Comparison Between the Prayer in Islam and Hinduism - Essay Example

9 October Comparison between the Prayer in Islam and Hinduism There is a great deal of difference in the ritual of prayer between Islam and Hinduism. Factors that make a Muslim’s prayer different from that of a Hindu’s prayer include but are not limited to the God to which the pray is being made, the time of prayer, the place of prayer, the actions and behavior executed during the pray, and the setting in which the pray is made. Muslims pray to one God whose name is Allah. All Muslim men and women are obliged by their religion to offer the prayer five times a day.

Additional prayers i.e. “Nafils” can be offered at specific times. Muslim men are obliged to offer the prayers in the mosque, whereas Muslim women may offer the prayers at home. The names of five prayers in Islam in sequence from morning to night are Fajr, Zohr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha (Huda). All Muslim men and women offer each prayer facing the Kaa’ba which is located in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Every prayer in Islam has a defined set of Raka’ts that constitute that prayer.

A prayer is also offered at each Eid and the funeral of a Muslim. Prayer in Islam is essentially a spiritual connection between every Muslim and Allah. By offering the prayers five times a day, a Muslim commits to Allah that he/she believes in no creator but Allah and seeks help from Allah. Hindus pray to different gods at different times. The concept of God for Hindus is like that of a board of members, in which each god takes care of a particular area. For example, there is a god called as “Laxmi” who brings wealth while there is a “Durga Maa” who solves the Hindus’ social problems.

Hindus may pray to any god at any time depending upon what they need at a particular point in time. In Hinduism, “a prayer has two parts: one is soliciting a favor from the Almighty and the other is surrendering ourselves to His will” (Rajhans). Hindu men and women both go to temples for the prayers. Every Hindu family has a small temple inside the home where they have placed the idols to worship them. Many of Hindu prayers are made collectively in gatherings. These prayers include but are not limited to the “Durga Maa pooja”.

Hindus also have five fundamental prayers, namely “the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra, and Meditations on Shiva, Ganesha, Krishna and Rama” (Sivananda). Each of these prayers has its own distinct lyrics. Muslims pray to one God whereas Hindus pray to multiple gods. Both Muslims and Hindus have five basic prayers. Muslim men go to mosque whereas Hindu men and women both go to the temple. Muslims men and women usually pray separately whereas Hindu families pray together. Muslims pray facing the Kaa’ba in KSA whereas Hindus pray in front of idols facing any direction.

Muslims pray in Arabic language whereas Hindus pray in Sanskrit language. Prayer is a means of spiritual enlightenment and connection with God for both Muslims and Hindus. By offering the prayers, both Muslims and Hindus remains in constant contact with God and this connection energizes him/her spiritually, morally, and ethically. Works Cited: Huda. “Islamic Prayer Timings.” 2012. Web. 9 Oct. 2012. . Rajhans, Gyan. “Why & How to Pray.” 2012. Web. 9 Oct. 2012. . Sivananda, Swami. “5 Prayers For All Occasions.” 2012. Web. 9 Oct. 2012. .