Punctuation guide to prayer

Bismillah, alhamdulillah.

Life in Saudi Arabia is punctuated by prayer, so wrote some journalist talking about Saudi Arabia. This is very much less so compared to a decade ago but the analogy still holds very much true compared to other parts of the world.

Dwelling on the analogy the following comparisons came to mind when thinking about the various forms of punctuation. Non-muslims may not appreciate the different forms of prayer that exist in Islam, so here is a very brief punctuation guide to prayer:

Fullstops (.)
Muslims have to pray five obligatory prayers in a day. They must stop whatevere they are doing as part of their daily life's activites and perform the prayer, a bit like a fullstop. If they don't they will have committed a major sin. On the other hand performing the five obligatory prayers is a mjor source of reward and a defining character of Islam.

Commas (,)
Muslims can earn extra rewards by praying what are called sunnah prayers. These are akin to commas in punctuation. In othe words they do not have to be prayed but they ae meritorious and introduce a graceful pause in a person's life to allow them to reflect more deeply on the fleeting nature of this world and it's beguiling nature. These prayers bring a person closer to God and help patch defecits in missed prayers from the past.

Question marks (?)
When Muslims come to an important junction in their lives and need God's help in making a decision they have been taught a prayer in which they mention the two alternatives they are thining about and ask God for assistance in choosing the most appropriate and beneficial course of action. This prayer is called صلاة الاستخارة or the Prayer of Choosing. Benefit is not judged just on worldy benefit but is a combination of good in this world and hereafter.

Exclamation mark (!)
When in distress or in trouble it was the practice of the Prophet Muhammad (S) to turn to prayer seeking god's assiatance and help. There are some special prayers which also fit this category such as the prayer of fear when there is an eclipse of either the sun or moon. These natural events are potentn reminders to makind of the all powerful nature of God and are designed to remind ever forgetful man to turn back to god and think about his final destiny beyond the ephemeral nature of this world.

As all analogies are limited by the very nature of the analogy I must stop myself here for this is what has come naturally and easily to the mind. Perhaps it is a way of thinking about prayer that can explain the fullness and importance of prayer to a true believer. If the story of our life is being written daily by our own hands and actions, then for a believer it is puntuatedm shaped and aligned by a code that is the religion of Islam. The fortunate man is whose narrative is best, it has a beginning, a middle and a wonderful ending. To the Muslim the perfect ending is to die as a Muslim especially while performing a righteous act pleasing to God.

May God let the Muslims who are alive today die in a state of belief and let them punctuate their lives with the keys to paradise, prayer.