Do Muslims pray for people other than those of their religion?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Daegus
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
D

Daegus

Guest
I will admit that I don’t know very much about Islam (besides things that will land me in a mud-slinging contest with dissident Muslims) and one of the things I have heard is that Muslims only pray for other Muslims.

Is that true? Do Muslims only pray for their friends and not enemies?

Thanks.
 
Daegus said:
I will admit that I don’t know very much about Islam (besides things that will land me in a mud-slinging contest with dissident Muslims) and one of the things I have heard is that Muslims only pray for other Muslims.

Is that true? Do Muslims only pray for their friends and not enemies?

Thanks.
Click to expand...
Yes - they only pray for their own -
 
Now why is that? Praying for the good of others can never hurt, if Allah is supposed to be the paramount arbitrator.

On another note I hear that Muslims aren’t allowed to pray for non-Muslims to have their sins forgiven so that they may go to heaven. That sounds draconian… I wish it not true for the sake of our Muslim brothers and sisters at CAF.
 
A woman on the bus struck me as especially devout several years ago. She wore a scarf every day and usually read from her book. I would give her a head node, smile or some greeting as I took my seat. No one else seemed to acknowledge her at all. After a while she began giving me questioning looks as if to say ‘why are you singling me out’. One morning I was very ill but hoped to complete the day of work :hypno: this was years ago before I began attending Mass. At any case I got her attention, told her I was sick and asked her to pray. She was seated immediately behind me. After ‘I’ spoke (I’d never heard her voice and wondered if she understood English) she nodded her head and I sat back in my chair. In only a few short seconds I felt relief. I turned and saw her hands pressed tightly together, lips moving with bowed head. She raised her head slightly to look at me. I pointed to her hands, smiled and nodded a thanks. Then she gave me a smile still not actually speaking to me. She continued praying :gopray2:.

Days later we did talk but a lasting friendship was not meant to be – at least not yet.

They pray for others all right. Whether a penal act was performed later or not I don’t know. I wasn’t aware it could have been an issue or I would not have asked :crossrc: Renee
 
You know as I think about it Muslim men are permitted to marry Christians who are considered Women of the Book. Surely a man would have the “OK” to pray for his love interest married or not.
 
Muslims believe that it is infinitely better to live a short life and die as a Muslim than to live well for even a thousand years and then die as a non-believer.

And so, Muslims pray for the Lord to give non-Muslims guidance because there is no prize more valuable than guidance from Allah.

There is really no reason for Muslims to pray for the well-being of non-Muslims who wish to stay as non-believers.

The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) himself was not allowed to pray for the soul of his own mother and that of his beloved uncle Abu Talib because they died as non-Muslims.
 
Muslims don’t pray for non-Muslims who are dead, but they can pray for those who are alive. And I do.
 
Since Islam allows it, I suppose that I could pray for good health and prosperity for non-Muslims… but I really do not have any enthusiasm to do so.

However, if non-Muslims wish for me to pray that they receive guidance from Allah, then I would be ever-willing and happy to do so.

Like I have mentioned, there is no prize more valuable than guidance from the Lord… and so non-Muslims need to sincerely desire this prayer from Muslims more than any other kind of Muslim prayer if they do indeed wish for Muslims to pray for them.
 
I teach in a school in the Persian Gulf.
When a student asked, “Do you think that what is happening in Egypt will happen here?” my negative response was greeted with relief and a public statement that what I said must be true.
Although Egypt is a predominantly Muslim country, I doubt the faith of Egypt’s citizens was the primary concern of the same child who said, “I’m praying for them.”

I have had Muslims ask me to pray for them knowing that I am Catholic.
My parish has an upcoming Family Day. Directions for MCs (I am one) includes maintaining silence during the prayer times of the nearby mosque.
 
hamba2han said:
Muslims believe that it is infinitely better to live a short life and die as a Muslim than to live well for even a thousand years and then die as a non-believer.

And so, Muslims pray for the Lord to give non-Muslims guidance because there is no prize more valuable than guidance from Allah.

There is really no reason for Muslims to pray for the well-being of non-Muslims who wish to stay as non-believers.

The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) himself was not allowed to pray for the soul of his own mother and that of his beloved uncle Abu Talib because they died as non-Muslims.
Click to expand...
What sort of a God would discourage his people from praying for others, a musllim god.
What sort of a God encourages his people to pray for EVERYONE, a Christian God.

