Islam The Journey - In Introduction to Islam

%AL¬H
Theoretical recognition of a Creator and supreme power is not
sufficient. When All\h made us, He made us for a purpose, namely
to worship Him in the way He designed for us to worship Him. Many
people say that they worship God in their own way and that their
belief is in their heart, but by taking that view we make ourselves
gods and decide how All\h should be worshipped, rather than
follow His command. There are five daily prayers in Isl\m, which can
be complemented by further voluntary prayers. These prayers
involve both the body and the mind and consist of a series of
bowings and prostrations together with recitations of the Qur'\n and
of praises of All\h, complemented by personal requests.
The prayers are during the morning twilight before sunrise (Fajr),
after the sun has passed its zenith or highest point at noon (>uhr),
mid-afternoon (`A]r), after sunset (Maghrib), and after the onset of
night (`Isha’). These regular prayers serve as an ongoing reminder of
our purpose in life and prevent us from straying too far off the path.
They are like roll calls or the taking of a register: Just like a factory
worker is not considered to be present at work if he does not clock in,
or pupils are not recorded as attending if they were not present at
registration, the five daily prayers reaffirm again and again that we
are still in the service of All\h.
%AWM
As we go through life, it is easy to become pre-occupied with
satisfying our material needs. Some religions institute retreats for a
few chosen people who dedicate themselves fully to religious service
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