Blessings of Prayer — Page 10
Barak a tud Du‘ a 10 but only because it was predetermined. Nevertheless, a great benefit of prayer is that when one prays one’s heart is overawed by the Majesty and Omnipotence of God, and this feeling overcomes all the apprehensions which had been the source of distress, and the supplicant begins to experience forbearance and fortitude. This is a natural consequence of worship and this is what the acceptance of prayer means. Towards the end of his booklet Sayyid Sahib writes that those who are unaware of the reality of prayer and the wisdom inherent in it might object: What is the use of prayer when we know that nothing can happen that has not been predetermined? i. e. , as we know that something which has been determined shall, in all circumstances, be granted—whether one prays for it or not—and that whatever has not been predetermined will not be granted—no matter how many prayers one offers for it; thus prayer turns out to be a futile exercise. In answer to this, Sayyid Sahib says that it is man’s nature to seek help when in distress, and it is due to this natural faculty that he prays without giving a thought to whether or not his prayer will be granted. He prays because it has been ingrained in his nature to seek everything from God.