The True Owner of our Worship and Prayer
Whom we should worship, and to whom we should ask for help? Who can hear and reply our prayer actually? To know the answer, read this article… The Christian people believe on some doctrines depending on which they do their prayer and worship. Let’s know about their doctrines at first, and then we will go to further discussion about it.
Doctrine of the First Council of Constantinople (381 AD): [1]
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son,* who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.
Methodist Church Belief: [7]
The eternal triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit …
- One can pray to GOD.
- As Isa is God’s incarnation, therefore, Isa is God, so one can devote his Worship and Prayer to Isa.
- A person can Pray to Maryam, as she is the Mother of God.
- One can pray to the Saints and Prophets.
The Christian people pray to Isa to get rid of their Sin and to get all kind of helps. Some pray to him believing him as the Son of God, and Maximum worships and prays to him believing him as the God. We will now learn what actually the Old Scriptures, and finally the Quran teaches us about the Worship and Prayer.
– To whom we should devote our Prayer & Worship? –
Christian Traditional Belief:
Devote Worship and Prayer to Isa
Teachings of the Bible:
At first let’s see some verses from the Old Scriptures:
“Listen to my cry for help, my King and my GOD, for to you I pray”
(Bible, Psalm 5:2)
“I call on you, O GOD, for you will answer me”
(Bible, Psalm 17:6)
“Three times a day he (Prophet Daniel) got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his GOD, just as he had done before.”
(Bible, Daniel 6:10)
Here we find that, Prophet Daẅíd & Daniyêl prayed to GOD, not to anyone else. There are hundreds of examples about the Prophets in the Old Scriptures that, all the Prophets prayed to Almighty GOD. There is no evidence anywhere that, any of the Prophets prayed to other anyone except GOD. Now, let’s have a look from New Testament to check what Isa did:
“Little children were brought to Isa for him to place his hands on them and pray for them (to GOD)”
(Bible, Matthew 19:13)
“Isa was baptized too. And as he (Isa) was praying (to GOD) …”
(Bible, Luke 3:21)
“Isa often withdrew to lonely places and prayed (to GOD)”
(Bible, Luke 5:16)
“Isa went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to GOD”
(Bible, Luke 6:12)
“Isa was praying (to GOD) in private”
(Bible, Luke 9:18)
“One day Isa was praying in a certain place”
(Bible, Luke 11:1)
“After Isa said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed (to GOD)”
(Bible, John 17:1)
Firstly, here we see that, Isa prayed to Someone. His praying wasn’t a drama or a fake. Neither he asked help to his own, nor he talked to his own spirit while praying. So, surely this Someone is a different being from Isa, who is no one but GOD.
Secondly, as Isa prayed to GOD, it means that, he had no capability to help his own, or to do any miracle. If Isa would be the GOD, then he wouldn’t pray to someone else to get help or to give thanks.
That means, the people, who identify themselves as the Follower of Christ, should follow the way in which their Christ prayed and worshiped. As Christ Isa devoted his prayer and worship to the Almighty GOD, his followers should also do the same. So, if a person worships and prays to Isa, then a question arises that, whether the person really following his Christ while Christ Isa never worshiped or prayed to his own?
Some people claim that, Isa taught us to pray to him, as it is written like this:
“I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it”
(Bible, John 14:13-14)
Here, Isa said to his disciples that, if his disciples ask to Isa (in the name of Isa), then (with the power of GOD) Isa will give them what they ask, so that people may believe on Isa as a Prophet of GOD, and may bring glory to GOD.
Now check some questions on this verse, to understand its meaning:
Does, in this passage, Isa meant that, this teaching is for all of us?
Answer is: No, it is not. It was for the disciples, who always stayed with Isa as an eyewitness of him, so that the disciples may believe on him watching the miracles done by the power of GOD, and thus GOD may be glorified through Isa.
