The Lord's Prayer

[JenGiove]

Brothers and Sisters,

Salaam to you all. I was wondering what the Islamic view about the Lord's Prayer found in the bible is? I know that Allah has proscribed a certain way to pray that was passed to Mohammad but I would like to know about the views on that prayer itself. I can't seem to find anything. I have not included it here out of respect but if necessary, I can post it for you with Moderator permission.

For me, it is best to err on the side of caution.

Shukran in advance for your assistance with this question.

 

[al-fajr]

Hi Sister Jen,

Muslims never address Allaah Almighty as 'Father' and from what I remember, that prayer does so. Aside from this, to me it is just a prayer which has some admirable sentiments ..I don't quite know what you mean as to our 'views on the prayer' ..

As far as Muslims are concerned, with our own prayers we take things from the Qur'aan and Sunnah and we also have the option to supplicate privately and mention whatever we need, this is called making a 'du'a'.

Note: What I mention above is in addition to the Salaah (standing, bowing, prostrating ..).

 

[JenGiove]

Hi Sister Jen,

Muslims never address Allaah Almighty as 'Father' and from what I remember, that prayer does so. Aside from this, to me it is just a prayer which has some admirable sentiments ..I don't quite know what you mean as to our 'views on the prayer' ..

As far as Muslims are concerned, with our own prayers we take things from the Qur'aan and Sunnah and we also have the option to supplicate privately and mention whatever we need, this is called making a 'du'a'.

Note: What I mention above is in addition to the Salaah (standing, bowing, prostrating ..).

Dear sister,
yes, the prayer's first line is "Our Father..". The closest thing I can come to explaining what I meant by "our views" I suppose is the fitnah...the rulings....I don't know any other word for what I mean. I'm sorry. It seems that when an Ummah wide opinion is needed, its ruling is called a "Fitnah"....

Yes, I know about the supplications and the dua....I do ALOT of Dua...

 

[BrotherInIslam7]

Hello Jen,

Fitnah means trials or tribulations. It is usually termed to describe something that could harm the faith of a muslim and lead him/her astray.

About prayer or any act of worship/obedience to Allah Almighty. The rules are three (as far as I know) :-

1) It should be done with the correct intention (niyyah). That is to please Allah Almighty alone. It shouldn't be for achieving anything worldly such as a high status in society, showing off, pride in tribal/national custom or rituals etc etc.

2) The person should have the proper belief or Aqeedah, else the acts are rendered useless. That is to believe in the oneness of God, the articles of faith and all other things that fall under topic of Aqeedah. (You can read this in the Aqeedah thread, I will link it later). The Aqeedah of Ahl Us Sunnah Wal Jamaa

3) It should have been legislated (or prescribed) by Allah Almighty through his Prophet Muhammad SallAllahu Alleihi Wa Sallam by means of revelation (Quran and Sunnah). Any other forms of worship that an individual,tribe,scholars,nation formulates on it's own (one such example is celebrating Prophet's birthday or Mawlid) are all prohibited and unacceptable to Allah Almighty. Innovated acts or worship are rejected.


Therefore the 'Lord's prayer' would be unacceptable to Allah Almighty because :-

1) It is a form of worship which is based on false/incorrect/corrupt understanding of Aqeedah. It could even involve elements of disbelief or kufr.

2) Even if such a prayer was revealed to previous prophets by Allah Almighty. All of it has been abrogated. Allah orders us in the Holy Quran to follow Prophet Muhammad SallAllahu Alleihi Wa Sallam. So one can not continue to worship or live their life according to revelation or commandments revealed to anyone before Prophet Muhammad SallAllahu Alleihi Wa Sallam. Nor does any law or religion come after him SallAllahu Alleihi Wa Sallama.

So the Islamic view is that anything that was not revealed to Muhammad SallAllahu Alleihi Wa Sallam is unacceptable to Allah Almighty and will be rejected.

I hope this makes it clear.

 

[Aapa]

Salaam,

Once upon a time I read a comparison of the Lords Prayer to Sura Fathia.
The Lords Prayer seeks simply bread. Sura Fathia seeks and at least 17 times a day a Muslim asks Allah to put us on the correct path. The Lords prayer in comparison is not as inclusive. It is a beautiful prayer but it is not complete.

In Sura Fathia the symmetry is perfect. The first part is the acknowledgement of the Supreme Being..the second part is our supplication.

The Lord's Prayer also has different endings depending on the denomination. There have been changes to it as recently as the 1970's. There have been and never will be changes to Sura Fathia.

Also, the Lord's Prayer places God in heaven. That is limiting God.
The Lord's Prayer makes no mention of the Day of Judgement.
The Lord's Prayer speaks of a future kingdom; thus we have added a temporal component. Sura Fathia understands the Supreme Creator as beyond time and space.

The Lord's Prayer asks for God to intercede against those who trespass against us...Sura Fathia yields to the Mercy and Compassion of the Creator.

The created can not have kinship with the Creator. We are His Willing Slaves.

The Lord's Prayer is beautiful.
Sura Fathia is by definition perfect.

