The purpose of prayer in Christianity from my perspective growing up Christian was to be saved, to reach a higher power for daily life guidance, and to be forgiven/confess your sins. Here in Morocco it feels that the purpose has a different context. Prayer in Islam or at least Moroccan Islam seems to be motivated by spiritualism. From my numerous conversations about religion with Hamid I have discovered the purpose is a release of spiritual energy. There are however overlapping themes with both. I have noticed the gratefulness and mercy both religions show to their respective creator. In Islam when you wake up there is a prayer to thank the lord you woke up. In Christianity there are many thanks given to the lord such as before a meal thanking the lord for food. I also see religious guilt in both. With Christianity I have felt the guilt of not praying by family, preachers and myself. In Islam there is guilt every day when the call to prayer occurs from the sirens in the meirnet. Either you pray or don’t and have the reminder of a siren you did not pray. I also spoke to Hassan, the tour guide of Fez, about 5 times a day prayer. He mentioned how it reduces crime to mostly petty crimes (also view link for more information regarding “purification”). With the constant reminders of God in the city it has an effect on malicious acts. The ritual of prayer is much different as well. In the Christian faith holding hands with heads down and completing prayer with Amen is common when in groups. Islamic group prayer consists of music, dancing, and what seemed to me like reciting verses together. There also seemed to be a back and forth prayer within a group. The individual prayer is much more similar. There is supposed to be a direct connection between the individual and God. In the Christian faith it depends on if you’re a catholic or Protestant. Protestants pray in nearly any fashion they choose. Catholics typically will visit a Church and pray in front of a shrine and recite prayers. Muslims pray alone on their hands and knees and do not recite prayers but chapters of the Koran. They also always face Mecca when praying. I find this extremely interesting as the two show such different practices and purposes. Muslims are told they must by Allah as it is their duty (view website linked). The biggest difference and takeaway is in Christianity it is to grow a relationship and be saved while in Islam it is their duty and spiritual release.
Mosque and School of religion
https://www.reviewofreligions.org/20026/why-muslims-pray-5-times-a-day/amp/
I think you make a great point here about how impactful prayer truly is. I find your perspective on crime in relation to prayer very interesting. I have never thought of how prayer could have that effect but it makes sense now that you’ve pointed it out. All humans are different but the one thing most have in common is that the feeling of gilt is painful. Therefore, i would agree with you and Haseem that the calls to prayer throughout the day lower crime because if you do something wrong all of those calls to prayer are constant reminders.
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