Prayer as the Foundation for Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil
Little Mei sat in her room in Xi'an, feeling very grumpy. Her brother had broken her toy, and she wanted to hit him. Her heart felt heavy and hot. She remembered her father’s words: "Prayer is like a shield. It stops the bad feelings."
Mei went to the prayer mat. She washed her hands and feet carefully. She stood up and bowed her head. She felt the anger leaving her body, like steam rising from hot tea. The Quran says, "Indeed, prayer restrains from indecent and wrongful conduct."
When she finished, her heart was calm and cool. She walked to her brother. He was crying. Mei did not hit him. Instead, she hugged him gently. "Let us fix the toy together," she said softly. Her prayer had turned her anger into love.
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Little Mei sat in her room in Xi'an. She felt very grumpy. Her brother had broken her toy.
Her heart felt heavy and hot. She remembered her father’s wise words.
Mei went to the prayer mat. She washed her hands and feet carefully.
She stood up and bowed her head. She felt the anger leaving her body.
It was like steam rising from hot tea. The anger was gone.
The Quran says, "Indeed, prayer restrains from indecent and wrongful conduct."
When she finished, her heart was calm and cool. She felt ready to help.
She walked to her brother. He was crying on the floor.
Mei did not hit him. Instead, she hugged him gently.
She spoke softly to him. Her voice was kind.
Mei: “Let us fix the toy together.”
Her prayer had turned her anger into love. They fixed the toy together.
Mei knew that her daily prayer was the source of her good heart. It helped her do good for others, too.
يَٰبُنَيَّ أَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَأۡمُرۡ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَٱنۡهَ عَنِ ٱلۡمُنكَرِ وَٱصۡبِرۡ عَلَىٰ مَآ أَصَابَكَۖ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ مِنۡ عَزۡمِ ٱلۡأُمُورِ
“O my son, establish prayer, enjoin what is right, forbid what is wrong, and be patient over what befalls you. Indeed, [all] that is of the matters [requiring] determination”
— Quran, Surah Luqman, Chapter 31, Verse 17 (quran)