This teaching is not for us because; we have not seen Isa directly. That means: we are not the eyewitness of him. Isa is absent, invisible, unknown and unseen to us, as well as GOD. So, there is no necessity of one unseen (Isa) to glorify another unseen (GOD), where the Unseen Glorified(GOD) is greater than the unseen glorifier (Isa).
Now, if someone says, “We don’t know GOD, but we know Isa, and we have to know Isa more to know the GOD”, then the reply will be: Not only Isa, but also all other Prophets introduced GOD. Neither have we seen Prophet Isa, nor the GOD. But it is sure that, people have read much about GOD than Isa in the Holy Books. So, if someone can believe unseen and less-known Isa without any mediator, then they surely can believe on the unseen much-known GOD without the mediator Isa.
So, we should be sure that, there is no necessity of any mediator now while GOD is ready to hear our prayer always.
Did Isa say to his disciples that he will hear their asking always?
Answer is: No, never at all. It is not written anywhere that, Isa will be able to hear the asking of people even when he will be absent on the Earth. Where we can’t get any evidence that, Isa will be able to hear our asking always, then why we shall ask or pray to him? That means; this teaching was only for his disciples who stayed beside him, not for us.
Is Asking means Praying?
Answer is: In this verse Isa said his disciples that, they may ask to him, but he never recommended it as compulsory. Moreover, he never said to Pray to him using his name, as in the above verse asking (αἰτέω) doesn’t mean praying (προσεύχομαι).
Why Isa said to ask anything in his Isa name?
Answer is: Isa said to his disciples to ask for anything in his Isa name because, when they will ask anything in his Isa name, and will watch the miracle of GOD, then they will believe on Isa as a Messenger of GOD, and will accept the revelation that GOD sent through him.
Isa came on this earth to fulfill GOD’s will, completed his tasks, glorified the GOD, and finally left the earth. So, the people who already believe Isa and the Revelation, they don’t need to use the Isa name, because everything is for the glory of the name of GOD, not for the glory of the name of Isa.
To whom and using which name all the Prophets and the GOD Anointed People asked or prayed?
Answer is: There is no evidence in the Holy Books that, any Prophet or GOD Anointed Person asked or prayed to anyone rather than GOD. We will not get any single Prophet or GOD Anointed Person who prayed or asked in the name of Isa before the establishment of Christianity.
Is there any necessity to ask to GOD in any other name rather than the name of our GOD?
We have read about Mûsâ, Daẅíd and all other Prophets but not seen them. Similarly we have read about Isa but never seen him. So, while people pray to Isa in the Isa name to glorify GOD through Isa, then why they don’t pray to Mûsâ, Daẅíd and all other Prophets in their names too? Will not the name of Mûsâ, Daẅíd and all other Prophets bring glory to GOD? So, when people are praying in Isa name aren’t they making classification of the Prophets by judging their status, which right they don’t have at all? Actually, we don’t need to use any other unseen (mediator) person’s name while we have the name of our unseen GOD, as the name of our GOD is most powerful miraculous and glorious among all the seen and unseen names. As it is written that:
“Help us, O GOD our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for Your Name’s sake.”
(Bible, Psalm 79:9)
So, we see that, GOD’s name is most glorious, by which name’s sake one can get rid of his sins.
Now, Let us learn what Isa taught about prayer:
“This, then, is how you should pray: Our (Spiritual) Father in Heaven …”
(Bible, Matthew 6:9)
So, we find that, Isa taught to pray to GOD, but the Christian people pray to Isa where Isa himself worshiped and prayed to GOD. Let’s have a look at the complete prayer that Isa taught:
“Our (Spiritual) Father in Heaven, Hallowed be Your name,
Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation (of Devil by giving him the chance to exam us), but deliver us from the evil one.
For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amîn.
(Bible, Matthew 6:9-13)
In this prayer Isa taught to,
- Glorify GOD by honoring His (GOD) name as holy and agreeing His (GOD) Kingship of the Heaven & the Earth for eternity.
- Request for our daily needs to GOD.
