary of the most secret vices and is endowed with the power of recognising the most hidden sins which are not recognised by others. On every occasion angels give him warning saying **Beware, here is a sin. Take heed. " He is given the power to fight with the devil, in as much as in his. Nimaz he declares the holiness of God and extols His praise and God does not choose to endure an obligation, but from. Himself gives the best of rewards for the actions of His