Do you pray? Why we all should pray?

BOOK KNOWLEDGE 
I once read a book about Islam that said God would have wanted people to pray more than five times a day. Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him), Jesus (Peace be upon Him) also prayed. Every religious tradition prays and we are supposed to pray to God or remember God when we pray.

MERE MAN
At the highest levels we all pray because our thoughts are like prayers and in reality are a form of prayer. Thus it is not a case of should we pray – we do pray and so we should be careful as to what we pray. Here is a selection of thoughts about prayer and why you should pray. Views are from Christians, Muslims and Jews.

Do you feel the call to pray? Do you heed it? We pray because: 

Jose Caballero: To talk with GOD.

Ijaz Ahmed: To connect with God.

Kamran Tabani: It’s as simple as: why should we eat? Man does not live by food alone – prayer is the additional ‘food’ we need for a full and complete life.

Tabinda Usman: This is our faith in Allah and one should pray as a Muslim too.

Nauman Adil: We have to pray because we have been sent to this world by God. He provides us with all the necessities of life. For thanks to God we have to pray.

Nisar Moosa: Connectivity with Allah. If you have disconnected yourself then you can’t receive the blessing.

Saman Khalil: We pray because God wants us to tell him what is on our minds and build a communication (through prayers) with GOD. Even though he sees and understands our situations better than we do, he still wants to hear from us in our own words.

Kausar Sharif: I pray to thank Allah for his Blessings on us! That’s it!

Mohsin Kazmi: Because we can't control everything, so we pray for the factors beyond our control.

Ahsan Khan: So that we can differentiate ourselves from non-Muslims and to give Thanks to Allah and connect with him and worship him through his proper way whom our Last Prophet (S A W) did. Namaz is the main difference between Muslim and Non Muslim.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLhdPiOu2lo&feature=related
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T16hrEwmXTk&feature=related

Ali Zaid: We pray because we are made for praying and life is an exam. If we pass it then we go to heaven and if we fail we go to hell. ALLAH sent us on earth to live a peaceful life and be thankful to God Always. Allah just wants to see what we do for Allah and his prophets. So be scared of Allah and pray in all the five prayers.

M Shahzad Khalil Nutkani: Because it’s a need.

Sheikh Adnan Ahmed Usmani: We pray to ALLAH to clean our souls!

Abid Pasha:  Prayer is the only thing which posseses the power to CHANGE FATE and nothing else. You like your present, you pray for your future. ALLAH is the best PLANNER. ALHAMDULLILLAH (Praise be to God).

Muhammad Asim Siddiqui: Allah ordered us to pray.

Ovais Omer: To have internal satisfaction.

Muhammad Ashfaq Malik: Praying is a connection between mankind and the Almighty that should be stronger and must be on a regular basis. If you need, you pray for it, if you have most of it then pray to THANK the Almighty. But remember, always pray to thank, you'll be blessed again and again.

Talha Batla: Because we don’t have an option. It’s compulsory for all Muslims to pray.

Atif Abdul Qayyum Abbassi: Pray to stop falling prey to Satan.

Abdur Rehman Usmani: To thank for the blessings Allah SWT has bestowed upon us: wisdom, five senses, feeling the pleasure and pain, sentiments that stimulate us to care and share. Above all master of our will, dreams and to turn those into a reality; imagine, create and do amazing things in a different way. So why not thank him and be a thankful person.

Abdur Rehman Usmani: Thank you for a nice reminder to be thankful to the ALLAH SWT. Nice thought provoking question. Jazak'ALLAH Khairan (May Allah reward you with good).

Muhammad Jamal Shaikh: Because we forget!

Mahi Khan: To thank GOD for giving us such a beautiful life.

Danish Shakil: Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Indeed, when one of you prays, he speaks privately with his Lord.” The Prophet once asked his companions: “Do you think if there was a river by the door and one of you bathed in it five times a day; would there remain any dirt on him?” The Prophet’s companions answered in the negative. The Prophet then said: “That is how it is with the five (daily) prayers; through them God washes away your sins.”
A translation of the call to prayer:
God is Greater, God is Greater;
God is Greater, God is Greater.
I testify that there is no deity except God;
I testify that there is no deity except God.
I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God; I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God.
Come to prayer! Come to prayer!
Come to success! Come to success!
God is Greater! God is Greater!
There is no deity except God.

