Introduction
Religious organizations provide familiar institutions of social cohesion and control in an environment. In the city of Los Angeles, many religions are being practiced due to the freedom of worship. Talking about how Christianity and Islam are prevalent in the city of Los Angeles today, these two religions have the most adherents. Among the religions practiced, Christianity is the most prevalent, having various denominations and sects, and Islam, along with other minor religions, follows this closely. Despite having a common origin, these two religions have been known to have conflicting stands regarding the conduction of various religious rituals. However, it is notable that both of these religions are monotheistic. People from the Christian denomination have some beliefs that Muslims find ideal. For instance, both religions believe that there is a supreme being that gives peace and guides people.
In faith traditions followed by Christianity and Islam, stories are woven around Abraham as the founding Father. Christians usually assume that they recognize the Muslims as the descendants of Ishmael, even though Muslims do not ascribe to this view. However, Muslims do identify themselves as descendants of Abraham by faith and not family ties. The Quran mentions both Isaac and Ishmael, even though it does not state which of the two was dedicated to God. Although Christianity and Islam share a common origin and are monotheistic, there are notable differences in their beliefs.
The two religions have different sacred scriptures, the Bible for Christians and Quran for Muslims. Muslims believe that the Bible is a distortion of the holy message. However, both religions hold a foundational belief regarding the birth, life, and works of Jesus, even though the accounts of such events differ. Muslims often view Christians as non-believers due to committing polytheism due to their belief in the Trinity. The aim of this paper is to compare and contrast Christian and Islam prayers. Muslim Prayer has more strict rules, thus having a tendency for ceremonialism, while Christian Prayer is more informal.
Origin and History of Prayer
In Christianity, Prayer is seen to have originated right from the time the universe was created. This is evident in the relationship between God and his first creation, Adam and Eve, in their early life, as documented in Genesis 3:8-9a. The covenants between God and Noah, God and Abraham, and God and Jacob further reinstate the position and early development of Prayer within the Old Testament. The central point of change in the history of worship is seen with the birth of Jesus, a savior to humankind (Isaiah 53:12). The birth of Jesus brings a new perspective into the relationship between God and man, whereby each person now gains the privileges to speak to him directly through Prayer.
The early church was found in the first century and was dedicated to apostles’ teachings and fellowship, prayers, and commemoration of the last supper (Acts 2: 42). The apostle’s doctrine, of course, is the things that Jesus taught His disciples and instructed them to make disciples of others (Matt 28:19-20), so the primitive church was bound to the Word of God. Still, they also had fellowship and “the breaking of bread,” which could mean both are eating together or possibly partaking in the Lord’s Supper or Communion consistently. They also were a praying church. Over time, the church grew and started having more value for the traditions than the word of God, giving rise to the religious order. This made it possible for the development of more well-established ways of conducting prayers while at the same time providing a clear pathway to spreading the religion to more parts of the world. Even though divisions came to be realized in the church, most of the fundamental procedures of conducting prayers have been upheld. The digitization era has also made Prayer in the Christian religion continue being formalized.
In the Islamic faith, it is stated that God is the original origin of salat (Muslim Prayer), and the Qu’ran claims that “It is God Who has sent His Messenger (Muhammad) with Guidance and the Religion of Truth, that he may proclaim it over all religion.” Qur’an, the Islam scripture, is the revelation received by Muhammad from God, and it is the destining compass for Muslims. Probably influenced by Christianity, where prayer times were governed in the past, in Islam, the five obligatory prayers must be taken. One must take them at dawn, midday, afternoon, sunset, and night.
“To Allah belongs the east and the West. Wherever you turn, there is the presence of Allah. For Allah is all-Pervading, all-Knowing” (Quran 2:115) – the essence of praying towards the Ka’ba is to pray to Allah, but not to the monument. Ka’ba in Mecca is the cube-shaped memorial where Muhammad got the first revelations. Primary, Muhammad followers, were instructed to pray towards Jerusalem, and then they were said to change direction to Mecca. Judaism seems to influence this factor, and all mosques are constructed with one wall towards Mecca; thus, Muslims form lines facing the wall.
Salat (Islamic Prayer) has not been changed throughout history; people have prayed five times a day towards the Ka’ba in Mecca. Nowadays, people may locate the Ka’ba with a compass and pray to face the correct direction even without being in a mosque. In The Old Testament, some famous characters performed a praying to God and connected it to vows, fasts, and sacrifices. Christian faith – Prayer is mentioned in the Bible, and how Christians should pray is specifically outlined in the Bible, namely the Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. The Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, As it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, The power, and the glory, Forever and ever. Amen. (Matthew 6:9-13)
According to the Didache, Christians should pray three times a day, and early Christians prayed at fixed hours (first hour, third hour, sixth hour, ninth hour) when the Liturgy of the Hours was established. Nowadays, in Christianity, one does not follow this schedule and can pray at any time. There are no “illegal” times for praying, and one would not be punished for omitting the praying even without the esteemed reason.
Style, Form, and Content of Prayer
Prayers as a religious ritual are essential in the practice of the two religions. However, there are significant differences in the way Prayer is conducted in each of the religions. The most notable differences are in the worship times, the positions of Prayer, and the dressing. These set apart the two religions when it comes to observance of rituals, as documented or hinted at in the various doctrines that are in use.