- Request mercy of our guilty from GOD.
- And, request the GOD for salvation from Sin & the Sinful Natures.
This was a standard sample of prayer that was taught by Isa. Here, Isa taught to worship and glorify only GOD; and for every kind of spiritual and worldly needs Isa instructed to ask to the Almighty GOD. There is no single portion where it was taught to ask for anything to Isa or to glorify or worship Isa. But still, people glorify and devote their prayer and worship to Isa forgetting the true GOD.
Now, let’s check an important verse. Hopefully this will help us to be confirm about some lessons about praying:
“My prayer is not for them (the disciples) alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their (Isa’s disciple) message, that all of them may be one (into the GOD’s way)”
(Bible, John 17:20-21)
Here, we see that, Isa prayed to GOD for him himself and also for his disciples and the believers. So, it is a big question to the Christian people that, why they pray to someone, who (Isa) himself prays to another someone (GOD) for his own?
Not only this, the Christian people surely should devote their prayer and worship to GOD, as Isa taught them that:
“Worship the Lord your GOD, and serve Him only”
(Matthew 4:10) & (Luke 4:8)
But still the Christian people follow their traditional beliefs, not Isa.
Re-Establishment of the Teachings by Quran:
Isa came with new Revelation and Miraculous Signs from Allah. But seeing all these people became astonished and began to think Isa as the incarnation of Almighty Creator. In this way people began to turn all the truths of Allah into false and began devote their Worship and Prayer to Isa, forgetting the true Almighty Creator Allah. As it is written that:
“… All the praises and thanks be to Allah!” But most of them know not.”
(Quran, Al Luqkam 31:25)
“… of mankind (there) are some (people) who take others (for worship) besides Allah …”
(Quran, Al Baqarah 2:165)
For this reason, Allah decided to reveal Quran among mankind by which the disbelievers may return into the true Way of Life.
Allah is saying His mankind to believe and announce that:
Say, “I have been forbidden to worship those whom you invoke (worship) beside Allah”. Say, “I will not follow your (Devilish) vain desires”
(Quran, Al An’am 6:56)
“… we worship none but Allah; … we associate no partners with Him”
(Quran, Ali Imran 3:64)
“Allah is my Lord & your Lord; you shall worship Him alone. This is the right path”
(Quran, Al’Imran 5:51)
“I will worship only my Lord (Allah). By imploring my Lord alone, I shall be not unsuccessful”
(Quran, Maryam 19:48)
“(O Allah), You Alone we ask for help”
(Quran, Al Fatehah 1:5)
”If Allah helps you, none can overcome you; and if He forsakes you, who is there after Him that can help you? …”
(Quran, Al Imran 3:160)
Allah is commanding His mankind that:
“I (Allah) created not the Spirits and Mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone).”
(Quran, Az Zariyat 51:56)
“You shall pray to your Lord (Allah)”
(Quran, Al Kauthar 108:2)
“… I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator) …”
(Quran, Al Baqarah 2:186)
“You shall seek provisions only from Allah. You shall worship Him alone, and be appreciative of Him; to Him is your ultimate return”
(Quran, Al’Ankaboot 29:17)
“… And in Allah (Alone) let believers put their trust.”
(Quran, Al Imran 3:160)
So, whoever believes on Allah’s uniqueness will say:
“We shall worship your Allah; the Allah of your fathers, of Îbrahîm, Ishmaîl and Ishaķ; the one Allah; to Him we are submitters.”
(Quran, Al Baqarah 2:113)
But the disbelievers are always in the wrong way. About these disbelievers it is written in the Quran that:
They do blaspheme who say: “Allah is Messiah the Son of Maryam”. But Messiah said: “O Children of Israel, Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord” Whoever joins other (Man Made) Gods with Allah, Allah will forbid him the Garden (of Heaven), and the Fire (of Hell) will be his abode.
(Quran, Maedah 5:72)
“Do they assign to Allah partners who created creations similar to His creation, so that the creation (which they made and Allah’s creation) seemed alike to them?”
