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58-513: Al-Fatiha is recited in Muslim obligatory and voluntary prayers , known as salah . The primary literal meaning of the expression "Al-Fatiha" is "The Opener/The Key". The most commonly accepted view about the origins of the surah is the view of Ibn Abbas , among others, that Al-Fatiha is a Meccan surah , although some believe that it is either a Medinan surah or was revealed in both Mecca and Medina . Most narrators recorded that al-Fātiḥah

116-472: A human cultural universal , which would have been present since the emergence of behavioral modernity , by anthropologists such as Sir Edward Burnett Tylor and Sir James George Frazer . Reliable records are available for the polytheistic religions of the Iron Age , most notably Ancient Greek religion , which strongly influenced Roman religion . These religious traditions were direct developments of

174-429: A rapport with an object of worship through deliberate communication . In the narrow sense, the term refers to an act of supplication or intercession directed towards a deity or a deified ancestor . More generally, prayer can also have the purpose of thanksgiving or praise , and in comparative religion is closely associated with more abstract forms of meditation and with charms or spells . Prayer can take

232-591: A form of prayer. Hindus chant mantras. Jewish prayer may involve swaying back and forth and bowing. Muslim prayer involves bowing, kneeling and prostration , while some Sufis whirl . Quakers often keep silent. Some pray according to standardized rituals and liturgies, while others prefer extemporaneous prayers; others combine the two. Christian circles often look to Friedrich Heiler (1892-1967), whose systematic Typology of Prayer lists six types of prayer: primitive, ritual, Greek cultural, philosophical, mystical, and prophetic. Some forms of prayer require

290-485: A god. Some people pray throughout all that is happening during the day and seek guidance as the day progresses. This is actually regarded as a requirement in several Christian denominations, although enforcement is neither possible nor desirable. There can be many different answers to prayer, just as there are many ways to interpret an answer to a question, if there in fact comes an answer. Some may experience audible, physical, or mental epiphanies. If indeed an answer comes,

348-478: A more general sense and not referring exclusively to any specific group of people. However, some Muslim commentators believe Jews and Christians are examples of those evoking God's anger and those who went astray, respectively. [ bi-smi-llahi-r-raḥmāni-r-raḥīm(i) ] In the name of God, the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful. [ al-ḥamdu li-llāhi rabbi-l-ʿālamīn(a) ] Praise be to God, Lord of

406-461: A more standardized form, although still radically different from the form practiced by modern Jews . Individual prayer is described by the Tanakh two ways. The first of these is when prayer is described as occurring, and a result is achieved, but no further information regarding a person's prayer is given. In these instances, such as with Isaac , Moses , Samuel , and Job , the act of praying

464-420: A musical accompaniment. There may be a time of outward silence while prayers are offered mentally. Often, there are prayers to fit specific occasions, such as the blessing of a meal , the birth or death of a loved one, other significant events in the life of a believer, or days of the year that have special religious significance. Details corresponding to specific traditions are outlined below. Anthropologically,

522-497: A person of the need to take active measures. This potential drawback manifests in extreme forms in such cases as Christian Scientists who rely on prayers instead of seeking medical treatment for family members for easily curable conditions which later result in death. Christopher Hitchens (2012) argued that praying to a god which is omnipotent and all-knowing would be presumptuous. For example, he interprets Ambrose Bierce 's definition of prayer by stating that "the man who prays

580-618: A person to focus on divinity through philosophy and intellectual contemplation. This approach was taken by Maimonides and the other medieval rationalists. One example of this approach to prayer is noted by Rabbi Steven Weil, who was appointed the Orthodox Union's Executive-Vice President in 2009. He notes that the word "prayer" is a derivative of the Latin "precari", which means "to beg". The Hebrew equivalent "tefilah", however, along with its root "pelel" or its reflexive "l'hitpallel", means

638-459: A pig in order to placate the god or goddess of the place and beseech his or her permission to cut down some trees from the grove. Celtic , Germanic and Slavic religions are recorded much later, and much more fragmentarily, than the religions of classical antiquity. They nevertheless show substantial parallels to the better-attested religions of the Iron Age. In the case of Germanic religion,

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696-411: A prior ritualistic form of cleansing or purification, such as in ghusl and wudhu . Prayer may occur privately and individually (sometimes called affective prayer ), or collectively, shared by or led on behalf of fellow-believers of either a specific faith tradition or a broader grouping of people. Prayer can be incorporated into a daily "thought life", in which one is in constant communication with