 

[MohammedMaksudul]

:salam2:

Just an excerpt from Tafsir-ibn-Kathir ( The Explanation of the Holy Quran by Ibn Kathir), which tells us about the importance of Sura Al-Fatihah.

SubhanAllah

This Surah is called Al-Fatihah, that is, the Opener of the Book, the Surah with which prayers are begun. It is also called, Umm Al-Kitab (the Mother of the Book), according to the majority of the scholars. In an authentic Hadith recorded by At-Tirmidhi, who graded it Sahih, Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,

«الْحَمْدُ للهِ رَبَ الْعَالَمِينَ أُمُّ الْقُرْآنِ وَأُمُّ الْكِتَابِ وَالسَّبْعُ الْمَثَانِي وَالْقُرْآنُ الْعَظِيمُ»

(Al-Hamdu lillahi Rabbil-`Alamin is the Mother of the Qur'an, the Mother of the Book, and the seven repeated Ayat of the Glorious Qur'an.)

It is also called Al-Hamd and As-Salah, because the Prophet said that his Lord said,

«قَسَمْتُ الصَّلَاةَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ عَبْدِي نِصْفَيْنِ، فَإِذَا قَالَ الْعَبْدُ:الْحَمْدُدِلله رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ، قَالَ اللهُ: حَمِدَنِي عَبْدِي»

(`The prayer (i.e., Al-Fatihah) is divided into two halves between Me and My servants.' When the servant says, `All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of existence,' Allah says, 'My servant has praised Me.')

Al-Fatihah was called the Salah, because reciting it is a condition for the correctness of Salah - the prayer. Al-Fatihah was also called Ash-Shifa' (the Cure).

It is also called Ar-Ruqyah (remedy), since in the Sahih, there is the narration of Abu Sa`id telling the the story of the Companion who used Al-Fatihah as a remedy for the tribal chief who was poisoned. Later, the Messenger of Allah said to a Companion,

«وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ أَنَّهَا رُقْيَةٌ»

(How did you know that it is a Ruqyah)

Al-Fatihah was revealed in Makkah as Ibn `Abbas, Qatadah and Abu Al-`Aliyah stated. Allah said,

﴿وَلَقَدْ ءاتَيْنَـكَ سَبْعًا مِّنَ الْمَثَانِي﴾

(And indeed, We have bestowed upon you the seven Mathani) (seven repeatedly recited verses), (i.e. Surat Al-Fatihah) (15:87). Allah knows best.

For the complete Tafsir-Ibn-Kathir you can go to www.qtafsir.com or I can also provide you with an e-book of the complete 10 volumes, InshAllah.

 

[JenGiove]

Salaam Brother and Sisters,

I thank you all for responding and trying to help me with this question.

.............I hope this makes it clear.

Brother, Actually, it raises more questions... I'll have to figure out how to word them all when I can really think about it. Thank you for providing me with the three rules though.

I think you mean Fatwa, not Fitna. Fatwa is an opinion about a religious matter, that is obtained by following rules of Usool-ul-Fiqh, the Islamic juristic discipline of Foundations of Deduction, and given by qualified licensed scholars.

Fitna, on the other hand, is an Arabic word that originates from heating iron to remove its impurities. Concepts such as seduction, sedition, persecution, tumult, and tests of faith are all given the name Fitna because they all test the strength and quality of faith.

Brother, lol, you are right. I did mean fatwah. All these words....anyone got any aspirin? "f*t*ah/f*t*ah"....the letter pattern is so similar...

...as for the linguistic origins of fitnah.....VERY interesting! I loved reading it, thank you!!

When an Ummah wide opinion is required sometimes it can be a bit of a fitna for all those concerned. A totally funny, but somewhat appropriate mistake to make!

Dear Sister, I'm not sure I understand...would you please be kind enough to expand on the thought.

I'd like to share with you all something I wrote a while back when my marriage was in a loudly rough spot. Incorperated into it is my version of the 'Lord's prayer'. What *I* take the meaning of the prayer to be, which is largely symbolic and far more reaching than the words themselves. Please forgive me if anyone finds this inappropriate or breaks any Islamic guides. Inform me if such a thing had happened and I will ammend the post as quickly as I can. Thank you.

A Captain's Lamenting

Searing impalement upon the decaying remains of pasture's gate
ringed by the rage of sorrow
while fragments of silly girl notions
and the imprints of calloused hands
lay
still and rejected upon the fertile soil
puckered and wet it is

For want of the warming light
does the insignificant and fearful seed retain it's form
Listening
Waiting
Imagining its beauty
Softness and power
Passionately desired
Respected protected and secure

Beyond the farmer's sight tosses the ship in the storm
moored by a line so thin and fragile
It's captain stands watch at the bow
lamenting in earnest for the survival of the vessel

Hear now the plea
screamed into the silence
learned by its captain child

"My Father, My King Captain, My Friend
Wondrous is your house and strong is your foundation.
I come with entreatments in hopes only to be heard, for who am I to dictate to one as gilded as you.

Food, clothing, rest and breath you provide.
I am awed by your generosity.
I beg that my apprenticeship of your discipline is not wasted and I am able to repay my debit to the next servant in line.

