Islam - Its Meaning for Modern Man — Page 170
170 possibility of establishing communion with Him. “Who hears the prayer of the anguished person when he calls upon Him, and relieves his distress?… Is there a god besides Allah? Little is it that you reflect” (27:63). That sincere prayer is heard and answered is proof which excludes all question and all doubt of the Existence of God. The Quran is explicit on the subject of the acceptance of prayer, putting it as simply as: “Your Lord says, ‘Pray unto Me. I will answer your prayer’” (40:61). Indeed, prayer and the answer to prayer constitute the one means of attaining to certainty concerning the Existence of God and the possibility of establishing communion with Him. “When My servants ask thee concerning Me, say that I am near; that I answer the prayer of the supplicant when he prays to Me. So they should respond to Me and have firm faith in Me, that they may be rightly guided” (2:187). We need, however, to remember that God is Master; we are His creatures and servants. He gives us the assurance that prayer is a means of approach to Him and that He answers prayer. This does not mean that the relationship of Master and servant is in any way affected through our prayers being answered. He is still the Master. He is also All-Knowing and All- Aware. No sincere prayer is in vain; though we, with our limited knowledge and our circumscribed vision,