God encourages to love and pray for everyone, because he knows we need his help and guidance. Jesus encourages us to pray especially for sinners, non believers etc cause they are the ones that need God the most.

The Christian God encourages us to love everyone, regardless of what they are, we are not the ones to judge, where as the muslim god only teaches to pray for there own, which doesnt make sense if he was a loving and understanding god.

Finding salvation through Jesus is the most rewarding way of going to heaven, for Jesus gave his life for us, and there is no greater love than that. So, if your muslim god can do something as amazing and loving as that, id be very surprised.
As Jesus said
John 14:6 Jesus said: I am the Way; I am Truth and Life. No one can come to the Father except through me. 😉
 
I’m glad this thread hasnt descended into Muslim bashing. I think we need to show compassion to people of other faiths, pointing out errors in a respectful and gentle manner.
 
Yes, there are one God only. No matter, if a muslim prays for me or not - i will always pray for them and everyone else as we are supposed to do.

Humility, love and trust in the Lord is what we should focus on.
 
Say: He is Allah, the One and Only;
Allah, the Eternal, Absolute;
He begetteth not, nor is He begotten;
And there is none like unto Him. … Al-Qur’an, Surah Al-Ikhlas

If non-Muslims wish for Muslims to pray for them, then they need to know that Muslims pray to the God who is described in Surah Al-Ikhlas above.

If this is OK with non-Muslims, then Muslims have no problem at all praying for the Lord to give guidance to them.

Well actually… even if it is not OK with non-Muslims, Muslims would still pray for Allah to give them His guidance.
 
Padraig1972 said:
Yes, there are one God only. No matter, if a muslim prays for me or not - i will always pray for them and everyone else as we are supposed to do.

Humility, love and trust in the Lord is what we should focus on.
Click to expand...
I hear you, and thats about it.
 
Daegus said:
I will admit that I don’t know very much about Islam (besides things that will land me in a mud-slinging contest with dissident Muslims) and one of the things I have heard is that Muslims only pray for other Muslims.

Is that true? Do Muslims only pray for their friends and not enemies?

Thanks.
Click to expand...
our prophet (pbuh) prayed for his nonmuslims enemy during the battle of uhud , which means for me that muslim can pray for his friends nonmuslims anytime

Utbah bin Abi Waqqas pelted him (mohammed (pbuh)) with stones. One of the stones fell on his face. His lower right incisor Ruba‘iya (i.e. the tooth that is between a canine and a front tooth) was injured. His lower lip was wounded. He was also attacked by ‘Abdullah bin Shihab Az-Zuhri who cleaved his forehead. ‘Abdullah bin Qami’a (Qami’a means ‘a humiliated woman’), who was an obstinate strong horseman, struck him violently on his shoulder with his sword; and that stroke hurt the Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] for over a month — though it was not strong enough to break his two armours. He dealt a heavy blow on his cheek. It was so strong that two rings of his iron-ringed helmet penetrated into his holy cheek. “Take this stroke from me, I am Ibn Qami’a.” He said while striking the Messenger with his sword. The Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] replied — while he was wiping the blood flowing on his face: “I implore Allâh to humiliate you.”
[Fath Al-Bari 7/373, 366] (i.e. Aqma’aka Allâh).
In Al-Bukhâri it is stated his incisor broke, his head was cleaved, and that he started wiping the blood off it and saying: “(I wonder) how can people who cut the face of their Prophet [pbuh] and break the incisor of his — he who calls them to worship Allâh. How can such people thrive or be successful?” About that incident, Allâh, Glory is to Him, sent down a Qur’ânic verse saying:
“Not for you (O Muhammad [pbuh] but for Allâh) is the decision; whether He turns in mercy to (pardons) them or punishes them; verily, they are the Zâlimûn (polytheists, disobedients, and wrong-doers).” [Al-Qur’an 3:128[/COLOR]

At-Tabarani states that the Prophet [pbuh] said: “Allâh’s Wrath is great on those who besmear the face of His Messenger,” observed silence for a short while and then resumed saying:
"O Allâh, forgive my people for they have no knowledge."
 
elwill said:
O Allâh, forgive my people for they have no knowledge
Click to expand...
That quote sounds very close to a famous phrase that Jesus said on the cross…

Luke 23:34 Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing.’
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top