man can do what another, before him, has done.
Again if, apart from the experience of humanity, we consider the question rationally, prayer to God is the natural sequel of the acceptance, in theory, of the existence of God. The aspiration to rise to moral greatness is implanted in human nature more deeply than even the aspiration to rise to material greatness; but the only way in which the former can be realized is to be in touch with the All-Pervading Spirit, the fountain-head of purity and the source of the highest morality. “All the perfect attributes are Allāh’s” says the Holy Qur’ān (7:180). But man stands in need of perfect attributes as well for there is implanted in him the unquenchable desire to rise higher and higher. How can he do so except by being in touch with the Being that possesses the perfect attributes, the Being that is free from all defects? And prayer is but an attempt to be in touch with Him. And the only way to become imbued with Divine morals is to get in touch with the Divine spirit, to be drawn away from all worldly trammels for a while, and to drink deep at that source, which is prayer to God. In many ḥadīth, prayer is spoken of as munājāt or confidential intercourse with the Lord (Bu. 8:38; 9:8; 21:12). In one it is related that man should pray to God as if he were seeing Him (Bu. 2:37). Such descriptions of prayer show its real nature to be that of being in actual intercourse with the Divine Being and intercourse means nothing but becoming imbued with Divine morals.
The right development of human faculties depends upon the purification of man’s inner self and the suppression of evil tendencies: “He is indeed successful who purifies it” (91:9), says the Holy Qur’ān, referring to the soul. Prayer is spoken of as a means of purification for the heart. “Recite that which has been revealed to thee of the Book and keep up prayer; surely prayer keeps (one) away from indecency and evil” (29:45). Elsewhere too: “And keep up prayer at the two ends of the day and in the first hours of the night; surely good deeds take away evil deeds” (11:114). In a ḥadīth, the saying of prayers is compared to washing oneself in a river: “Abū Hurairah