People from various religions believe in prayers. They have been a lot epistemology to verify the effectiveness of prayers sometimes with results that can be considered. Whereas for some people prayers have no effect, a lot of worshipers especially from the Muslim community and some sects of Christianity have experienced miraculous answers of their prayers and rely on them as a weapon against distress and a mean to deter affliction . It is obvious that some people don’t believe at all in the unseen and might see the answer of prayers as mere coincidence. Since one of the main purpose of creation , if not its primordial purpose , is to experience and worship God, the almighty creator, it should be the case that the more we submit ourselves to God and his commandments, the more our prayers and supplications to him are granted. Unfortunately in a rapidly changing world and from the experience of life, some people among the atheists, polytheists and wrongdoers also seem to have their supplications granted. Is is really the case that God makes no difference or is it so that only the supplications of those who rely only on God are answered?
Firstly it is obvious that God has promised to reward those who believe and supplicate. Supplications are always accepted if what we ask for is really necessary for us and if we are sincere and patient.
In the Christian Bible in John 15:7 it is written: “ if you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you”. God answers prayers as the prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: “ Your Lord is munificent and generous and does not turn away empty hands of his servant when he raises them.” The majority of Muslims and even righteous Christians are confident of the fact that God answers prayers and supplications directly or delays the answer for a suitable time in the future or in the hereafter. However, some supplications are undesirable or unlawful. Supplications for things that might cause harm to the servant of God in this world and /or in the hereafter are not lawful. God condemns those who supplicate only for wordily things. God makes it clear in the glorious qu’ran that those seeking all the goods of this world may not have any share in the hereafter..
“There are those who say, our Lord ! Give us your bounties in this world! And he will have no portion in the hereafter”. (“ Al Baqarah, 2:200)
Moreover, there are special circumstances in which supplications are always granted: The supplication of the unjustly oppressed or wronged , the supplication of a traveler and the supplication of a father for his son for instance are mostly granted.
Secondly, even sincere supplications of disbeliever and polytheist are likely to be granted in many cases. Religious wisdom is a requirement before every act of worship . Those with little insights on how God works might believe that unlawful ways and means of asking God for something are void. But unlawful ways of supplication and wrong religions also work. Asking God for something in an unlawful way (through polytheism ,soothsayers or magicians) will certainly provide some solutions where the harm overweights the benefit. Some polytheists make supplications bowing to idols and their supplications are granted. But their lack of wisdom indulge them in a big sin as they probably become unrighteous. The reason why their supplications are answered might be that they are totally committed to the idol as they consider it as God. But such supplications will lead to the fire of Hell. Some polytheists are amazed that they get what they want and no one can prove their form of worshiping wrong but if you believe only what you see then you will not understand that God can tolerate and pardon an ignorant person for certain actions whereas he will severely punish someone he has already warned. And even though God might pardon an ignorant person, it can never be the case that God will let undesirable and unlawful actions to be considered as desirable and lawful. Another reason why some polytheists will get what their ask God for is that they might be various spiritual beings in the unseen that will be working for them and helping them to get totally lost until there is no point of return. Another reason is that mans soul is submissive to fantasies and hallucinations can let someone believe that he is being divinely inspired whereas it is just the fruit of his own imagination.
In any case a believer should be humble even when his supplications are answered. They only criteria to weight divine religions is righteousness and not mere miracles. On the spiritual journey you might encounter saints and apparently pious people who have effective supplications. Some of them will have a lot of disciples due to this fact. But if miracles will lead people to disbelieve and in so doing ruin their hereafter then these are not miracles from God. Unsuitable supplication are just like wealth and power in the hand of unrighteous people. Wealth and power are divine gift if they are put into the service of the just cause but material prosperity can also be a mere trial and misguide the arrogant. God says in the glorious quran: “
Do they think that we enlarge them in wealth and children, we hasten them with good things in this worldly life so that they will have no share of good things in the Hereafter? Nay, but they perceived not.(Al muminun,23:55-56)
This is the case with some who are so attached to the blink blink world that they are ready to do anything to stay in it. If they don’t repent they will suffer a punishment in this world and will be the big loosers in the hereafter
