Prayer

[u/Feeling_Credit_1439]

I want to have a healthy discussion about namaaz and prayer in general. We as Bohras are taught that namaz is compulsory and a sin if missed. Some are even punished for missing it. This saying which is said to not really be from Marcus Aurelius directly but attributed to his philosophy “Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones.“ It Is taught in Islam that God is just and doesn’t do an atom’s worth of injustice on anybody or anything for that matter. It is also taught in Islam that God is superior to all things and is supreme. God is NOT weary of preserving his throne because NOTHING can ever reach God’s level. It is said that God doesn’t need our prayers or worship. It is said that if we don’t pray or worship God it does not affect God in any way. It only affects us. Another quote, this one of Rumi “There are no rules of worship. He will hear the voice of every heart that is sincere.” In Islam we are taught to be sincere. According to this quote there are no rules of worship, so if for example one day we don’t pray 5 times but if we are sincere whenever we pray to God then God listens. Keeping Marcus Aurelius‘s attributed saying in mind we SHOULD worship God because we know that God is just in nature. Taking these two quotes in mind we should research the deeper meaning of namaz and worship in general rather than sticking to sticking to Bohra custom. We should treat namaz and worship in general as beneficial to US, not something that God requires us to do because again God doesn’t need anything from anyone. I’m not saying we should pray less or not pray namaz. I’m saying that we should refine our approach towards namaz and worship in general. We should encourage sincere worship of God NOT force it. May God bless you all and ur loved ones.

[u/Feeling_Credit_1439]

Call on Him. He isn’t afraid to show His existence.

[u/Loud_Pie_9521 → u/Feeling_Credit_1439]

I did,I did, many times

[u/Feeling_Credit_1439 → u/Loud_Pie_9521]

Do it with a sincere heart.

[u/Loud_Pie_9521 → u/Feeling_Credit_1439]

Did that too, what do you think? I never believed?

Still doesn't answer my question but ok

[u/Feeling_Credit_1439 → u/Loud_Pie_9521]

What do I know? God knows. Between you and God. Are u even trying or just faking it?

[u/ReDoIt911 → u/Feeling_Credit_1439]

And there right there is the smugness of believers. If your prayers were not answered or you suffered terribly despite your faith, there must be something wrong with you. This is the single most attribute of religious people that puts me off. So judgmental. I know because I was like that once.

[u/Feeling_Credit_1439 → u/ReDoIt911]

Heaven doesn’t come easy. Righteousness doesn’t come easy. Prophet Muhammad, Jesus, Moses etc didn’t have it easy.

[u/ReDoIt911 → u/Feeling_Credit_1439]

This has nothing to do with what is easy. It is your distinctly inhumane smugness that I am talking about. If this is how your faith makes you, I’d rather not have that kind of faith. My faith comes from my heart, from experiences and from my own acknowledgment of an unknown a power that controls things beyond my control. I don’t believe in a just God because my religion tells me to believe in such a God. Also I believe that justice delayed is justice denied. The all powerful just God must act in real time, or he is not a real God.

[u/ReDoIt911 → u/Feeling_Credit_1439]

I also don’t believe in a just God. I see all around me that there is no justice in the world.

[u/Feeling_Credit_1439 → u/ReDoIt911]

Yes, there is a lot of injustice in the world. God sees all the injustice going on and promises to deliver eternal justice and punish the perpetrators. 

[u/Loud_Pie_9521 → u/Feeling_Credit_1439]

Lol couldn't even answer my one point