Tazkiya and Prayer

What is prayer (dua)? Prayer is an expression in words of the feeling which is produced after a helpless person discovers Almighty God. The prayers of the Prophet are also an expression of these feelings for Almighty God. They are not just another name for a set of words uttered by the Prophet on certain occasions. The Prophet’s prayers are, in actual fact, spiritual discoveries, far from a mere utterance of a set of words.

According to a Hadith Qudsi (Hadith Qudsi is the hadith in which the Prophet says that God says so and so), the Prophet observed: “I am with the expectations of My servant, so he ought to have good expectations about Me.” (Dakhirah al-Huffaz, Ibn al-Qaisarani, Hadith No. 6541) What is this hope or expectation? It relates in actual fact to one’s discovering certain attribute of God, and then on the basis of this discovery, having good expectations of God: that is, seeking goodness from God.

For instance, the Quran says: “He has given you all that you asked of Him.” (14:34). This verse provides a point of reference to man who may invoke God’s blessings thus: “O God, I was not even aware of my needs in the life of this world that I should have asked You for those things. You on Your own arranged for all my requirements to be met in my worldly life. Now, in the life Hereafter, I ask You to provide me with all the things I require in the next world.”

This kind of prayer always comes to one’s lips after a great psychological turmoil. Another name for this psychological storm is tazkiya. Tazkiya and prayer are interdependent. Tazkiya will always be followed by dua.

Praying to God is a proof that the process of tazkiya is at work. There is no tazkiya without prayer, and vice versa.