(Quran, Ar Ra’ad 13:16)
“Those who worship and invoke others beside Allah, in fact they follow not (Allah’s so called) partners, they follow nothing but fancy, and they do nothing but lie”
(Quran, Yunus 10:66)
– Should we pray to Isa in the Isa name? –
Up to this, we have understood that, Quran teaches to worship only the Almighty Creator Allah, and to pray to Him only. Now we will discuss about the Christian belief related to the Prayer according to Quran.
Maximum Christian people believe that, they should ask for anything to Isa in the Isa Name or should pray to God in the Name of Isa as it is written that:
“And I (Isa) will do whatever you (Isa’s Disciples) ask in my name, so that the (Spiritual) Son may bring glory to the (Heavenly) Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it”.
(Bible, John 14:13-14)
“… Then the (Spiritual) Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.”
(Bible, John 15:16)
Firstly, Isa said these two verses only to his disciples to whom he was a Witness (of Allah). When the disciples asked for anything to Isa in the Isa Name or prayed to God in the Name of Isa and the praying became successful, then Allah became glorified through His Witness and His Mediator, Isa Messiah. This was the only purpose to remember the name Isa for them who were the Witnesses of Isa. But now, when Isa is not present on earth, he is not a Witness (of Allah) anymore and not a Mediator (to Allah), and even not a Guide. Now Allah is the Guide, the Watcher and the Witness to all things, and there is no need of any Mediator. So we don’t need to ask for anything to anyone rather than Allah, and also don’t need to remember any name except the name of our Almighty Creator. Our concept will be clear if we check a verse from Quran where it is written that:
“Never did I (Isa) say to them (the children of Israel) aught except what You (Allah) did command me to say: ‘Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord’. And I (Isa) was a Witness among them (the children of Israel) for as long as I lived with them, but when You (Allah) took me up, You were the Watcher over them; and You are a Witness to all things”
(Quran, Maedah 5:117)
Secondly, there is no single evidence anywhere that Isa can read the mind of entire mankind or will be able to hear the praying of people for ever even he is not on earth. But, it is only Allah who can hear as well as watch everything, and can reply our prayers always and forever. As it is written that:
“… He (Allah) is the All-Knower of everything”
(Quran, Al Baqarah 2:29)
“… Verily, You are the All-Hearer, the All-Knower”
(Quran, Al Baqarah 2:127)
Thirdly, if the remembrance of the name Isa glorifies Allah in prayer, then it is sure that the name of the other Prophets will also bring glory to Allah in prayer. But, there is no need of any other name to glorify the Most High Allah. Because His name is most glorious, as it is written that:
“Most exalted is the name of your Lord, the Owner of Majesty and Honor”
(Quran, Ar Rahman 55:78)
Finally, we are sure that, there is no necessity of any other name or any other person rather than Allah, as He is the Most High, and His Name is most glorious and most honorable.
– Should we Pray to Maryam? –
Christian Traditional Belief:
Prayer (with worship) to Maryam
Teachings of the Bible:
There is no single evidence in the Old Scriptures that, Isa taught to worship or to pray to his mother. This kind of belief was created among the Christians because they accepted Maryam as the Queen of Heaven for being the mother of GOD; while the Christians believe Isa as GOD.
Many Scholars claim that, these false beliefs about Maryam were made from some Pagan Religious Thoughts, where Gods’ Mothers (Sumero-Babylonian Ishtar, Egyptian Isis etc) were worshiped as a divine being.
Re-Establishment of the Teachings by Quran:
While people began to worship Isa’s mother, in that circumstance Allah revealed Quran to teach the right lesson. Let’s have a look on what Quran taught about this:
Allah will say (at the Judgment day): “O Isa, the Son of Maryam! Did you say to the people, ‘Worship me and my Mother (Maryam) as Gods beside Allah’?” He (Isa) will say, “Glorified are You (my Allah)! I couldn’t say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing, You would surely have known it. You know what is in my mind through I don’t know what is in Yours”
(Quran, Maedah 5:116)
So, some question to the people who worship and pray to Maryam:
- Did Isa prayed to Maryam, as she was his mother?
