Ahmadiyyat or The True Islam — Page 76
76 drawn towards God. In the second part he confesses that at every step in the course of his progress he is depend- ent on the help and assistance of God, and thus perceiv- ing his own helplessness he is impelled towards self- improvement and greater trust in God. The third part contains prayers and supplications, which are the es- sense of S al a t. By prayer man attracts the grace of God, and through the union of the love of man with the love of God in prayer the seed is sown of a new spiritual creation in the same way as a new physical being comes into existence through the union of a male and a female. In short, S al a t is so rich in spiritual benefits that man’s reason is forced into admiration of it. But in order to be effective it must be performed in the manner and subject to the conditions prescribed by Islam. The external acts prescribed by Islam for the per- formance of S al a t are not without their significance. During the course of S al a t the worshipper must at different stages stand with folded arms, bow down with his hands resting on his knees, stand erect with his arms hanging by his side, prostrate himself on the ground and sit with folded legs. All these movements are symbols of perfect humility and surrender among different peoples. In some countries people express complete submission by standing with folded arms; in other countries, by standing with their arms hanging by their sides. In ancient Egypt bowing with one’s hands on one’s knees was regarded as a symbol of deep respect; in India prostration was in vogue and in Europe falling on one’s knees is considered to be a mode of showing