754-412: A significant minority of people still hold to this approach. In a rationalist approach, praying encompasses three aspects. First, ' logos ', as the "idea" of the sender, secondly ' rhemata ' as the words to express the idea, and thirdly 'rhemata' and 'logos', to where the idea is sent (e.g. to God, Allah ). Thus praying is not a conversation with God, or Jesus but a one-way direction to the divine. Among

812-405: A small bag of sacred meal. There are different forms of prayer. One of them is to directly appeal to a deity to grant one's requests. Some have termed this as the social approach to prayer. Atheist arguments against prayer are mostly directed against petitionary prayer in particular. Daniel Dennett argued that petitionary prayer might have the undesirable psychological effect of relieving

870-477: A term called "religious experience" in his book, The Varieties of Religious Experience . The origins of the use of this term can be dated further back. In the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, several historical figures put forth very influential views that religion and its beliefs can be grounded in experience itself. While Kant held that moral experience justified religious beliefs , John Wesley in addition to stressing individual moral exertion thought that

928-412: A variety of forms: it can be part of a set liturgy or ritual , and it can be performed alone or in groups. Prayer may take the form of a hymn , incantation , formal creedal statement, or a spontaneous utterance in the praying person. The act of prayer is attested in written sources as early as five thousand years ago. Today, most major religions involve prayer in one way or another; some ritualize

986-491: Is fasting . A variety of body postures may be assumed, often with specific meaning (mainly respect or adoration) associated with them: standing; sitting; kneeling; prostrate on the floor; eyes opened; eyes closed; hands folded or clasped ; hands upraised; holding hands with others; a laying on of hands and others. Prayers may be recited from memory, read from a book of prayers, or composed spontaneously or "impromptu". They may be said, chanted, or sung. They may or may not have

1044-531: Is a method of changing a situation for the better. The second way in which prayer is depicted is through fully fleshed out episodes of prayer, where a person's prayer is related in full. Many famous biblical personalities have such a prayer, including every major character from Hannah to Hezekiah . In the New Testament prayer is presented as a positive command. The People of God are challenged to include Christian prayer in their everyday life, even in

1102-605: Is also known by several other names, such as Al-Hamd (The Praise), As-Salah (The Prayer), Umm al-Kitab (Mother of the Book), Umm al-Quran (Mother of the Quran), Sab'a min al-Mathani (Seven Repeated Ones, from Quran 15:87 ), and Ash-Shifa' (The Cure). Surah Al-Fatiha is narrated in the Hadith to have been divided into two halves between God and his servant (the person reciting), the first three verses being God's half and last three being

1160-518: Is expressed by Rabbi Nosson Scherman in the overview to the Artscroll Siddur (p. XIII). Among Christian theologians, E.M. Bounds stated the educational purpose of prayer in every chapter of his book, The Necessity of Prayer . Prayer books such as the Book of Common Prayer are both a result of this approach and an exhortation to keep it. In this view, the ultimate goal of prayer

1218-568: Is from Medieval Latin : precaria , lit.   'petition, prayer'. The Vulgate Latin is oratio , which translates Greek προσευχή in turn the Septuagint translation of Biblical Hebrew תְּפִלָּה tĕphillah . Various spiritual traditions offer a wide variety of devotional acts. There are morning and evening prayers, graces said over meals , and reverent physical gestures. Some Christians bow their heads and fold their hands. Some Native Americans regard dancing as

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1276-473: Is full of archaisms and difficult passages. Roman prayers and sacrifices were envisioned as legal bargains between deity and worshipper. The Roman principle was expressed as do ut des : "I give, so that you may give." Cato the Elder 's treatise on agriculture contains many examples of preserved traditional prayers; in one, a farmer addresses the unknown deity of a possibly sacred grove, and sacrifices

1334-432: Is mediated by intellectual and cognitive activity. The specific teachings and practices of a specific tradition may even determine what "experience" someone has, which means that this "experience" is not the proof of the teaching, but a result of the teaching. A pure consciousness without concepts, reached by "cleaning the doors of perception", would be an overwhelming chaos of sensory input without coherence. In

1392-413: Is preferred over solitary prayer, and a quorum of ten adult males (a minyan ) is considered by Orthodox Judaism a prerequisite for several communal prayers. There are also many other ritualistic prayers a Jew performs during their day, such as washing before eating bread, washing after one wakes up in the morning, and doing grace after meals. In this view, the ultimate goal of prayer is to help train

