Exemplary Supplication
There are two kinds of prayers, examples of which are given below.
One is the standard type of prayer which can be had in book form and learned by rote, then repeated at the appropriate times. For instance: “Our Lord, grant us good in this world as well as good in the world to come, and protect us from the torment of the fire.” (The Quran, 2:201). This manner of prayer is an example of traditional supplication. Then there is the example of a superior form of prayer. About 3,500 years ago an idolatrous king, the Pharaoh, ruled in Egypt. The Prophet Moses came to the world in those days and conveyed the message of monotheism to the Egyptians. The Pharaoh himself became a dire opponent of Moses, but his wife, Aasiya bint Mazahim, believed in Moses and was influenced by his call to accept monotheism.
In ancient times, this was a matter of immense gravity. It was an age when people had to follow the religion of the king. In those times, following the state religion was symbol of political loyalty. Anyone who did not believe in the state religion was considered a rebel and was punished as such. Today we live in an environment of religious freedom but in ancient times, for thousands of years, the system of religious persecution was prevalent throughout the world.
It was against this background that the Pharaoh gave the command to have his wife Aasiya executed. The Quran tells us that at that time Aasiya said this prayer to God: “My Lord, build me a house in nearness to You in Paradise.” (66:11)
When we look at this prayer of Aasiya in this context, it is like saying. “I sacrifice my seat in the palace of a worldly king. O Lord, give me a better seat in your neighborhood in the world Hereafter.”
Scholars have commented: “How good is this prayer!” (Safwah at-Tafaasir, vol. 3, p. 412)
This prayer was without doubt a creative one. Aasiya bint Mazahim had two alternatives: either the life of the palace adhering to the idolatrous religion of Pharaoh, or the monotheistic religion of God—which would lead to her being brutally killed. At that time Aasiya’s realization of God had ascended to such a level that she took no time in deciding that, for the sake of truth, she must abandon the temporary palace of this world and opt for the eternal Paradise of God, even if she were to be executed as the price for her choice.
Looked at against this background, Aasiya bint Mazahim’s prayer was without doubt a superior prayer. It was immediately accepted. According to a tradition, before her death the angels showed her the palace she was to be given by God in Paradise. Therefore, Aasiya gave up her life with her face reflecting happiness, contentment and peace.
Aasiya bint Mazahim’s prayer is recorded in the Quran. It is not just the prayer of an individual but is rather an exemplary supplication of universal application. The truth is that every man and woman should pray like this. All men and women have to pass through this stage. All men and women must each say at the level of sacrifice, “O God, I sacrifice my worldly things for the sake of Your religion, so that in the next stage of life You give me a better reward.” These are the men and women about whom it will be proclaimed on the Day of Judgement that they forsook the temporary Paradise for the sake of God and now enter into the superior Paradise of the Hereafter, so that they may live in happiness and comfort eternally and never have to suffer from any kind of mental or physical discomfort.
