Non-Islamic Salaat?

I came in another forum across a non-Muslim (a Christian actually), who is considering using the Islamic Salaat prayer movement for non-Islamic prayer.

To explain a little further, these are the points which she would adopt from the Islamic prayer:

• To pray five times daily
• To use the prescribed movements
• To wash before prayer
• To cover her head and body during prayer

These are the points in which she would differ:

• Not turning towards Mekka, but to another area of focus (could be a place or a candle - personal preference)
• Praying to the Trinity
• Neither praying the Islamic prayer, nor in Arabic

Now, I haven't decided yet, how I as a non-Muslim feel about her idea.

I thought I'd scope your opinions and thoughts by starting this thread and poll.

The options are left deliberately sumple. I basically want to know whether you think this is totally out of order, or perfectly alright, or something inbetween ...
Please feel free to give additional reasons and detail in your own posts.

Thanks

May Allah forgive me if I am wrong but...

The sister has the right intentions, she is praying to God, she is doing it 5 times a day. It can only be a good thing surely?

Even if it isn't 100% accurate according to us, it is a step in the right direction with the right intentions.

I say well done to the Sister who is willing to make a commitment like that

how do Christians of Ethiopia pray? anybody know?

I voted as a "bad idea", although I was leaning towards "doesn't matter much" as well. I decided on a bad idea because Christ, and His example of prayer, is all we need to imitate as far as our prayer life is concerned. I mean as Christians of course.

Keltoi said:

I voted as a "bad idea", although I was leaning towards "doesn't matter much" as well. I decided on a bad idea because Christ, and His example of prayer, is all we need to imitate as far as our prayer life is concerned. I mean as Christians of course.

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you dont read the scriptures:grumbling do u?

Christian Women at prayer

Ahmedjunior said:

you dont read the scriptures:grumbling do u?

Click to expand...

Yes, what aspect are you referring to?

Christ told us this in regards to prayer:

When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.
But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

http://www.islamicboard.com/discover-islam/134271707-muhammed-islamic-practices.html#post1011801

^
plz brother keltoi refer to my post that i had made before

Ahmedjunior said:

http://www.islamicboard.com/discover-islam/134271707-muhammed-islamic-practices.html#post1011801

^
plz brother keltoi refer to my post that i had made before

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You didn't post anything regarding Christ's instructions for prayer. At least not that I saw. It was mainly Jewish custom, like circumcision and not eating pork.

Keltoi said:

You didn't post anything regarding Christ's instructions for prayer. At least not that I saw. It was mainly Jewish custom, like circumcision and not eating pork.

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typical! ok brother i wont say much, i would like to share with you what our beautiful master jesus said in the bible

And,behold
one came
and said
unto him
good master
what good thing
shall i do
that i may have eternal life(heaven)?
and he said
unto him
why callest
thou me good?
there is
none good
but one
that is god!
but
if thou wilt
keep the
commandments!! ,Matthew 19:16-17

How to keep the commandments??
answer is simple

if you love jesus then follow and copy him exactly

I don't mind it, the way someone chooses to pray neither benefits nor disadvantages me, so they can pray however they like.

Keltoi said:

Yes, what aspect are you referring to?

Christ told us this in regards to prayer:

When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.
But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret*, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition* as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

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brother the quote is from mathew 6:5

your understanding of the passage is mediocre

* go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret*
compare that with a modern christian and a muslim
modern christians do not follow this,they gather together and most definitely they do not pray in secret they become all hyped up in a frenzy saying alleluia alleluia with more than half of the attendants not knowing what they are actually saying and the dancing and singing is not secretive at all according to jesus! , and lastly for those who believe in the trinity they have totally gone against what this passage is trying to explain
what does the passage say again?
'pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.'
if jesus and the holy spirit was to be included then jesus would of said worship me and my father for both of us are one! but i cant find it in the bible

now how does a muslim pray,we come in side the mosque,close the door leave our shoes and wash our hands and face just like jesus,just like moses,aaron and abraham,everybody stands together side by side pin drop silence,we then humble ourselfs to pray to the secret god that is above his creation the only father (metaphorical father)we do not pray to jesus !no to the hovering about holy ghost, just allah

alleluia.......alleluia...alleamdulila......alhamdulilah

Hi Glo

Woaw a very complex question again
I haven't vote yet, I'm on the fence. Instead I'll just give pro's and con's