Muhammad Saeed Shaikh: To thank Allah.

Nazzia Momina: To connect with Allah and to move ahead in the spiritual world.

Omer Bilal: Everyone’s right, but only with a religious point of view! If you are asking for a personal opinion, I would say the most sensible explanation could be that it’s a way to keep us on track! To keep us reminded that there is a God! We are humans, we evolve and we change so God made the Quran and prayers, so we recite them just so we don’t forget! He doesn't need our prayers or anything, he is God, but he wants us to know that he exists, and the only way he can make sure we don’t forget is through making prayers mandatory for us!

It’s merely just an exercise! Otherwise if he didn’t make it mandatory we wouldn’t have taken it seriously and if we wouldn’t have taken it seriously, by now there would have been no Muslims left in this world!

God never makes a man do something that doesn't make any sense! There’s always a science behind everything! For people like us who are curious and the religious perspective doesn’t satisfy us enough! As many people have said, we just have to do it, or it’s a way to connect to God, or to thank him for his blessings! It’s all good and they are right, but sometimes it’s not enough! At least for me it’s not and I’m sure you asked this question for the same reason!

Salar Gujjar: To satisfy our soul and to thank for all we have.

Nusrat Waheed Khwaja: Allah Ta’ala obligated this exercise on Muslims for their own benefit. It’s a form of yoga. It’s for our benefit. It’s good for our body and for our spirit. Allah is not gaining anything from it. Allah Ta’ala says in the Quran words to the effect: "Let Salat (Namaaz/prayer) help you". Ta’ala means most high.

Shmuel Aharon Kam: G-d does NOT need our prayers. But WE do need them.
We pray to remind *ourselves* that G-d is Everything, and that we are G-d's Will and here to do G-d's Will. Insha'Allah.

Umema Hani: @Shmuel Aharon Kam. Allah does NOT need our prayers. But WE do need them. We pray to remind *ourselves* that Allah is Everything, and that we are Allah's Will and here to do Allah's Will. Insha'Allah (God Willing).

Mohaib Arif: Because we know there is someone (God) who will listen and respond to our prayer. That's why we pray.

Premium Domains: Apart from being one of the five pillars that makes you a Muslim, you should pray to ask for forgiveness, so that you stay on the right track and pray because you want to, not because you have to. It has to come from within.

Kumail Kazim Nisar Moosa: Blessings are also on non-believers also... so what about them?

Susan McKenzie: If you mean non-Muslims (Christians/Jews) - we pray. If you are talking about people who say they don't practice a religion - they may in reality be practicing. Some people in the West are very quiet as to how they practice their religion. Some Buddhists have a saying - Anyone can go to heaven - just be good. Blessings.

Karen Allawala: Ahsan, have you been to a Church or Jewish house of worship? I have and they all submit to Allah. The Jews dove and and the Christians go down on bended knee and I assure you their prayers are done with intensity and equally heard by Allah.

Susan McKenzie: To add to Karen Allahwalla's comment - in the churches I attended - we would pray kneeling and there are cushions for the knees. I think what is more important is the intention - the mind aspect. Jesus prayed when standing and also knelt to pray. What is important is what is in your heart. I respect Muslims who do pray in the way you do - I think it helps to humble the heart. However, I think the Christian way is valid for Christians if they humble their heart and are sincere.

Christian prayer positions
www.kencollins.com/worship/pray-20.htm

THE GIFT OF PRAYING
The head of the Catholic Church says prayer is a gift. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdjmAr_105o

Susan McKenzie:Every thought is a prayer - that is why we should be careful as to what we pray - we are praying all the time.

Christians, Muslims and Jews give their take on prayer.

Jump up, Jump in, Jump for Joy every day. 5 jump-starts to joy for you!

