The Nature of Prayer

In the light of the intellect, the Prophetic traditions and the unveilings of the heart
The reader should realize that all divine laws 'at& based upon a consideration of time, place and the duty to the brotherhood of Muslims, be it in the realm of form or of inner reality. Examples of time‑related events are the prayers, the fasting, zakat (the alms tax), hajj, the jihad and the various times of the recommended visits to graves and shrines and the social meetings incumbent upon Muslims. As for the place‑related events, there are those which are set in Makkah, Madinah, the Haram Mosque and the Ka'bah, the al‑Aqsa mosque and its sacred rock, the mosques of Kufah and Basrah, the graves of the prophets and saints, and the places of martyrdom of the infallible Imams of the family of the Prophet. The brotherhood of Muslims refers, for example, to the prophets, the messengers, the saints, the spiritual guarآ­dians, the messengers `endowed with constancy', the Imams of guidance and the caliphs of Allah in both worlds and all the companions and followers may Allah be content with them all, the angels and in particular Gabriel, Michael, Isra'fil and `Izra'il and their like from amongst the angels and the righteous slaves of Allah.
Time, when measured in respect to itself is one single entity; however time becomes particularized with respect to the aboveآ­mentioned acts of worship ‑ such that the latter cannot be performed except in relation to a particular time. This particular time possesses superiority over the rest of time ‑ as the prophet or messenger was aware of by way of his special inspiration from Allah. Thus the obligatory prayer, for example, is neither valid before nor after its appropriate time. Indeed the same applies to all acts of worship.
The likeness of this is that of someone who dies leaving to his sons some treasure hidden in a particular place; he then tells them that they should take a certain number of steps from a certain wall in order to determine the location of the treasure. If the sons were to count one step more or one less, then they would not find the treasure. Thus, in order to find their treasure, they must respect the number indicated. The same is true for the various acts of worship and the times preآ­scribed for them. If they are performed outside their times, then they are not accepted and the person who offers them will in no way be rewarded.
The same principle may be applied to the notion of place: with respect to itself, place is one single entity, but from another aspect, each locality possesses certain features which distinguish it from other places. Certain acts of worship are only acceptable when performed in a certain place. The Ka'bah, the Masjid al‑Haram and the al‑Aqsa mosques are examples of these special places.
The same principle applies with respect to the concept of brotherhood: with respect to itself, the notion of brotherhood is an all‑encompassing entity; from another aspect, however, cerآ­tain brothers of the brotherhood are distinct from the rest. The prophets, messengers, saints, spiritual inheritors and the like are examples of this.
On investigation we see that the daily prayers, the Friday prayers, the `Id (feast‑day) prayers and the hajj have been preآ­scribed in order that these three aspects be joined. The daily prayers are undertake by a group of people in a particular locality, the Friday and congregational prayers in a particular town, and the hajj and the visits to the sacred shrines in a site which attracts people from a particular region or country. The hajj occurs in a particular place, known as the House of Allah and the House of His slave, and its prayers are performed at a particular time; its rites join together the brotherhood of Muslims. In one event, therefore, place, time and brotherhood are brought together. By virtue of the hidden wisdom of this event, Allah grants whatever blessing or benefit the slaves may request in their supplications; He does this by His outpouring of divine grace on the souls of the slaves, in accordance with the merit of each and in relation to their essences and the various capacities with which they have been endowed.
Moreover, His bestowal and granting does not depend on the intensity of each individual's prayer but rather on the event itself every gathering possesses its own inherent wisdom and benefit which is shared by no other event. We may cite the theory of numbers as an example of this. Thus we see that in the number three there is a particularity which is not shared by four and vice‑versa. The same principle can be applied to all numbers, from ten to a thousand and any number between them. This principle, as some have pointed out, is a principle of existence in general and one which accords exactly with the Muhammadi reality ‑ a reality which encompasses all these numbers and levels, both in the realm of form and inner reality. The Prophet refers to this when he says, `I have been given all the names' and `I have been sent to perfect good behaviour.' These words are in accordance with the triads of truths which form the dominant feature of his reality, like for example the triad of prophethood, messengership and saintliness (wilayah), the triad of submission, faith and certainty, and that of revelation, inspiration and unveiling.'
There are also other examples which demonstrate this same symbolic pattern, such as his love of perfume, women and prayer, as we know from his words, `I love three things of your world; perfume, women and the coolness of the eye in prayer.'
The nature of the essence of the prophet requires this gathering together of things and the establishment of intimacy and friendship between the various existent beings ‑ in particular with respect to mankind as a whole. It is for this reason he established certain places and events in order to guarantee this friendship and intimacy, the ultimate aim of his mission and indeed that of all the prophets being nothing but this. It is clear that the gathering of a particular group, at a particular place, in a particular manner several times a day will of necessity result in an increase of love between the members of the group and an increase in their firmness and resolution ‑ in accordance with their capacity and merit. Examples of this are the congregational prayers undertaken in a particular locality, the Friday prayers in the prescribed place in a town, and the hajj once a year in Makkah.
There is no disagreement among persons of intellect that such gatherings increase love and friendship; the Qur'an also provides numerous examples in proof of our words. Thus, just as this friendship is established during the five gatherings of the daily prayers in each locality, so it is also established in the Friday gatherings of each town, on the various days of the prescribed feasts, and on the occasion of the visits to the shrines and amongst the people of the different countries during the Hajj. Indeed, these places and events have only been described with this in mind. Other benefits and advantages arise ‑ other than that of the joining of the people in friendship ‑ like, for example, the social, commercial and marriage contracts which are undertaken during these gatherings. These social gatherings and events contain matters of hidden wisdom which are worthy of investigation; suffice it to say that they are all based on this triad of realities, namely time, place and the brotherhood of Muslims.
We shall now discuss the ascent of the Prophet (mi`raj), which expresses these above‑mentioned realities; we shall examine this subject first in relation to the world of form and then in relation to the world of inner reality. It should be noted that there are many differences of opinion among the scholars, the common people and the philosophers concerning the matter.