Con:
* Praying to trinity is seen as a bad act, so as a Muslim I'd say the suggested form of prayer is bad to.
* This could have some negative long term effects. Say that this becomes common and popular among Christians, then that could cause even more confusion and sects not only among Christians but also among Muslims. As an example, I remember seeing a Church were Muslims and Christians were praying side to side, and Muslims also worshiped Mary. Now don't get me wrong, as much as I can appreciate the gesture of peaceful co-existence and respect, at the same time I feel inclined to strongly condemn this on the severity of the sin those Muslims committed. There are already many sects in Islam that commit shirk (=worshipping false deities beside Allah subhana wa ta'ala); I think I should disapprove of anything that could make that number of ill-guided Muslims even larger.
Pro:
* Doing this might bring this person to respect Islam more, perhaps even convert on the long term?
* Setting 5 daily times, and adding physical gestures will improve the focus, and perhaps even the quality of the prayer, possibly bringing this person closer to God.

Hard call, I don't wanna make it. Allah subhana wa ta'ala knows best =)

I voted for > does not matter,
the most important thing is to whom the one pray....
but as the brother said above, it will let that sister respect Islam more since she chose to practice islamic movements in her Salat....which might be a good sign for further improvements in the future........

Allah know the best.

@ Abdul Fattah sort of well done again! I'm gonna latch on to you from now on (to avoid getting censored) btw what is speculative theology and is it permissible/halal in your learned opinion?

At first I was going to say that it didn't matter much, because I think that we can pray in any number of forms and all are acceptable to God. But then I also thought about the value to the individual in being so intentional in prayer. I know that many people are helped by adopting a particular posture in prayer and other personal rituals that help them to focus on God. And if doing these things helps her, than I guess that would be a good thing. So, I give it about a 7 on a scale of 1 to 10. I would be careful that one did not adopt them because one was seeking to be some sort of hybrid Muslim-Christian in one's prayer life. In that sense, I would not speak of adopting Muslim patterns, but only that one's personal pattern were not that different from those that Muslims also use. And I would also be careful to not let focusing on the form, pattern, or ritual end up becoming more the focus of one's prayer than God himself. Remember, "The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath" (Mark 2:27).

I think that we, muslims and christians have such different religious tradition that it is not good idea to mix it up. Of course we can do it, but the question is simply - "What for"?.

Ahmedjunior said:

typical! ok brother i wont say much, i would like to share with you what our beautiful master jesus said in the bible

And,behold
one came
and said
unto him
good master
what good thing
shall i do
that i may have eternal life(heaven)?
and he said
unto him
why callest
thou me good?
there is
none good
but one
that is god!
but
if thou wilt
keep the
commandments!! ,Matthew 19:16-17

How to keep the commandments??
answer is simple

if you love jesus then follow and copy him exactly

Click to expand...

Well, if I might also use your word, it is typical that you pulled this out of context and didn't finish the chapter.

18 He asked him, "Which ones?" And Jesus replied, " 'You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness;
19
honor your father and your mother'; and 'you shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"

20 The young man said to him, "All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?"
21
Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to (the) poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
22
When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.
24
Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."
25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said, "Who then can be saved?"
26
Jesus looked at them and said, "For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible."
27
Then Peter said to him in reply, "We have given up everything and followed you. What will there be for us?"
28 Jesus said to them, "Amen, I say to you that you who have followed me, in the new age, when the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory, will yourselves sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
29
And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life.
30 But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.

I second abdul fattah as well. but this is the first time I've ever heard of such a thing...

I am a Muslim and I think it is a bad idea. Perhaps the intentions are good, but I see it as hypocritical at best and mocking of Islam at worst. Salah was prescribed by Allah to Muhammad (saaws) during the night journey to Jerusalem (al-Isra) and the ascension to Heaven (al-Mi'raj). It is the fundamental act that separates a believer from an unbeliever that is recognized the world over as Islamic worship of Allah. Salah begins with Bismillah Rahmani Raheem, In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate and it does NOT end "In the name of your Son, Jesus".