JOY TO BE WITH BLESSING
B: Brim with joy and you see the world at its best level of joy.
L: Living to the max is about living up with the best qualities: joy, love, peace and wisdom. Let joy be the leading force by taking steps to be full of joy also known as being joyful.
E: Expect to be extremely joyful and see the joy every where.
S:  Swim or sink, struggle or swin – the choice is yours. Swimmingly is the path of joy so smooth your path with joy and being joyful.
S: See the inside of you as joyful – like a little playful child who can joyfully play for hours and hours. See yourself as sincerely joyful.

Y: You can be more joyful when you say to yourself I am a seeker of joy in all I do.
O: Open the doors and let joy in. Opening to joy immediately gets you to a more joyful place.
U: Uncover that inherent joy and you’ll appreciate a whole new level of joyfulness.

THE PATH OF JOY
There are so many life-paths we can choose. However, there is path of struggle and there is a path of joy. Joy is an inner quality – you either feel it or you don’t, so the trick is to make an effort to feel it and to give it greater prominence in your life.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT BRINGS YOU JOY?
Do you really know what causes you to feel joy? What gives you joy? The path of joy is the present path and the present moment. To be really joyful you have to be in the path of your higher purpose and expressing your higher purpose.

CENTRAL CORE
You have to touch base with your central being and magnetize to you all the things that align with this central core which is the inner you and the real you. Your core being and your soul are full of joy just as they are full of love. They are full of goodness too. Become more aware of your inner being throughout the day and connect with your soul often. As you do this you will become more aware of joy and draw in more joy.

FEEL THE JOY
There is treasure within – the treasures of joy, peace, wisdom and love. You should aim to touch these treasures within you every day.

CENTRAL CONNECTION
To connect you just need to close your eyes and breathe in to the infinite center of love within you. Feel the love and joy and let it grow and expand. You can do the same with peace and wisdom. You can also feel that you are connected with universal love, universal joy, universal peace and universal wisdom. As you open your eyes feel that you can keep these feelings. Frequently remind yourself of these treasures.

THERE IS JOY
There is joy where you are – can you enjoy it?
There is joy in your soul because your soul is joy. Can you feel it?
There is usually something joyful all around you. Can you appreciate it?
There is joy, mirth and merriment in places where you may have never noticed before. Uncover that inherent joy and you’ll appreciate a whole new level of joyfulness. Every type of joy on the outside has a corresponding joy within you. Mirror and reflect joy back and forth – just as you would fan a fire – a fire of joy.

OPEN YOURSELF TO JOY
Opening yourself to joy means you will let in more joy and become more joyful. Becoming more joyful is easy if you follow these five methods.

5 Jump-starts of Joy

1. Appreciate and love yourself.

Make a commitment to love also known as joy and accept yourself unconditionally.

Make a commitment to do this 24/7.

2. Appreciate the good.
Look for the good and the joy in everyone and everything around you.

3. Be in the present.

Notice the present more.

4. Appreciate Change.
Welcome the waves of change and ride the waves with joy. There will be change anyway so get used to the idea that the most joyful way is to blow in the same direction as the winds of change.

5. Do what brings you joy.

Challenge yourself to do things more joyfully.

simple enjoyment can be the most joyful (pic by Adil)

YOU HAVE TALENTS AND GIFTS - 10 WAYS TO MAXIMIZE THEM

GIFTS BLESSING
B: Believe in the beauty of life – the beauty that you do have gifts and talents that make you content, happy, fulfilled and satisfied – and that they can be developed further.
L: Learn to be more positive and say to yourself if others can be exceptional then so can I. Let go of your limitations by pushing yourself more to do more.
E: Expect more of yourself. Expect more and then you will aim for more.
S: See your talents and gifts as superpowers and engines of growth and drive hard.
S:See your superpowers as Yes Energy! See your superpowers as can-do Energy!

Y: You're more talented than you believe, and gifted than you seem, and smarter than you can imagine. Your thoughts should be the most concrete, firm and full of expectation, passion and can-do power.
O: Our days should not be waiting for the ideal path to appear. Our path is not made by waiting but by walking.  Our life will be better when we put the skates on.
U: Use everything you have got to be more successful. Unturned no stone should be, so leave no stone unturned.

