When I read verse 55 of Surah 7, I had some doubts as to the practice of saying prayers, or supplication, in congregation, as happens in my home country when the Imam finishes a congregational obligatory prayer, or during the Friday Khutbah, or in Witr prayer when offered in congregation. Please clarify.
Let us first of all look at the verse in question, together with the one that precedes it. They may be translated as follows:
“Your Lord is God who has created the heavens and the earth in six aeons, and is established on the throne. He covers the day with the night in swift pursuit. The sun, the moon and the stars are made subservient to His command. Surely all creation and all authority belong to Him. Blessed is God, the Lord of the worlds. Call upon your Lord with humility, and in the secrecy of your hearts. He does not love those who transgress the bounds of what is right.” [7: 55]
The first of these two verses gives us a clear vision of God’s greatness and His control of the universe and all creation. When we take all this in consideration, we experience a feeling of awe, which brings up our own humility in front of God. This is a suitable time to address God with our prayers or supplication, requesting Him to accomplish what we need. Let us now look at what the late Sayyid Qutb says in his commentary on verse 55 of Surah 7, starting with ‘call on your Lord with humility’.
“This directive is made at the most appropriate point, with human beings in the proper frame of mind. They are directed to call upon their Lord and address Him with humility and submission. They should also call on Him in the secrecy of their hearts, not making loud noises. A secret appeal to God is much more befitting because it affirms the close relationship between man and his Lord. Muslim, the renowned Hadith scholar, relates this authentic Hadith on the authority of Abu Moosa who reports: “We were with God’s Messenger on one of his travels. In one version it is stated that this took place when they were on a military expedition. And people started to glorify God out loud. God’s Messenger said to them: O you people, gently and quietly. Your are not calling on someone who is deaf or absent. You are calling on the One who hears all and is close at hand. He is indeed with you.”
“The Qur’anic drift stresses the consciousness that God, in His Majesty, is so close to man. This is described here in its practical form as we make our supplication to God. A person who is conscious of God’s majesty feels too modest to appeal to Him in a loud voice. If we realize that He is so close to us we can have no reason for appealing to Him loudly. Along with this scene of sincere supplication to God and complete humiliation before Him, an order is issued not to try to usurp His authority as the Arabs used to do in their days of ignorance, when they claimed sovereignty for themselves, while all sovereignty belongs to God alone. They are further commanded not to spread corruption in the land by following their capricious desires, after God has set the earth in proper order and laid down the law to govern both the earth and human life. A believing soul, which calls on its Lord with humility and in secrecy, feeling His closeness and ready response, is not given to aggression and corruption. The two attitudes are closely related in the depth of the human soul and feelings. In its approach, the Qur’an touches on those feelings. It is an approach designed by the Creator who knows His creation and is fully aware of everything.
“Call on Him with fear and hope, (Verse 56), fearing to incur His anger and punishment, and hoping to earn His pleasure and reward. Truly God’s grace is ever near to the righteous, (Verse 56), who worship God as though they actually see Him. If they do not see Him, they are fully aware that He sees them. This is the attitude defined by the Prophet, peace be upon him, as belonging to the righteous.”
This is what Sayyid Qutb wrote. As you see, there is no contradiction between this and the Imam offering supplication in Witr prayer or during the Friday sermon. This is not the type the Prophet, peace be upon him, criticized. Thus, there is nothing wrong with the situations you have mentioned, but the best prayer is that said in humility, and in secrecy, when one feels one’s need of God’s help. ~
As a student at the University of Adelaide, Australia, I received a request from the Department of Anatomical Sciences to find someone from the Muslim community to take part in an annual university ceremony to pray for the people who had donated their bodies for the sake of science. Basically, they need a religious leader to pray for the souls of these people. Are Muslims allowed to pray for dead non-Muslims” If not, why? Could you please advise how to respond to the University’s request? I have also heard that the practice of donating bodies is forbidden. Please explain the Islamic perspective.
No doubt the University’s request is made with all good intentions. Perhaps you should leave the matter to the local Imam to handle, if you think he is suitable. If not, you need to explain to the university that in Islam we do not have a clerical order and that anyone could lead prayers. So, a Muslim person from the University may be as good for the purpose as any religious leader. What he could do in the ceremony is that he explain that Islam prefers that such prayer be done in silence, everyone on their own, addressing God and appealing to Him to bestow His mercy on those who died to improve the lot of humanity. Then in a period of silence lasting a minute or so, every one could say whatever prayer they wish.
The Prophet, peace be upon him, tells us that he sought God’s permission to pray for the forgiveness of his own mother, but God refused him that permission. Hence, the Prophet, peace be upon him, did not pray for his own mother’s forgiveness. Hence, it is not for any Muslim to pray for the forgiveness of any unbeliever, even though that person may be closely related to him. The reason for this is that we do not know what such people are like in their beliefs or their attitude to God.
Hence, we must leave the question of their destiny to God. He determines it according to His own criteria. We also know that God is most just in His judgment and that He does not deal unjustly with anyone. Therefore, we leave the matter entirely to Him.
It is not correct to say that donating organs is prohibited. In fact, Muslim scholars have reiterated the ruling that it is perfectly permissible for a Muslim to carry an organ-donation card with him, so that if he is killed in an accident and some of his organs may be used for transplant, this could be carried out without undue delay. ~
It is also said that Maghrib time is sacred, and it is very good time to pray for whatever we wish. Please explain
There is no such concept as a sacred part of day. Maghrib, or prayer after sunset, does not carry any special sanctity. As regard time, the only sacredness is that of the four months when fighting is not allowed. These are the three consecutive months of Dhul-Qaadah, Dhul-Hijjah & Muharram and the month of Rajab in the Islamic lunar calendar. As for prayer it can be done at any time; and when it is sincere it is always answered