Author: Claudia Weeraperuma
Publisher: ISPCK
Year: 2003
Language: English
Pages: 143
ISBN/UPC (if available): 8172147414
Description
Only a burning furious passion, almost verging on madness for God, can push the soul forward so that it reaches the inconceivable and indescribable Lord. An ardent lover will always be so completely absorbed in his love for his Beloved that he cannot psychologically entertain any other love. This kind of exclusive love for God is much encouraged by all monotheistic religions such as Judaism, Islam and Christianity.
Not only in the Islamic mystical traditional but also in the Christian and Hindu ones there are instances of annihilation in God wherein the mystic is insensible to physical pain. By surrendering ourselves to God we allow Him to decide the course of our lives. Such surrender is the best that we can do: it is indeed the very essence of Contemplative Prayer.
Contents
INTRODUCTION
ACKNOWLEDGEMNTS
DEFINITION FO PRAYER, CONTEMPLATION AND CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER
PART I: CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER IN CHRISTIANITY
Prerequisite for Contemplative Prayer: The Love of God
The Art of Contemplative Prayer
Stages of Contemplative Prayer
PART II: CONTEMPLEATIVE PRAYER IN ISLAM
The Concept of God in Christianity and Islam
Rabi’s of Basra: Her Life and Teachings
Gratitude
Love of God
Chastity
The Stages of Rabi’s Contemplative Prayer
The Forms of prayer used by Rabi’a Salah
The Islamic Prayer of Recollection (Dhikr)
PART III
Conclusions
Bibliography