1450-499: Is read aloud; the passage is meditated upon using the mind to place the listener within a relationship or dialogue with the text; recitation of a prayer; and concludes with contemplation . The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes prayer and meditation as follows: Meditation engages thought, imagination, emotion, and desire. This mobilization of faculties is necessary in order to deepen our convictions of faith, prompt

1508-434: Is the one who thinks that god has arranged matters all wrong, but who also thinks that he can instruct god how to put them right." In this view, prayer is not a conversation. Rather, it is meant to inculcate certain attitudes in the one who prays, but not to influence. Among Jews, this has been the approach of Rabbenu Bachya, Rabbi Yehuda Halevi , Joseph Albo , Samson Raphael Hirsch , and Joseph B. Soloveitchik . This view

1566-487: Is to help train a person to focus on divinity through philosophy and intellectual contemplation ( meditation ). This approach was taken by the Jewish scholar and philosopher Maimonides and the other medieval rationalists. It became popular in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic intellectual circles, but never became the most popular understanding of prayer among the laity in any of these faiths. In all three of these faiths today,

1624-555: Is truly unfair, ˹totally˺ ungrateful" ( Quran 14:34 ). The final three verses, which comprise the servant's half, begin with the servant stating that they worship and seek only God's help (verse 4/5), asking Him to guide them to the Sirat al-Mustaqim (the Straight Path) of those who God has been bountiful to, and not of those who have earned his anger (verses 5-6/6-7). Most Muslim commentators have interpreted these verses in

1682-752: The kami , rather than lengthy praises or devotions. The practice of votive offering is universal and is attested at least since the Bronze Age. In Shinto, this takes the form of a small wooden tablet, called an ema . Prayers in Etruscan were used in the Roman world by augurs and other oracles long after Etruscan became a dead language. The Carmen Arvale and the Carmen Saliare are two specimens of partially preserved prayers that seem to have been unintelligible to their scribes and whose language

1740-658: The Abrahamic religions , Islam , Orthodox Christianity and Hasidic Judaism are likely most adhering to this concept, also because it does not allow secondary mythologies, and has taken its spiritual roots from Hellenistic philosophy , particularly from Aristotle . Similarly in Hinduism , the different divinities are manifestations of one God with associated prayers. However, many Indians – particularly Hindus – believe that God can be manifest in people, including in people of lower castes, such as Sadhus . In this approach,

1798-482: The Book of James says that the lack of blessings in life results from a failure to pray. Jesus healed through prayer and expected his followers to do so also. The apostle Paul wrote to the churches of Thessalonica to "Pray continually." Observant Jews pray three times a day, Shacharit , Mincha , and Ma'ariv with lengthier prayers on special days, such as the Shabbat and Jewish holidays including Musaf and

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1856-630: The Merseburg Incantations , the latter recorded in the 9th or 10th century but of much older traditional origins. In Australian Aboriginal mythology , prayers to the "Great Wit" are performed by the "clever men" and "clever women", or kadji . These Aboriginal shamans use maban or mabain, the material that is believed to give them their powers. The Pueblo Indians are known to have used prayer sticks , that is, sticks with feathers attached as supplicatory offerings. The Hopi Indians used prayer sticks as well, but they attached to it

1914-489: The hadith . Acceptance of the different hadith varies between Sunni and Shia Muslims, and there is a variety of terms to classify the different levels of confirmed authenticity of a hadith. However, both Sunnis and Shia believe Al-Fatiha to be one of the greatest surahs in the Quran, and a cure for several diseases and poisons, both spiritual and mental. Prayer Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate

1972-584: The Hebrew Bible prayer is an evolving means of interacting with God , most frequently through a spontaneous, individual, unorganized form of petitioning and/or thanking. Standardized prayer such as is done today is non-existent, although beginning in Deuteronomy , the Bible lays the groundwork for organized prayer, including basic liturgical guidelines, and by the Bible's later books, prayer has evolved to

2030-434: The act of self-analysis or self-evaluation. This approach is sometimes described as the person praying having a dialogue or conversation with God. In this view, prayer is not a conversation. Rather, it is meant to inculcate certain attitudes in the one who prays, but not to influence. This has been the approach of Rabbenu Bachya, Yehuda Halevy , Joseph Albo , Samson Raphael Hirsch , and Joseph Dov Soloveitchik . This view

