An Interfaith Prayer for an End to Torture

Friends,

Last Thursday evening in cooperation with the the Ursuline Sisters and a number of other groups, we cohosted the presentation of a film documentary about torture and its impact on individual lives. The film was followed by a discussion and a brief interfaith spiritual service.

For the Service I composed an interfaith prayer for an end to torture. I thought I would share it with you. Here it is:


AN INTERFAITH PRAYER FOR AN END TO TORTURE


IN THE SPIRIT OF THE CHRISTIANS, who see that the Kingdom of God is literally among us, let us strive to open the eyes of those who torture so that they can see that their actions undercut God’s Kingdom.

Amen

IN THE SPIRIT OF THE BUDDHISTS who understand so well that the true meaning of the word “compassion,” is to “suffer with,” we ask God to help us all find our ways to bear the scars of those who have been tortured.

Amen

IN THE SPIRIT OF THE HINDUS, who know that God’s face is manifested in many different forms, we implore the Divine to enable us to see the face of God in the tortured and the torturer alike.

Amen

IN THE SPIRIT OF THE JEWS, who have great passion for justice, we invoke the name of God in bringing the darkness of torture to light wherever it exists.

Amen

IN THE SPIRIT OF THE BAHA’IS who believe that all persons throughout the world are connected by the love of God, we ask the Holy One to help us realize that connection by upholding the dignity of all humans through opposition to torture anywhere on our Earth.

Amen

IN THE SPIRIT OF MUSLIMS, the name of whose religion means submission to the will of God, we submit our will to the Divine who calls upon us to do all that we can to stop the use of torture by representatives of our own Government.

Amen

And in the spirit of the Quakers who speak to the fact that there is the Light of God in everyone, let us now carry into the evening the light of candles, each one representing a country in which the conflagration of torture remains to be snuffed out, in the hope that we can turn this symbolic action into reality in the days, weeks and months to come.

Amen

Prepare for Shavuot and Pentecost with Muslim Call to Prayer

Yesterday I shared Rabbi Arthur's thoughts about the Biblical Book of Ruth and ideas about the Jewish observance of Shavuot and the Christian observance of Pentecost, both of which occur this weekend.

Thinking about Rabbi Arthur's comments, and his deep devotion to interfaith understanding among the Children of Abraham, Sarah and Hagar (Christians, Jews and Muslims), I thought it would be appropriate to prepare for those holidays (and the Baha'i holiday that also occurs this weekend) by listening to the Muslim call to prayer.

Here is video I shot of a Muezzin delivering the Adhan, or "call to prayer" at Dar al Islam Mosque on a mountaintop above Abiquiu, New Mexico in July of 2008.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiz2kw5fbw8

And what follows is a description of the Adhan taken from Beliefnet.com

It’s the first thing recited in the ears of a newborn babe; it's often the first thing recited in a new home. And it rings out in mosques, Islamic schools, homes, and on the street in Muslim communities five times a day.

The adhan, or Islamic call to prayer, is an integral part of the Muslim faith.The adhan is one of the most lyrical, inspiring prayers for Muslims. A hadith recounts that the Prophet’s companions one day were discussing how to gather everyone for prayer. Some suggested using a bell as Christians do, and others advised using a ram's horn, following an ancient Jewish practice.

Then Umar, one of the Prophet's companions, suggested having one person call others to prayer. The Prophet agreed, calling his ex-slave, Bilal, to recite the adhan, according to a hadith from the collection of al Bukhari.

The Arabic text of the adhan is similar for all five recitations (with a slight difference in the adhan recited for the pre-dawn prayer, which adds the line "Prayer is better than sleep").

Its compelling sound is amplified by the skill of the person who recites it: The more melodius and clear the voice, the more powerful the adhan is.

Call to Prayer (the Adhan)

Allah is Most Great.

Allah is Most Great.

Allah is Most Great. Allah is Most Great.

I bear witness that there is none worthy of being worshipped except Allah.

I bear witness that there is none worthy of being worshipped except Allah.

I bear witness that Muhammad is the Apostle of Allah.

I bear witness that Muhammad is the Apostle of Allah.

Come to prayer.

Come to prayer.

Come to Success.

Come to Success.

Allah is Most Great.

Allah is Most Great.

There is none worthy of being worshipped except Allah.

And here is an Arabic Transliteration:

Allahu Akbar. Allahu Akbar.Allahu Akbar. Allahu Akbar.Ash-hadu an la ilaha ill-Allah.Ash-hadu an la ilaha ill-Allah.Ash-hadu anna Muhammad-ar-Rasoolullah.Ash-hadu anna Muhammad-ar-Rasoolullah.Hayya 'alas-Salah. Hayya 'alas-Salah.Hayya 'alal-falah. Hayya 'alal-falah.Allahu Akbar. Allahu Akbar.La ilaha ill-Allah.