Islam - Its Meaning for Modern Man — Page 182
182 and one’s seeking an audience every time one’s eagerness urges one to it. Following the example set by the Prophet, the habit of prayer should be very constant. The Prophet was eager to maintain communion with God through prayer every moment of his life. The process of prayer and remembrance of God was practically continuous with him, and has been so with countless Muslims. The prayer most frequently resorted to is the first verse of the opening chapter of the Quran, which is repeated at the beginning of each chapter: “In the name of Allah, Who sustains us and provides for us and blesses all righteous action with beneficent results. ” Occasions for this prayer are numberless during the course of a day. It is said as grace before meals; it is said when a glass of water or a cup of tea or any other refreshment is taken; it is said when any task is commenced, whether light or heavy. The idea is that everything, including our faculties and capacities, belongs to God and is a bounty from Him, which we use only with His permission. The concluding grace at meals, taught by the Prophet, is: “All praise is due to Allah Who has given us to eat and drink and has made us obedient to His will. ” The prayers most often used are taken from the Quran for the obvious reason that a prayer taught by God Himself fulfils completely its own purpose and is