How Should We Pray?

[RedDragon94]

I am in Portland, Oregon.

I hear that's a lovely place this time of year.

 

[Ellen Brown]

I hear that's a lovely place this time of year.

 

[wandering peacefully]

It varies from Mosque to Mosque. I've been places where we were in a different room and could not even see the one who offered Prayer. In another place we were separated by a low wall of bookcases. In the time of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH there was a round tent, and they all went in one door with the men on one side and the sisters on the other. Eventually there were two doors.

Not surprisingly, the shatun had his way, perverting the worship and the men were in front and the women in back. In some parts of the world women were not allowed into the Mosque at all. Saudi Arabia was that way at one time but I do not know about today?

In California and in the UK, there are now women only Mosques. I imagined that caused a great fitnah (uproar), but the men brought it on themselves.

It always fascinates me and puzzles me as well why women like to be subjugated. I understand that Muslim women have been and do go through a lot for their religion and their man. But I wouldn't last 5 minutes in that situation. Do you have any ideas on percentages of women who like their position in traditional Muslim lifestyles vs what percentage would like more freedoms?

 

[arthra]

I've been thinking about the way and state that various beliefs use when praying.

Baha'is most often use prayers revealed by the Central Figures of the Faith: The Bab, Baha'u'llah and Abdul-Baha. Baha'i prayers are online:

Bahá’í Prayers

There are obligatory prayers that are recited daily and we are free to choose between a short, medium and long obligatory prayer. The obligatory prayers are recited privately rather than in congregation.

The prayers are preceded by ablutions and facing "Bahji" the Baha'i Qiblih in the Holy Land. The Medium and Long Obligatory prayer have instructions for kneeling, standing, raising the hands and prostrating. The obligatory prayers are online:

The Obligatory Prayers

Baha'is also recite daily the Greatest Name ninety five times:

Baha'i Prayer - Reciting Allah-u-Abha | Nineteen Months

 

[shunyadragon]

From: Prayer in the Bahá'í Faith - Wikipedia

"Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, encouraged Bahá'ís to pray frequently; he wrote that prayer should be used both individually as an act of worship in turning to God, and collectively in meetings.[3] The Bahá'í writings state that prayer is essential to the development of spirituality, and that it is natural to have the impulse to pray. The benefit of prayer, however, is not obtained by the act of praying itself, but the spiritual state induced by prayer. In that regard, Bahá'u'lláh wrote that a brief prayer that is joyful is better to a long prayer which does not induce a spiritual state;[1] that it is the spirit in which the prayer is offered that is important.[3]

In the Bahá'í writings, the purpose of prayer is to get closer to God and to Bahá'u'lláh and to help better their own conduct and to request divine assistance. Prayer is used to express an individual's love of God and to affect their inner self.[3] Prayer can also be used to obtain specific material ends, but the Bahá'í writings state that it is more important to pray for the love of God without any other hope or fear. Bahá'u'lláh wrote that prayer is essential to any undertaking, and that it attracts confirmations from God."

 

[Maponos]

Since this is in comparative religion...

There's no one way to pray. Many religions have different ways of praying based on where, when and how the prayer itself is being performed.

Ancient Hellenists would stand with their arms and palms towards the sky whilst beseeching the gods.

Modern day Shintoists often clap and bow before a shrine before praying to the gods.