HOW OFTEN?
How often have you doubted your gifts? Have you ever felt you aren’t good enough for a member of the opposite sex or for a particular job task or career? You might be right – for example – if you are hoping to meet and fall in love with a prince or princess or become Mr or Miss World. Your response to this should be: That’s life. But what is also life is that you do have gifts.

Readers of this post are unlikely to have been dealt the hand of Helen Keller. She still make the most of life - blind, deaf and dumb yet she did amazing things in her life. So accept no excuses. Think about your talents and how you maximise them.

Helen Keller was blind, deaf and dumb yet she did amazing things in her life. So accept no excuses.Think about your talents and how you maximise them

THE BEAUTY OF LIFEThe beauty of life is that we do have gifts but we must cultivate them. Think about your likes and loves and how they can have more meaning in your life. You do have a responsibility to yourself and that is to uncover the talents and skills you have and to develop them.

UNEARTH AND BUILD SPECTACULARLY
Our skills and talents are us – a part of our being. In fact, if properly developed they can be quire distinct and unique – just as our fingerprints are. If we can’t do it for ourself – put yourself as part of a grand scheme – the scheme that we have a purpose and we should share that purpose with the world.

INTERNAL GIFTS
Think about the gifts you have – resourcefulness, energy, attitude. In addition if you want to develop them – gratitude, helpfulness and thankfulness.

EXTERNAL GIFTS
These include food, water, people and helpful resources we can call upon. We have varyingly different external resources. For example, family may be more supportive for some people, but then you need to compensate with friends or other resources if family is lacking.

MARSHALING RESOURCES
Organizational skills are also a gift. Consider both your internal and external resources and see how you can best marshal them (put them together).

GREAT GIFTS – GREAT HAPPENINGS
When you focus upon your resources you can avoid getting stuck because every day you should be putting resources together and developing your resources. Touching base with contacts is part of developing resources, for example.

BUILDING MOMENTUMShift your mindset into the building momentum mindset. Put another way – focus on what you have and focus on getting help. Think extending your talents and skills too.

SUPERPOWERSFeel your gifts are your superpowers – superpowers of inner strengths, natural abilities, and every day abilities. See your superpowers as Yes Energy. 

10 POINTERS FOR MORE SUPERPOWER IN YOUR LIFE
1. Believe in the beauty of life – the beauty that you do have gifts and talents that make you content, happy, fulfilled and satisfied – and that they can be developed.
2. Learn to be more positive and say to yourself if others can be exceptional then so can I. Let go of your limitations by pushing yourself more to do more.
3. Expect more of yourself. Expect more and then you will aim for more.
4. See your talents and gifts as superpowers and engines of growth and drive hard.
5.  See your superpowers as Yes Energy! See your superpowers as can-do Energy!
6. You're more talented than you believe, and gifted than you seem, and smarter than you can imagine. Your thoughts should be the most concrete, firm and full of expectation, passion and can-do power.
7. Our days should not be waiting for the ideal path to appear. Our path is not made by waiting but by walking.  Our life will be better when we put the skates on.
8. Use everything you have got to be more successful. Unturned all stones should be so leave no stone unturned. ‎
9. Accept no excuses. Think about your talents and how you maximise them.
10. Consider both your internal and external resources and see how you can best marshal them (put them together). Shift your mindset into the building momentum mindset. Put another way – focus on what you have and focus on getting help. Think extending your talents and skills too.

Advice from mum about choosing a spouse

I would like to share with you the advice my mum gave for choosing a spouse. 

I would like to share a true story with you about my step father. He was my Dad’s closest friend. My Dad died when my mum was in her 30s. At the time when my Dad died my stepfather was also in his 30s and had never had a girlfriend. He told my mum he had asked a few women out but they had all refused him. 

He was not the world’s best looking man but comparing him with other men in his 30s suddenly he was not so bad looking. Thus I think at various ages we can look better or worse. So my mum was lucky because no one had wanted this man and actually he had aged well – now not so bad looking.

Having said that I think sometimes kindness adds a beautiful colour and he is quite a kind man (at least towards my mum). 

Plus my mum taught me that when,deciding whether you like a person you should be like a blind person because qualities are more important.

Actually when it comes to living with someone I think kindness and smelling good are more important. Looks can grow on you too. Blessings.