Ramadan Night 22 - The Eighth Entry

And the places of worship
Are for Allah (alone)
So invoke  not any one
Along with Allah.
S.72 A.18

There are many levels of meaning for me here, some ancient, some contemporary.  The Koran was revealed in an age where idolatry was rampant, and many gods were worshipped in one location, sometimes simultaneously.  Obviously, Allah is the only God to be worshipped, anywhere at anytime. The second connotation here is the need to create mosques, where God's work is the only concern of the structure and its inhabitants.  The final theme is one that is becoming more and more important to me, the sanctity of my daily prayers, particularly those I perform at work and other secular settings.  When I am clean, and I begin to make my intention to pray,  I leave my office and its distractions without leaving the room.  I put aside the trivial needs of the day and I pray.  When I begin my first rakat, there is no one there but my God and I.  

When I converted more than four years ago, this was not the case.  I did not feel comfortable praying outside my home or the mosque.  I was self-conscious, and did not feel the peace and freedom as I should have.  I started to observe other Muslims as they prayed, and I noticed how quickly they could remove themselves from their surroundings, how quickly they were into their prayers. This gave me support and confidence. I have worked at this, and I am far more comfortable praying in other locations.  This verse helps me too- when I pray, where ever I am is for God alone during those blessed minutes.