The Unity of Muslims — Page 27
27 other religions. Neither Christians nor Jews have this feature; although they may gather, there is no directive for them to do so. In the Torah, there is no commandment to assemble for prayers; sacrificial offerings to God Almighty are defined as the perfect form of worship. The directive to pray in congregation is absent in the Puranas, the Vedas, the Torah, and the Gospels. Only Islam enjoins calling the Adhan, assembling in the mosque, standing in rows, facing the qiblah , and following each posture of the imam. In this manner, the entire assembly conforms to the imam. Even Hitler did not have the power to make everyone bow with a single motion. Yet, in Islam, when the imam bows, so does the congregation; when the imam prostrates, so does the congregation. Thus, God Almighty has accorded Muslims a unique power that has established a strong communal spirit unparalleled in other religions. Hajj is another distinctive hallmark of the Islamic faith. Whilst Hindus also engage in yatras [pilgrimage], their tradition differs from Islam as they have numerous pilgrimages instead of a singular one. There is no teaching in Hinduism mandating a pilgrimage on the condition of having the financial means and safe passage to do so, or one is deemed