Daily Times

All of us have been brought to our knees on occasions by the overpowering certitude that we have nowhere else to go. We, therefore, pray. A prayer can be a solace for the persecuted, a shoulder to cry for the forlorn and last hope for the doomed. Some also pray in the fullness of their joy and in their days of abundance.

Prayer is as old as the mankind. All major religions have adopted prayer in one form or another; in spontaneous or in ritualised forms. All forms of worship are also a prelude to prayers. Prayer seems to have two dimensions — internal, in the form of self-reflection and external, in the sense of connection with something bigger than the self. Prayers are made individually or collectively for personal gains or for the sake of others.

Some people pray to be kept out of unexpected problems; others pray to be able to confront and overcome tribulations. It is said that the more sentimental and devoted a prayer is, the better are its chances of success. Some seek an intermediary, usually an exalted man (dead or alive), because they believe that God listens to his chosen people. Iqbalian view, however, is that the function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather change the nature of the one who prays.

Various studies have examined the efficacy of prayer about changing the outcomes of illness, legal decisions and prevention of calamities since Francis Galton’s original work in 1872. Recent medical studies regarding prayer have shown mixed results when it comes to healing or recovery from illnesses. For example, a large US study in 2006 found no significant differences in patients recovering from heart surgery whether the patients were prayed for or not. However, some studies on well-being and personal outcomes regarding prayer have shown positive effects on the individuals who prayed for others.

Some people pray to be kept out of unexpected problems; others pray to be able to confront and overcome tribulations. It is said that the more sentimental and devoted a prayer is, the better its chances of success

There are several subjective benefits of prayer including optimism, self-control, sense of security, and improved confidence. Some argue that the efficacy of prayer falls into the realm of the supraphysical because scientific method is ill equipped to measure that which is not gaugeable. What we can measure, however, is how beliefs about efficacy influence measurable actions. Others believe that prayer is based on the remote possibility that someone is actually listening, and it also feels like a glorified attempt at a business transaction. Along with a rain dance, someone “prayed for freedom for twenty years, but received no answer until he prayed with his legs”.

The traditional concept of prayer is that of a petition to God. However, if God is omnipotent and all-knowing, He should know without being asked. It would also be presumptuous to believe that we understand the grand scheme of things to pray for what is best for us. It appears that the one who prays thinks that, God forbid, He has arranged things wrongly, and he can advise how to put them right. God might even be displeased that if he really wanted to do something useful, he could devote his prayer time and energy to doing something useful which helps resolve what he is petitioning about. In its extreme forms, some Christian Scientists rely on prayers instead of seeking medical treatment for simply remediable conditions which later resulted in mortalities.

Another conundrum is that the intent for prayer may be inconsistent between the petitioners. For example, two parties might pray very hard to win a case in the court but only one of them wins. This can often be a person who has better resources. Similarly, what kind of God would refuse desperate pleas of a mother who loses a young child to cancer? One can also challenge the so-called intermediaries or religious leaders who accept ‘donations’ in cash and kind for making prayers. They know fully that prayer is not intended to gratify the pious. Each time they accept a donation in return for a supplication, they are negating their faith that depends on the passive acceptance of the devout and not on making petitions for benefit.

In pre-Islamic Arabia, prayers were no different; others would argue that nothing has changed since. The problem with the prevalent interpretation of prayer is that a benevolent God continues to ignore many oppressed, poor and down-trodden people around the world.

The traditional response to this contention would be that God listens to everyone but decides what is really good for the petitioner; therefore, an unanswered prayer is actually a blessing in disguise. This response, apart from being an insult to the wronged, has objectionable consequences. The oppressed are being asked to accept the current state of affairs as God’s better judgment and accept all injustice and unfairness committed against them silently and happily.

Quranic concept of prayer is rather different — it is neither a petition nor asking. It is actually a ‘cry’ or ‘calling out’ to God for support when one is at the cross roads in life. It acts as a psychological stimulus for the individual to employ all his or her legitimate resources to turn the outcome in his or her favour.

The writer is a Consultant Psychiatrist and Visiting Professor. He tweets @AamerSarfarz

Published in Daily Times, May 23^rd 2018.