The philosophy of creation of mankind is servitude and worship of the Almighty Creator. The holy Qur'an, the last and final revelation of God to mankind explicitly says in ayah 56 of Surah Zariyaat:
"And I have not created the jinn and the men except that they should serve Me."
Prayer is the loftiest form of supplication and expression of servitude to God. Prayer is the most important practice of the Prophets of God who taught this ritual to mankind. Prophet Abraham left his wife Hajar and firstborn son Ishmael in the hot and then obscure land of Mecca for promulgating prayer. Prophet Moses taught this dynamic practice to the Israelites to express their gratitude to the Lord Most High. Prophet Jesus, while still an infant spoke miraculously to the Israelis who tried to slander his Virgin-Mother, Mary: "I am the servant of God, Who has given me the book… and commanded me to hold prayer."
Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny), the Last and Greatest of all Messengers, considered the daily prayer as one of the main tenets of Islam and the pillar of religion. He said: God has made prayer the light of my eyes and made it my beloved, in the same manner that He has given appetite to the hungry for food and the longing for water to the thirsty; however, once a hungry person eats food he gets satiated and once a thirsty drinks water his thirst is quenched, but my love for praying never ends.
In view of the high status of prayer in the Islamic culture, this year the Islamic Republic of Iran held the nationwide conference on prayer for the 19th time. The conference is held every year with the goal of promoting the culture of prayer in society and expressing the role and status of prayer for the sublimity of mankind. With the theme "Prayer, Mosque and Family" the 19th nationwide conference on prayer presented new and exhilarating ways for spreading and strengthening the culture of prayer. Family and mosque are considered two important bases for the spiritual perfection of a person and the soundness of the society. One of the issues outlined at the prayer conference was the manner of absorbing the young generation to the regular and punctual observance of religious duties, including attending the mosque for the daily prayers, and their strengthening of bonds with the spiritual atmosphere. Prayer is the purest supplication in the Divine Court. It is evident that God is never in need of the acts of His servants. Actually it is mankind which is in need of the Almighty and once we strengthen our relationship with God, we benefit from His infinite favours. Therefore, the daily prayer is the means of strengthening our bonds with the source of creation, life, and mercy. Once we stand in the presence of God Almighty for the daily prayers after performing the ablution, we praise the Almighty Lord and affirm our faith in towheed or monotheism, and at the same time we pray for perfection of His favours and his help to keep us away from the path of those who have gone astray and become the object of divine wrath. Thus, the prayer makes us always cognizant of God and keeps us away from evil and wicked ways including impurities. In ayah 45 of Surah Ankabooth, the holy Qur'an says:
"Surely prayer keeps (one) away from indecency and evil"
Truly the moments when mankind gets free from the chaotic and deceitful world and steps into the hallowed precincts of the daily prayers, he/she enters an enlightened environment. It is natural that many of spiritual problems of mankind are relieved by entering into communion with God through prayer. From the viewpoint of Islam the source of power and spiritual perfection of mankind is his heartfelt attention towards the Creator of the world. The major part of psychological diseases and ethical disorders stem from ignorance and lack of remembrance of God. For this reason, mankind has been asked to always remember God, from morning till the evening in whatever state they maybe. Thus, we should strengthen our spirit of communicating with the Source of Life. That is why in the holy Qur'an, God has commanded us to observe prayer and patience even during hardships.
In the 19th nationwide conference of prayer the speakers stressed the importance of the role of mosques in ensuring a sound and healthy society. Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, in his message to the confab, pointed to the various roles a mosque plays in society, which distinguishes it from the place of worship of other religions. He said: Among the most dynamic initiatives of Islam was the setting up of the mosque, first in Qoba and then in Medina, during the time of the Prophet, so as to give a unique identity to Muslims and the Islamic society. The Leader pointed to the role of the ulema at mosques, likening these pious and wise personages to doctors and nurses in hospitals caring for the patients. The conference, studied various other matters such as the strengthening of family life, the presence of women in mosques and the role of mass media in encouraging people to regularly and punctually perform the prayer by attending mosques.
source : irib
