The Islamic Mode of Worship — Page 5
5 Various postures of humility have been adopted by the world. In some places humility is expressed through the act of bowing, while in others standing with folded hands is a sign of meekness, and still in others through kneeling or prostration. Islam, which originates from the Creator of [human] nature, has kept in mind all types of dispositions and diversity of expression and combined all these acts in the nam a z. Accordingly, people of various dispositions find an expression of humility within the nam a z which accords to their temperament. Under the influence of these various devotional postures, the human heart is filled with fervour and it submits itself before God Almighty. The spectacle of a Muslim standing before God Who is Lord of all the worlds at times with folded hands, bending low, standing with open hands [and arms hanging from the sides], falling in prostration or sitting resting on the knees is awe-inspiring. [And in the process of these movements] his heart is filled with the love a created [life] harbours for its Creator and the entirety of his being emits the prayer: ‘God! I render homage to You through all those acts which the different peoples of the world have assumed as postures of humility. ’ The sight of the Islamic prayer not only moves the hearts of worshippers and inclines them towards Allah the