Prayer lies at the heart of the believer’s relationship with God. It is viewed as an acknowledgement of God’s divinity (ilahiyya), and His mastery over His creation (rububiyya), in the sense that He has the ability to answer His servants.

In Islam, prayer assumes four basic forms: the formulaic prayer (Salat)(Du’a); supplication (Dhikr); and communion (Munajat). The first type (Salat) combines the latter three with the ritualistic bodily movements - standing, bowing, and prostration - that many people are familiar with. This type of prayer is also the central liturgical act in Islam, although it is not confined to the liturgy, and like the other three types can be done privately and away from the mosque.

One way we can view these four types of prayer is that the former is our undertaking an act that God demands of us, while the latter three types provide us with an opportunity to ask God for His blessings, grace, favors, or gifts. Both types provide the servant with an opportunity to praise, adore, thank, and glorify God.

Every act of the formulaic prayer (Salat) has deeper spiritual significance. For example, the great Muslim theologian, Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, mentions, “When the servant says at the beginning of the Salat, ‘God is Great’ he removes from his heart the thought that anything is greater than God. When he subsequently says, ‘I orient myself towards God,’ he focuses on God [the object of his prayer], and orients himself away from any worldly distraction…”

Invocations, supplications, and communion can all be expressed in personal terms, by the repetition of relevant prophetic utterances, or in the words of acknowledged spiritual sages. One of the most often repeated prophetic invocations is the following: “O God! I ask you to bless me to do only good, and to leave off all vile things. I ask you that you grant me love of the poor folk, and that you forgive and have mercy on me. O God! I ask you to grant me your love, and the love of those who love you, and the love of those actions that draw me near to your love.”

Perhaps the most famous and often repeated communions are those of the renowned sage Ibn ‘Ata Allah Sakandari. Among the expressions mentioned in his Munajat, are the following: “My God! I am in desperate need of you during the times I display self-sufficiency, how could I not need you during my times of want?” “My God! I am truly ignorant during the times I possess knowledge, how could I not be ignorant during the times I am bereft of any insight?” “My God! You described yourself with gentleness and compassion for me before my weakness was manifested, would you then deny me the effect of those attributes after my weakness is known?” “My God! Every time I am rendered mute by my lowliness, the power of Your grace allows me to speak, and every time my human frailty causes me to despair, Your unbounded goodness restores my hope.”

This is a brief summary of prayer in Islam. It is my prayer that we can all do our part, in our respective ways, to work for a saner, safer, more just world.