Principles of Islam
28. The Mosque
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renounce his life of ignorance and heedlessness in
favour of a life inspired by Islamic moral values.
Throughout the prayer
(salat)
the phrase, ‘Allahu-
Akbar’, ‘God is great,’ is repeated several times.
Implicit in these words is the idea that the person
uttering them is not great. Their frequent repetition
is a lesson in modesty, designed to rid the
worshipper of arrogance and egoism, and turn him
into a humble servant of God.
The acts of kneeling down and self-prostration are
also repeated several times in the course of the
prayer, in symbolic submission before God. In this
way, the worshipper is conditioned by
salat
to
surrender himself to his Maker in all humility.
The various postures in the
salat
climax in the act of
self-prostration – the ultimate demonstration of
submission. Real proof of this submission to God
will only become manifest, however, in subsequent
dealings with other human beings, in which it is
clear that self glorification has been replaced by
glorification of the Almighty, and that feelings of
superiority have given way to profound humility.
