"INTERNAL STATES CONDUCIVE TO PERFECTING THE LIFE IN PRAYER
HOPE
As for hope, this is unquestionably something else again. There are many who revere some kind or other, and who are in awe of him or afraid of his power, yet do not hope to be rewarded by him. In our Prayers, however, we must hope for the reward of God, Great and Glorious is He, just as we fear His punishment for our faults."
Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship
OK, so the last couple days I've stated some skepticism about al-Ghazali's proposals, or at least a degree of reservation in regards to the nature in which they were presented. That said, it's difficult to quibble with the centrality of hope in prayer. Seriously, if you're only prostrating or kneeling or genuflecting or stretching out flat on the ground solely to avoid punishment then what's the point of your religion? That said, if you're only praying in hope of gaining something then your religion seems equally pointless (as my friend Dave is fond of pointing out, God is not an ATM). The psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg laid out what has become known as, not surprisingly, the Kohlberg scale on moral reasoning. This is not a measure of how moral you are, but rather how you approach moral decision making. Of the six possible levels the lowest two are defined as Pre-Moral, in that you're not really operating within a structured moral universe based on a collective understanding. Rather, the lowest level is when you make a decision simply to avoid punishment. So, if you don't want to get spanked on the butt then you shouldn't put your hand on the stove. Is this any different than praying to avoid punishment (or, as is often stated in the Quran, the hellfire)? That said, the level above it, also defined as Pre-Moral, is when you make a decision solely in hope of getting a reward. Is not pitching a fit at the grocery store in hopes of getting a cookie any different than praying because you want something, especially if it's materialistic, from God? So, I do think that hope is central to the process, but it's hope for a better world and your role in making that a reality.
HOPE
As for hope, this is unquestionably something else again. There are many who revere some kind or other, and who are in awe of him or afraid of his power, yet do not hope to be rewarded by him. In our Prayers, however, we must hope for the reward of God, Great and Glorious is He, just as we fear His punishment for our faults."
Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship
OK, so the last couple days I've stated some skepticism about al-Ghazali's proposals, or at least a degree of reservation in regards to the nature in which they were presented. That said, it's difficult to quibble with the centrality of hope in prayer. Seriously, if you're only prostrating or kneeling or genuflecting or stretching out flat on the ground solely to avoid punishment then what's the point of your religion? That said, if you're only praying in hope of gaining something then your religion seems equally pointless (as my friend Dave is fond of pointing out, God is not an ATM). The psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg laid out what has become known as, not surprisingly, the Kohlberg scale on moral reasoning. This is not a measure of how moral you are, but rather how you approach moral decision making. Of the six possible levels the lowest two are defined as Pre-Moral, in that you're not really operating within a structured moral universe based on a collective understanding. Rather, the lowest level is when you make a decision simply to avoid punishment. So, if you don't want to get spanked on the butt then you shouldn't put your hand on the stove. Is this any different than praying to avoid punishment (or, as is often stated in the Quran, the hellfire)? That said, the level above it, also defined as Pre-Moral, is when you make a decision solely in hope of getting a reward. Is not pitching a fit at the grocery store in hopes of getting a cookie any different than praying because you want something, especially if it's materialistic, from God? So, I do think that hope is central to the process, but it's hope for a better world and your role in making that a reality.
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