The ritual prayer in Islam is performed five times a day. All over the world, roughly 1.6 billion Muslims at the specified times of the ritual prayers, bow, kneel, and place their foreheads to the ground in the direction of the focal point, that is the sacred Ka’ba, the symbolic House of the Unseen but Omnipresent Lord, in the holy city of Mecca.
The ritual is one of the obligatory elements of the faith set forth by God’s final and universal heavenly scripture for all mankind, the holy Qur’an.
Thus, in the Islamic Republic of Iran, gatherings are held periodically on the different aspects of this excellent form of worship, and this year, the 28th Nationwide Congress on the Daily Ritual Prayers was held in the city of Gorgan, the capital of Golestan Province.
Over 400 ulema, religious scholars, and thinkers attended the recent 28th nationwide congress on the daily ritual prayers. The message of the Leader of Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, was read out at the opening session of the Congress. He said: Among the countless divine blessings are the daily ritual prayers, which is one of the most attractive and astounding favours of God Almighty. The ritual prayers enable us to purify our hearts and souls, and are a barrier against listlessness or committing of sins. This wonderful blessing of God also helps us to foster the spirit of brotherhood and peaceful coexistence with the community, with emphasis on spiritual values; thereby making our society safe, and mentally healthy.
One of the key features of divine religions, especially the universal religion of Islam, is observation of the obligatory prayers. The daily ritual prayers thus play a crucial role in the growth and elevation of mankind and is therefore of paramount importance. In view of this fact, the 28th Nationwide Daily Ritual Prayers Congress held in the first week of December in Gorgan was warmly welcomed by the people, especially youths.
The Headquarters for Observation of the Daily Ritual Prayers strives to strengthen Islamic beliefs in society, and through such gatherings, provide the necessary impetus to the countrymen and to the officials for promotion of the culture of prayers in the community. This approach leads to a dynamic and spiritually strong community.
The Congress was presided by Judiciary Chief, Hojjat al-Islam Seyyed Ibrahim Raisi; Chairman of the Headquarters for Observation of the Daily Ritual Prayers, Hojjat al-Islam Mohsen Qara'ati, and the Minister of Education, Mohsen Haaj Mirzai. The Congress received more than 16,000 articles from all over Golestan Province and from throughout the country. Out of these, the works of 128 authors were selected, introduced and praised during the speeches delivered by different scholars.
The Judiciary Chief in his keynote address to the gathering, referred to social ills, and said that observation of the daily ritual prayers leads to reduction of such threats and crimes in society. He underlined that human nature is in need of constant communion with God Almighty, and the best way in this regard is the punctual performance of the daily ritual prayers. Although the daily prayers can be performed at home, at offices, and other places, it is better to hold congregational gatherings for performance of this particular act of worship. The emphasis is thus on organizing the ritual prayers, even during school hours and office timings, at schools, universities, offices, and other places, besides the traditional mosques. This is indeed a manifestations of spiritual communications, and paves the way for administration of justice in the society.
In his speech, Chairman of the Headquarters for Observation of the Daily Ritual Prayers, Hojjat al-Islam Mohsen Qara'ati, said: Thanks to the performance of the daily ritual prayers, both by officials and the public, Iran is immune from the conspiracies hatched by the enemies of Islam and Iran. This wonderful act of worship was observed even at the warfronts during the 8-year Holy Defence in the 1980s when the US had imposed a destructive war on Iran through Saddam of the repressive Ba’th minority regime of Baghdad. It means, whenever the country faces an aggression, those who regularly flock to the mosques, will never hesitate to march to the battlefields to defend the country and the honour and dignity of the Iranian people. God forbid, on negligence of the daily prayers, the society would be embroiled in corruption and other social ills. In short, proper observation of daily ritual prayers is key to the salvation of mankind.
The 28th Daily Ritual Prayers Congress revolved around the aspects of promoting these acts of worship at schools and colleges. Islamic teachings have a number of constructive plans and approaches for the life of children right from birth; the fulfillment of which leads to the prosperity of mankind.
Children should be taught how to observe the daily ritual prayers even before they reach the age of puberty, which is necessary for performing these wonderful acts of worship, and understanding their significance in their personal lives as well as the soundness of the society.
Childhood is threshold to adolescence, while teenagers set foot on a newer and more diversified world with all its feelings and emotions. As the result of the process of growing up, the teenager is highly influenced by social conditions, friends and peers. Psychologists point out that teenagers are easily receptive to their friends' views, which generates concerns. In the meantime, a teenager who has bonded with God has relied upon a safe shelter, which alleviates his vulnerability toward threats.
Teenagers and youths are highly interested in learning. They also need peace of mind and security and to bond with God. Observation of daily prayers reinforces religious inclinations among youths; which once again proves the importance of observation of the daily ritual prayers at schools and educational centers.
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