Islam As It Is
The Five Pillars of Islam
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while creating social consciousness and unity in
their ranks. Prayer is not only a symbol of the
Islamic life, but also inculcates self-discipline
among Muslims. Although the most important
aspect of prayer is its being the main point of
spiritual contact with God, it also has valuable
lessons for us on how to conduct ourselves in our
daily lives.
Prayer, as well as being a ritual mode of worship, is
an expression of the inner realities of humility
before, and devotion to God. The ultimate
acknowledgement of another’s greatness being the
repetition of the words, “He is the Greatest,” the
words,
Allahu Akbar,
are uttered time and time
again in prayer. Verbal acknowledgement is thus
made of the absolute quality of God’s greatness in
comparison to that of ordinary mortals.
Physically, the ultimate recognition of another’s
greatness is the act of self-prostration; no physical
act is more obviously a testament to the greatness of
another than this. Performed repeatedly during
prayers, it is a practical reminder and a clear
demonstration of one’s belief in the incomparable
