Islam has given us a number of prayers amongst its others teachings. Many of these prayers have been recorded in the books of Hadith. These prayers tell us what kind of words of invocation should fall from the lips of the believers on different occasions. For instance, when someone meets another person he should greet him by saying, ‘Peace be upon you’ (Assalamu alaykum). Similarly, when a believer is about to eat food, he should begin by saying, ‘In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful,’ and when he finishes his food, he should say Alhamdulillah (Praise be to God). He should utter the words appropriate to each occasion.
This means that the believer begins his eating and drinking in the name of God and ends his eating and drinking in the name of God. It is his way of thanking God and acknowledging His blessings.
When some evil idea creeps in a believer’s mind, he seeks refuge in God by saying, Allahumma inni aauzubika minash shaitanir rajim, ‘I seek refuge in God from Satan, the accursed.’ (Musnad Ahmad, Hadith No. 16740) When he is faced with some problem, he spontaneously says, Rabbana alaika tawakkalna, ‘O God, in You we have placed our trust.’ (60:4) In a similar way, when he receives some wealth, he says, Allahumma barik lana fi amwalina, that is, ‘O God, bless us in our wealth.’ (Sahih al-Bukhari, 1037). When a believer undertakes some journey, he has these words on his lips: ‘O God, You are my Companion during the journey and the Guardian of my family.’ (Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 1342)
When he hears of someone’s death he says, Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun, ‘We belong to God and to Him we shall return.’ (2:156) In this way, at every juncture of life and at every stage, Islam gives us some prayer to say. These prayers are meant to refresh the faith of the believer. This transforms every happening in this present world into a godly experience. In this way, a believer leads his life in God’s remembrance and prayer, until finally he leaves this world to meet his Maker.
Source: A Simple Introduction to Islam