- Did Isa taught to his disciples to pray to his mother?
- Is there such any example anywhere in the Holy Books?
If these are not done, then what is the reason and necessity of praying to Maryam? Isn’t it against GOD’s will and against the teachings of Isa?
– Should we Pray to Saints and Prophets? –
Christian Traditional Belief:
Prayer to Saints and Prophets
This belief is mainly among the Catholic Christians, not among the Protestants
Teachings of the Bible:
There is no single evidence in the Old Scriptures that, Isa taught to pray or worship to any Prophet or Saint. But still many Christian people believed that, if they pray to the Prophets and Saints, then these pious people will request GOD about these prayers, and their prayers will be granted. But, the truth is, GOD needs no via to hear our prayers, He wants and is always ready to hear our prayers and requests. Moreover, who are praying to Prophet and Saints, they are even not sure that, whether the Prophets and the Saints can hear their praying or not, while the Prophets and the Saints are no more on the earth. The Holy Books have no proof of such belief.
Re-Establishment of the Teachings by Quran:
Quran teaches to worship and to pray to the one and only Almighty Creator Allah. Before learning from Quran, let’s think about the answers of some question; hopefully it will clear us the teaching of Allah. The questions are:
- The Christians pray to the Prophets and Saints to get a support for their prayers to be granted by Allah. But, to whom the Prophets and the Saints prayed while they needed? Did they use any via? If they don’t need via then why the General People need via?
- Does Allah want that, only the Pious People will pray to Him? Doesn’t He want that, all the people will pray to Him?
- If a prayer is valid according to the wish of Allah, then where is the difference that a General Person is asking or a Pious Person is asking? Does Allah accept references of the Pious while accepting our prayers? Or, does He do partiality?
- Does Allah takes rest that He needs an assistant to record our prayers? Doesn’t He hear our prayer always?
The answers of these questions are simply described in Quran as below:
“They (Jews & Christians) have set up their Rabbis and Monks to be their Lord beside Allah … while they were commanded to worship none but One Êlah (Allah).”
(Quran, At Taubah 9:31)
“O people, Worship only your Lord (Allah); the One who created you”
(Quran, Al’Baqarah 2:21)
At last, undoubtedly we can say that, all our worship and prayers are belongs to Allah only, not anyone else. It is only HE who hears and replies our Prayers.
So, let’s have a look over some questions.
- Is Quran teaching that, we should pray to Isa or to Maryam or to the Prophets and the Saints?
- Is Quran teaching us to worship someone else instead of the Almighty Creator?
- Does Allah accept references for our prayers, or want to hear our prayers and requests from us?
It is sure that the answers of these questions are, NO.
Remember Some Facts
Quran is teaching that, we have to worship our Almighty Creator Allah.
For all our needs we have to pray and have to thank to the Almighty Allah, not anyone else.
Allah needs neither any assistant nor He accepts any reference for prayer.
– By Preacher Abdullah N. A.
References:
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicene_Creed
- http://www.ag.org/top/Beliefs/Statement_of_Fundamental_Truths/sft_short.cfm
- http://www.catholic.org/clife/prayers/prayer.php?s=5
- http://www.catholic.org/prayers/prayer.php?s=31
- http://www.catholic.org/prayers/prayer.php?s=26
- http://www.elca.org/What-We-Believe/Statements-of-Belief/The-Nicene-Creed.aspx
- http://www.umc.org/site/c.lwL4KnN1LtH/b.2299859/k.13B7/Our_Christian_Roots.htm
- http://www.oca.org/QA.asp?ID=18&SID=3
- http://www.oca.org/QA.asp?ID=246&SID=3
- http://www.sbc.net/aboutus/basicbeliefs.asp
- Holy Quran