Many rows are to be hoed.
Many seeds to be layed before your bountiful harvest is brought in.
I know that by using your tools and listening to your instructions that the rows will be straight.
Seeds will grow.

You are my Father.
You birthed me.
You are my Captain and King.
You direct me.
You are my Friend.
You listen to me.
Tho, sometimes, the answer is no.
An answer given is, whispered.

I come as an ignorant in hopes that wisdom
finds me listening
with hands open wide."

As the elements continued their assaulting
the lonely captain's eyes were seen
adding an ocean to the sea.

 

[a_stranger]

Peace be with you sister :

there is a big gap between the work of the creator and the work of creatures ......How let us study Surat Alafatiha:

Reciting Sooratul-Faatihah as we all know, is an essential part of our daily prayers. It was narrated by Ubada bin As-Samit that Allah's Messenger (salla llaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said, "Whoever does not recite Surat Al-Fatiha in his prayer, his prayer is invalid". This motivates every Muslim to understand the deep meanings behind the words of this Soorah. Consequently, this helps us in keeping Khushoo' while standing in front of Allaah in our prayers.

In this Soorah we start by praising Allah the Lord of mankind, jinns and all that exists, the most Beneficent, the most Merciful, and the only Owner of the Day of Recompense. Then we declare that we worship Him alone, and from Him alone we ask for help.

Copied from:
http://www.sunnahonline.com/ilm/quran/0006.htm

 

[a_stranger]

Then

Then we ask Him to guide us to the straight path. In his valuable book "Al- Madaarij As-Saalikeen " Ibn Al-Qayyim points out three levels of guidance.

First , Guidance of Bayaan, "clarification". This does not happen except through Allah's prophets whom He sends to explain to mankind the essence of His message and to show them the way to the straight path.

Second, Guidance of Tawfeeq, "success" (on the straight path). In this level we ask Allah to open our hearts to his religion and to be steadfast upon it; by this it becomes the most precious thing in our lives.

Although these two levels of Guidance are separate, reaching the straight path would not be achieved except by them both. These two levels include gaining the knowledge of what we did not know about the truth and becoming anxious to follow it openly and secretly, the ability to fulfill our duty through our sayings, actions and intentions, and to ask Allah to keep us firm on this path till we die.

Some people would ask why do we need to ask for guidance while we are already guided; we know Allah and we believe in Him? We need to believe without doubt that we all are always in need to ask for guidance because the things which we do not know are more than the things which we know. The things which we do not do due to our carelessness or laziness are much more than the things which we do, the same can be said about the things which we are incapable of doing. Those of us who do not see any lack concerning their knowledge or practice need to ask the guidance from Allah to keep them in this state till they die.

http://www.sunnahonline.com/ilm/quran/0006.htm

 

[a_stranger]

The third (the most important)

The third level of guidance would be the guidance in the Day of Judgement to the way which leads to Paradise. Whoever is guided in life to Allah's path according to what He sent His messengers with, would be guided to the straight path in the Hereafter.

If we want to know how we are going to pass the straight path above Hell in the Hereafter we have to examine the way we are passing Allah's path in this life. We are going to walk there the same way we walk here. Some people would pass like a glimpse, some would pass like the wind ,some would walk slowly and some would creep and others would stuck and then would be thrown in hell fire. So let each one of us examine the way we will pass there from the way we are passing here. And let us examine carefully the things which are holding us from passing the straight pass whether they are our desires or confused ideas. These things are like chains which delay or stop our movement on the straight path. It is really fearful to say that if these chains are many, solid and heavy here in life they are going to be the same when we are going to pass the straight pass above Hell.

http://www.sunnahonline.com/ilm/quran/0006.htm

 

[a_stranger]

do not feel lonely

When we ask Allah in Sooratul-Faatihah to guide us to the straight path we ask Him to put us with those whom He has bestowed His Grace on. Here we need to ask two questions.

First, who are those people?

Second, if we choose to follow the straight path which leads to Allah why do we need to be accompanied with those people?

Ibn Al-Qayyim explained that the one who wants to follow the straight path in this life finds that the majority of people around him or her do not want to follow the same path. And because the human soul normally looks for a companion Allah (swt) pointed out the importance for having a company on this road. Allah (swt) defined this company by saying in Surah An-Nisa verse 69:

"Those on whom Allah has bestowed His Grace, of the Prophets, the Siddiqun (those followers of the prophets who were first and foremost to believe in them, like Abu Bakr As-Siddiq ) , the martyrs, and the righteous. And how excellent these companions are!"

If sometimes we feel lonely when passing Allah's path we need to think of those who passed or are passing the same path, to know that they are our company , and to make our best to follow their steps. At the same time we should not pay any attention to those who do not want to choose the same path and should be strong enough so we do not let them detain us.

One of Al-Salaf said: "Stick firmly to the path of truth and do not feel lonely because of the few number of people who would join you, and be aware of the path of misguidance and do not be mislead with the large number of the destroyed)."

And from Allaah is all help sought...
http://www.sunnahonline.com/ilm/quran/0006.htm