2088-456: The act, requiring a strict sequence of actions or placing a restriction on who is permitted to pray, while others teach that prayer may be practised spontaneously by anyone at any time. Scientific studies regarding the use of prayer have mostly concentrated on its effect on the healing of sick or injured people. The efficacy of prayer in faith healing has been evaluated in numerous studies, with contradictory results. The English term prayer

2146-420: The beginning high medieval period, presumably adopted from a gesture of feudal homage. Although prayer in its literal sense is not used in animism , communication with the spirit world is vital to the animist way of life. This is usually accomplished through a shaman who, through a trance , gains access to the spirit world and then shows the spirits' thoughts to the people. Other ways to receive messages from

2204-563: The busy struggles of marriage as it brings people closer to God . Jesus encouraged his disciples to pray in secret in their private rooms, using the Lord's Prayer , as a humble response to the prayer of the Pharisees , whose practices in prayer were regarded as impious by the New Testament writers. For evangelists and other Christian sects , prayer is shown to be God's appointed method by which we obtain what He has to bestow. Further,

2262-430: The concept of experiential religion or mystical experience because of a long history or authors living and writing about experience with the divine in a manner that identifies God as unknowable and ineffable, the language of such ideas could be characterized paradoxically as "experiential", as well as without the phenomena of experience. The notion of "religious experience" can be traced back to William James , who used

2320-412: The concept of prayer is closely related to that of surrender and supplication . The traditional posture of prayer in medieval Europe is kneeling or supine with clasped hands, in antiquity more typically with raised hands. The early Christian prayer posture was standing, looking up to heaven, with outspread arms and bare head. This is the pre-Christian, pagan prayer posture (except for the bare head, which

2378-534: The conversion of our heart, and strengthen our will to follow Christ. Christian prayer tries above all to meditate on the mysteries of Christ, as in lectio divina or the rosary . This form of prayerful reflection is of great value, but Christian prayer should go further: to the knowledge of the love of the Lord Jesus, to union with him. The experience of God within Christian mysticism has been contrasted with

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2436-757: The earlier Bronze Age religions . Ceremonial prayer was highly formulaic and ritualized . In ancient polytheism, ancestor worship is indistinguishable from theistic worship (see also euhemerism ). Vestiges of ancestor worship persist, to a greater or lesser extent, in modern religious traditions throughout the world, most notably in Japanese Shinto , Vietnamese folk religion , and Chinese folk religion . The practices involved in Shinto prayer are heavily influenced by Buddhism; Japanese Buddhism has also been strongly influenced by Shinto in turn. Shinto prayers quite frequently consist of wishes or favors asked of

2494-419: The goddesses Þorgerðr Hölgabrúðr and Irpa . Folk religion in the medieval period produced syncretisms between pre-Christian and Christian traditions. An example is the 11th-century Anglo-Saxon charm Æcerbot for the fertility of crops and land, or the medical Wið færstice . The 8th-century Wessobrunn Prayer has been proposed as a Christianized pagan prayer and compared to the pagan Völuspá and

2552-566: The gods and the earth after being woken by the hero Sigurd . A prayer to Odin is mentioned in chapter   2 of the Völsunga saga where King Rerir prays for a child. In stanza   9 of the poem Oddrúnargrátr , a prayer is made to "kind wights , Frigg and Freyja , and many gods, In chapter 21 of Jómsvíkinga saga , wishing to turn the tide of the Battle of Hjörungavágr , Haakon Sigurdsson eventually finds his prayers answered by

2610-496: The period in-between world wars – famously rejected by Karl Barth . In the 20th century, religious as well as moral experience as justification for religious beliefs still holds sway. Some influential modern scholars holding this liberal theological view are Charles Raven and the Oxford physicist/theologian Charles Coulson . The notion of "religious experience" was adopted by many scholars of religion, of whom William James

2668-406: The practice of prayer is reliably attested, but no actual liturgy is recorded from the early (Roman era) period. An Old Norse prayer is on record in the form of a dramatization in skaldic poetry . This prayer is recorded in stanzas   2 and   3 of the poem Sigrdrífumál , compiled in the 13th century Poetic Edda from earlier traditional sources, where the valkyrie Sigrdrífa prays to

2726-623: The purpose of prayer is to enable the person praying to gain a direct experience of the recipient of the prayer (or as close to direct as a specific theology permits). This approach is very significant in Christianity and widespread in Judaism (although less popular theologically). In Eastern Orthodoxy , this approach is known as hesychasm . It is also widespread in Sufi Islam, and in some forms of mysticism . It has some similarities with

