Supplications Within the Dawn Prayers

Published in December 31, 2018

Translated by: Ahmed Fathy

Introduction:

 We have received a question, via email, about if the Sunnite habit of offering long supplications within the dawn prayers (performed in congregation inside mosques) is right or wrong. We give our Quranist view within the points below.

Firstly: offering supplications or imploring/praying to the Lord God is a separate act of worship:

1- This separate act of worship has no specific times or specific ways or utterances/words. We prove this using Quranic verses in the following points.

1/1: Jonah supplicated to the Lord God within his ordeal after being swallowed by the whale; the Lord God has delivered him: "And Jonah, when he stormed out in fury, thinking We had no power over him. But then He cried out in the darkness, "There is no God but You! Glory to You! I was one of the unjust ones!" So We answered him, and saved him from the affliction. Thus We save the believers." (21:87-88).

1/2: Moses supplicated to the Lord God within his ordeal of running away in fear within self-exile: "..."My Lord, I am in dire need of whatever good you might send down to me."" (28:24).

1/3: Zachariah supplicated to the Lord God within his ardent wish to have a son: "A mention of the mercy of your Lord towards His servant Zachariah. When he called on his Lord, a call in seclusion. He said, "My Lord, my bones have become feeble, and my hair is aflame with gray, and never, Lord, have I been disappointed in my prayers to you. "And I fear for my dependents after me, and my wife is barren. So grant me, from Yourself, an heir. To inherit me, and inherit from the House of Jacob, and make him, my Lord, pleasing."" (19:2-6).

1/4: All human beings who face hardships and serious trouble, especially life-threatening situations, supplicate to the Lord God: "Say, "Who delivers you from the darkness of land and sea?" You call upon Him humbly and inwardly: "If He delivers us from this, We will surely be among the thankful." " (6:63).

2- We can supplicate to the Lord God anytime anywhere. Those who are too arrogant to pray to the Lord God will enter into Hell: "Your Lord has said, "Pray to Me, and I will respond to you. But those who are too proud to worship Me will enter Hell within humiliation."" (40:60).

3- The supplication is an act of worship reflecting sincere faith and guidance: "And when My servants ask you about Me, I Am near; I answer the call of the caller when he calls on Me. So let them answer Me, and have faith in Me, that they may be rightly guided." (2:186).

4- True monotheists supplicate to their Lord humbly (i.e., within humility) and within the fear of the Lord God in a low voice: "Call upon your Lord humbly and privately. He does not love the aggressors. And do not corrupt on earth after its reformation, and pray to Him with fear and hope. God's mercy is close to the doers of good." (7:55-56).

5- The above point is asserted here regarding all acts of worship: "And remember your Lord within yourself, humbly and fearfully, and quietly, in the morning and the evening, and do not be of the heedless." (7:205).

Secondly: supplications within humility and reverence:

1- Supplications can be part of the daily prayers within kneeling/bowing and prostrating accompanied by glorifying the Holy Name of the Lord God; believers are nearer to God when they prostrate; this is the best time to offer supplications: "No, do not obey him; but prostrate and come near." (96:19).

2- Of course, the Quranic Chapter One, read in every Raqa during prayers, contains this verse of supplication: "Guide us to the Straight Path." (1:6).

3- Supplications and prayers, and all Islamic acts of worship, should be done within humility and reverence.

Thirdly: the meaning of humility and reverence:

1- To humble oneself to the Lord God is to submit to him totally; in fact, all creatures submit to the Lord God the Creator.

1/1: "Do they desire other than the religion of God, when to Him has submitted everything in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, and to Him they will be returned?" (3:83).

1/2: "To God prostrates everyone in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, as do their shadows, in the morning and in the evening." (13:15).

2- The same meaning of humility/submission within reverence is repeated in the following Quranic contexts.

2/1: "...Rather, His is everything in the heavens and the earth; all are submitting to Him." (2:116).

2/2: "To Him belongs everyone in the heavens and the earth. All are submissive to Him." (30:26).

3- The prayers must be performed within reverence, humility, devotion, and submission.

3/1: "Guard your prayers, and the best prayers, and stand before God in devotion." (2:238).

3/2: "Successful are the believers. Those who are humble in their prayers." (23:1-2).

4- This is repeated about the pious ones who will enter into Paradise.

4/1: "The patient, and the truthful, and the reverent, and the charitable, and the seekers of forgiveness at dawn." (3:17).

4/2: "Muslim men and Muslim women, believing men and believing women, obedient men and obedient women, truthful men and truthful women, patient men and patient women, humble men and humble women, charitable men and charitable women, fasting men and fasting women, men who guard their chastity and women who guard, men who remember God frequently and women who remember - God has prepared for them a pardon, and an immense reward." (33:35).

5- This applies to those who stay up to perform prolonged acts of worship at night; they are knowledgeable, pious, monotheistic men and women.

5/1: "Is he who worships devoutly during the watches of the night, prostrating himself and standing up, mindful of the Hereafter, and placing his hope in the mercy of his Lord? Say, "Are those who know and those who do not know equal?" Only those possessed of reason will remember." (39:9).

5/2: "O you who believe!...God elevates those among you who believe, and those given knowledge, many steps. God is Aware of what you do." (58:11).

6- This is about the devotion of Abraham: "Abraham was an exemplary leader, devoted to God, a monotheist, and was not of the polytheists. Thankful for His blessings. He chose him, and guided him to the Straight Path." (16:120-121).

7- About Mary, the mother of Jesus, we read the following.

7/1: the command for her to worship the Lord go within devotion and reverence: ""O Mary, be devoted to your Lord, and bow down, and kneel with those who kneel."" (3:43).

7/2: She maintained this devotion until her death: "And Mary, the daughter of Imran, who guarded her womb, and so We breathed into her of Our Spirit; and she believed in the truth of her Lord's Words and His Books, and became one of the devout." (66:12).

8- Good wives are devout: "...The good women are devoted, guarding what God would have them guard..." (4:34).

9- Some of the wives of Muhammad were the exact opposite of the above Quranic phrase in 4:34.

9/1: The Lord God has directly addressed these wives here to warn and preach them because of their special status: "O wives of the prophet! Whoever of you commits a proven indecency, the torment for her will be doubled. And that would be easy for God. But whoever of you remains obedient to God and His messenger, and acts righteously, We will give her a double reward; and We have prepared for her a generous provision. O wives of the prophet! You are not like any other women, if you observe piety. So do not speak too softly, lest the sick at heart lusts after you, but speak in an appropriate manner.And settle in your homes; and do not display yourselves, as in the former days of ignorance. And perform the prayers, and give regular charity, and obey God and His messenger. God desires to remove all impurity from you, O people of the household, and to purify you thoroughly." (33:30-33).

9/2: Two of Muhammad's wives rebelled against him and they negatively influenced the other wives; all of them are warned here: "The prophet told something in confidence to one of his wives. But when she disclosed it, and God made it known to him; he communicated part of it, and he avoided another part. Then, when he informed her of it, she said, "Who informed you of this?" He said, "The All-Knowing, the All-Informed, informed me." If you repent to God, then your hearts have listened. But if you band together against him, then God is his Ally, as is Gabriel, and the righteous believers. In addition, the angels will assist him. Perhaps, if he divorces you, his Lord will give him in exchange wives better than you: submitters, believing, devoted, penitent, devout, fasting-previously married, or virgins." (66:3-5).

Lastly:

 It is OK that monotheists invoke, pray, implore, and supplicate to the Lord God within (or after) the prayers within humility, reverence, and fear of the Lord God; this can be done after reading the Quranic Chapter One and within kneeling and prostrating during the daily prayers.