What is the purpose of Prayers of Ayaat?

Question: Why should one perform Prayers of ‘Ayaat’  during lunar and solar eclipse, earthquake, storms or thunder?

Answer: Performing Prayers of Ayaat during lunar and solar eclipse is due to two main reasons:

(1) Usually the Sun, Moon and their working are astonishing for man. The shining (golden) rays of the sun give life to all the animals and plants. The moon moves according to its accurate and disciplined way and with its first ray reduces the darkness on the Earth and brightens it for us.

These great and surprising things had a great effect on the past people and a belief was created in their mind that apparently if these (Sun and moon) have power on animals, plants and trees they also affect the destiny of people and they are their creators; and from that time worship of Sun and Moon came into existence and people started having faith in them. They accorded divinity to the Sun and the Moon while it belongs only to the Lord Who actually is the Absolute Creator of this whole universe.

The greatest blow dealt by Hazrat Ibrahim (a.s.) on these false beliefs was that all the planets and heavenly bodies were subservient to the law and system of the universe.

The setting of those shining bodies and their going away in darkness is the biggest proof of their limitations; and when a thing itself is limited and subservient to other things and does not have the power to continuously give light to the Earth it proves that it in not God and it is itself a creature.

The eclipse of Sun and Moon is a sign that they are creatures and to be limited in front of the Creator is itself a proof and from this we come to know that these planets that give light to other creatures, do not have much power. That is the reason that sometimes some things come and stand in front of them and stop them from performing their duties.

That is why the Solar and Lunar eclipse is the best proof of their being creatures and being limited before the Almighty Allah.

When we see the Solar and Lunar eclipse (an incident which shows that these bodies are under a strong and supernatural power, such an incident creates faith about the real Creator in our hearts, in Whose power the Sun and the Moon and the whole Universe is). So it is necessary for us at that time to convert this faith into practice and by praying the Ayaat prayers put our forehead in the holy court and show our inner beliefs.

That is why Hazrat Ibrahim (a.s.) on the setting of those luminary bodies concluded what we conclude from the solar and lunar eclipse, and promptly said:

“Surely I have turned myself, being upright wholly to Him who originated the heavens and the earth, and I am not of the polytheists. [Surah Anam 6:80]

(2) Whenever there are some heavenly phenomena and extraordinary things occur, many people try to find refuge and to remove the effects of these incidents, think some way out. Islam has made it obligatory to perform the Ayaat prayers during Solar and Lunar eclipse so that people may remain away from superstitions and divert their attention and intelligence towards the fact that He is the source of all the phenomena in the Universe. This Prayer gives one peace of mind against such incidents.

Why should women cover themselves in Prayers?

Question: When Allah is aware of all the hidden and apparent things, why it is necessary for women to cover themselves during Prayers?

Answer: There is no doubt that Allah is aware of everything and all conditions and hidden and apparent are not applicable to him. He is not a stranger to His servants. We human beings while worshipping feel that we are in the presence of God, we talk to Him, and supplicate Him. The person should wear the most appropriate clothes and it is obvious that the appropriate and perfect dress for women is that which befits their chastity and which gives the best reflection of themselves. During worship such type of clothes are best suited. For men also it is not that they could pray naked, it makes the prayer invalid and is against the spirit of worship and respect of Allah, but it is better that along with necessary clothes we should pray with clothes that show respect, for example it is not good to pray just with an undergarment. One should also wear shirt… etc over it.

Why are Alcoholic drinks impure?

Question: Why have the Ulama (learned) declared that alcoholic drinks are najis (impure), whereas it cleans many things from the effects of contagious disease and kills many bacteria then what is the reason of it being impure?

Answer: Basically those things in Islam which are declared as najis (impure) have different reasons:

From them some are najis due to their ingredients and because of them many disease take place (for example urine and blood) that is why Islam has considered them najis and instructed to refrain from them.

In the other sphere come those things, which are not apparently bad but are inertly bad and that is why Islam has stated them to be impure. For e.g. infidels – it is possible that a Kafir (unbeliever) may be clean and tidy, as it is told in the answer to a question later that they are deviated according to faith; that is why he is impure on a spiritual basis, which cannot be removed by apparent cleanliness. To safeguard the beliefs of Muslims, Islam has stated the infidels to be impure, that Muslims can be stopped from intermingling with them and save their spiritual cleanliness. If the infidels were not considered impure and it was allowed to intermingle with them it was possible that many people who do not have strong faith would have been impressed from their sayings and thinking.[1]

Free intermingling with infidels would result in their penetrating into Islamic societies so restricting intercourse with them would protect the Muslims from any possible danger from them.

Thirdly are those things in which the above impurity is not there, but they are source to many social and personal problems for e.g. the alcoholic drinks.

It is correct that alcoholic drinks clean the contagious effect, but alcoholic drinks cause many evils. To stop those evils Islam has declared it impure. People would thus remain away from it, because it is natural that by not using something made from alcohol will creates hate towards it and this itself is war against alcoholic drinks.[2]

Footnotes:

[1] Very soon we will discuss about the impurity of infidels
[2] Whatever is said above is about alcoholic drinks, but as regards artificial alcohol being impure there is discussion between the scholars and Jurisprudents, because this type of alcohol is not generally meant for drinking, rather it is considered to be a poisonous substance.