Globally, Islam is one of the most widely practiced religions. Unfortunately it is also a religion engulfed and wrapped up in controversy, misinterpretation, misrepresentation and ambiguity. It is a long debate how Islam happened to attract so much negative controversy or how it was misrepresented. The focus of this article is how inner peace can be achieved through prayer in Islam? Islam truly is one religion that preaches peace in all its forms, be it inner peace, peaceful society or a peaceful world. Islam in all its manifestations is a religion of peace and progress.
Islamic preaching starts from individual and through individual reform moves to collective benefit of a society and the world at large. This is a very practical approach because individual is the basic integer of the world, if every individual finds peace this will translate to a peaceful, satisfied and a perfect world.
Prayer is a connection between man and God. Every religion in the world has emphasized on prayer as a means of communication and a way to contact God. Prayer holds a very important place in Islam, through prayer one can find peace because it gives one a feeling of connection with the supreme force which is in control of the destiny of the universe.
In Islam prayers are of two kinds, formal and informal.
Formally every Muslim is bound to bow before God and pray five times a day i.e. Namaz. Every Muslim understands how spiritually satisfying and invigorating it is to start a day by praying to God. Throughout the day one feels Divine presence helping, supporting and standing beside one. This not only ensures inner peace and tranquility but also reinforces reform. A basic concept in Islam is that God is watching you every second of the day and prayer is a means which makes you feel that God is on your side and such a feeling of support translates to a state of inner peace with yourself and with the world. Before prayer ablution is performed cleansing the body and prayer in turn cleanses and purifies the soul. A clean body and a pure soul work hand in hand and facilitate inner peace and spiritual satisfaction.
Informally in Islam one can pray anywhere and anytime thus making it very convenient and simple for a person to feel close to God. God says I am closer to you than your heart beat. Therefore anyone can pray and connect with God without any preliminary prepration such as, Ablution.This kind of prayer gives peace to an agitated heart and mind instantly and effectively. Inner peace can only be found within oneself and prayer helps to find a contact with God from within. It is as if God is a part of you and only just one call away.
In short prayer works wonders, if one can find that special spiritual connection within oneself. Inner peace is within one's grasp through fervent praying and staunch belief. Faith and prayer can create magic and Islam is the divine path that holds your hand and helps you to experience the glory of peace, tranquility, satisfaction and absolute love. Inner peace comes through a mixture of unconditional love of God and humility before him. Muslims bow before God while praying, signifying humility and total devotion to God. A crucial ingredient for the achievement of peace through prayer is a blind faith that you are being heard and all your prayers will be answered in time. Love, humility and faith in collaboration with prayer, is a recipe for that ever elusive inner peace which we all crave.
May God grant peace to all of us and may our world become a safe haven for all humanity. And last but not the least may we all learn to pray in such a way that our heart, body and soul become one entity.