2784-401: The rationalist approach, since it can also involve contemplation , although the contemplation is not generally viewed as being as rational or intellectual. Christian and Roman Catholic traditions also include an experiential approach to prayer within the practice of lectio divina . Historically a Benedictine practice, lectio divina involves the following steps: a short scripture passage

2842-568: The reading of the Torah . The siddur is the prayerbook used by Jews all over the world, containing a set order of daily prayers. Jewish prayer is usually described as having two aspects: kavanah (intention) and keva (the ritualistic, structured elements). The most important Jewish prayers are the Shema Yisrael ("Hear O Israel") and the Amidah ("the standing prayer"). Communal prayer

2900-549: The religious experiences in the Methodist movement (paralleling the Romantic Movement ) were foundational to religious commitment as a way of life. According to catholic doctrine , Methodists lack a ritualistic and rational approach to praying but rely on individualistic and moralistic forms of worship in direct conversation with God. This approach is rejected by most Orthodox religions . Wayne Proudfoot traces

2958-575: The roots of the notion of "religious experience" to the German theologian Friedrich Schleiermacher (1768–1834), who argued that religion is based on a feeling of the infinite. The notion of "religious experience" was used by Schleiermacher and Albert Ritschl to defend religion against the growing scientific and secular critique, and defend the view that human (moral and religious) experience justifies religious beliefs . Such religious empiricism would be later seen as highly problematic and was – during

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3016-699: The servant's. There is disagreement as to whether the Bismillah is the first verse of the surah, or even a verse in the first place. The chapter begins by praising God with the phrase and stating that it is God who is the lord of the worlds (verse 1/2), that He is the Most Gracious and Most Merciful (verse 2/3), and that He is and will be the true owner of everything and everyone on the Day of Judgement (verse 3/4). "If you tried to count Allah's blessings, you would never be able to number them. Indeed, humankind

3074-534: The spirits include using astrology or contemplating fortune tellers and healers. Some of the oldest extant literature, such as the Kesh temple hymn (c. 26th century BC), is liturgy addressed to deities and thus technically "prayer". The Egyptian Pyramid Texts of about the same period similarly contain spells or incantations addressed to the gods. In the loosest sense, in the form of magical thinking combined with animism , prayer has been argued as representing

3132-477: The time and place it comes is considered random. Some traditions distinguish between contemplative and meditative prayer. Outward acts that may accompany prayer include anointing with oil ; ringing a bell; burning incense or paper; lighting a candle or candles; facing a specific direction (e.g., towards Mecca or the East ); and making the sign of the cross . One less noticeable act related to prayer

3190-664: The worlds— [ ar-raḥmāni-r-raḥīm(i) ] the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful, [ māliki yawmi-d-dīn(i) ] Owner of the Day of Judgement. [ iyyāka naʿbudu wa-iyyāka nastaʿīn(u) ] You we worship and You we ask for help. [ ihdina-ṣ-ṣirāṭa-l-mustaqīm(a) ] Guide us to the straight path— [ ṣirāṭa-llaḏīna anʿamta ʿalayhim ghayri-l-maḡḍūbi ʿalayhim wa-la-ḍ-ḍāllīn(a) ] the path of those You have favored, not those You are angry with or those who are astray. Muslims attribute special significance to some surahs for their virtues and benefits ( فضائل , faḍā’il ) described in

3248-569: Was prescribed for males in I Corinthians 11:4, in Roman paganism, the head had to be covered in prayer). Certain Cretan and Cypriote figures of the Late Bronze Age, with arms raised, have been interpreted as worshippers. Their posture is similar to the "flight" posture, a crouching posture with raised hands related to the universal "hands up" gesture of surrender. The kneeling posture with clasped hands appears to have been introduced only with

3306-528: Was the first complete Surah revealed to Muhammad . The name Al-Fatiha ("the Opener") could refer to the surah being the first in the Mus'hafs , the first to be recited in each rakat of salah , or to the manner of its usage in many Islamic traditions as an opening prayer. The word itself comes from the root f-t-ḥ (‏ ف ت ح ‎), which means "to open, explain, disclose, conquer", etc. Al-Fatiha

3364-478: Was the most influential. The notion of "experience" has been criticised. Robert Sharf points out that "experience" is a typical Western term, which has found its way into Asian religiosity via western influences. The notion of "experience" introduces a false notion of duality between "experiencer" and "experienced", whereas the essence of kensho is the realisation of the "non-duality" of observer and observed. "Pure experience" does not exist; all experience

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