Times of Prayer
In Muslim tradition, all prayers are outlined in the Sunnah. The adherents, therefore, have no liberty to formulate prayers regardless of the ritual under observance. All the ritual prayers in Islam are conducted within specific times and following the laid out traditions. Muslim believers know and keep track of the particular times when they must participate in these religious sessions. After the early Morning Prayer, the following sessions take place in the midmorning, midday, evening, and night when it has become dark. The ritual prayers were authorized in the eleventh year of the prophetic mission in Mecca when the Prophet was taken on a miraculous nocturnal journey (al-isrā was al-mirāj) from Mecca to Jerusalem and from Jerusalem to the heavens, where he met his Lord and then came back. On this journey, the Prophet was gifted with fifty prayers, which were finally reduced to five carrying the reward of fifty.
In the early church, Christians had to participate in prayers at seven fixed times in a day. However, the continuous changes in the administration of the church and the incorporation of different cultures in the way of worship led to the abolishment of such traditions. The Christian traditions under practice in Los Angeles do not define the number of times one should pray in a day. This, therefore, means that prayers in the Christian religion are spontaneous and hold significant meaning to the individual involved. Christians view Prayer as a fundamental gesture of belief, faith, dependence, and connectedness to God, thereby ruling out the need to have a specific way of approaching it. Therefore, such methods of administering prayers have led to more freedom for Christian adherents.
Position for the Prayer and Proper Clothing
In Islam, the state of Prayer by glorifying God is known as Takbir. During this time, Muslims face Mecca, humble themselves and recite the ritual prayers as outlined in the Sunnah up to the end of the obeisance. The Prayer creates a spiritual tie between the congregant, the more prominent Islam sect, God, and the Prophet. During the Prayer, the adherent must be clothed appropriately. The person praying must also be the owner of the cloth or have permission to wear it.
Prayers in Christianity take a more informed perspective. There are defined positions neither during Prayer nor during laid out rules regarding the clothing. The Bible even grounds this in John 4:21, where Jesus is seen to be against the idea that Prayer must be conducted following a given procedure. This places Christianity as much informal religion, giving the adherents freedom on many issues regarding belief and their conduct towards the Supreme Being.
There is a big difference in how Christianity and Islam are conducted as religions. Islam provides more rules and guidelines regarding the conduct of its adherents, while Christianity offers freedom of choice. This presents Christianity as an informal religion when it comes to the conduction of prayers as a ritual. Islam also provides guidelines on the appropriate clothing to be put on during Prayer. This presents Islam as a religion that is more focused on orderliness, while Christianity wallows in confusion. The Qur’an provides a systematic way of conducting the prayer ritual, beginning from the ablution and garment cleaning to how the appropriate postures when reciting the prayers. This affirms the systematic nature of the Islamic religion, further reaffirming the informality of the Christian faith. However, it is notable that the informality of the Christian religion has provided the flexibility that most people would have craved. Christianity has also offered even more freedom by accommodating various denominations, thereby catering to the spiritual well-being of all the adherents.
Significance of Prayer
In Islam, regular Prayer is an obligation and a mandatory exercise for all adherents. According to the Islam doctrines, it is believed that there is no sin more significant than the deliberate failure to attend salat. The inability to pray is, therefore, inexcusable, whether based on sickness or disability. Apart from moral obligation, Muslims pray to seek comfort and peace. It is believed that addressing the Supreme Being in times of emotional turmoil brings about inner peace. Prayer, therefore, becomes the first go-to point of comfort for a Muslim who is troubled. Muslims also use Prayer to seek answers to the everyday problems that they face in life. This is because each person believes that only God can help the mortals in times of need, as he is the overall provider.
In praying, the Muslims wish to seek supplication and forgiveness and to offer thanksgiving. Muslims believe that God is the provider of all the needs of life. Therefore, each Muslim goes to the prayers to ask God for provisions beyond the moral obligation to offer ritual prayers. Muslims also take the praying time to present their thanksgiving prayers to God for the daily requirements. The adherents believe that God provides all that life offers and are therefore obligated to provide ritual thanksgiving prayers in return. Ablution precedes each ritual prayer in a Muslim’s life. This is an act of cleansing before appearing before God in an attempt to offer prayers. The ablution also signifies the individual’s remorse due to his sins. This complements the ritual prayer provided to seek forgiveness for the daily shortcomings and be reassured of a better life upon death.
Christians make prayers with several intentions in mind. The primary purpose is to strengthen their faith in God. Therefore, Christians hold prayer sessions to be able to stay firm in their belief and be reassured of the hope of life after death. Aside from that, Christians pray to seek provisions and comfort from the daily tribulations of life. Prayer helps the adherents to remain steadfast and have faith that their problems shall be taken care of by the supreme being. Prayers are also used to seek guidance from God regarding various issues affecting the lives of the believer. This constant belief and hope keep the people going, reassuring them of better things to come.
Just like in Islam, Christians seek to accomplish a variety of things through prayers. The believers use prayers to express their adoration for the Supreme Being and recognize his overall maximum power over everything. Christians also use prayers as a way of seeking forgiveness from God whenever they do wrong. The assured forgiveness keeps the assured of a better life upon death, devoid of judgmental punishments. Christians also use Prayer as a way of offering their thanksgiving to God for life and daily provisions. This makes Prayer an essential component of the Christian life since it is the only way to communicate directly to God. Accomplishing all these, therefore, makes the prayer ritual a success.
References
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