"Worship is of three kinds: some people worship God out of fear, and that is the worship of slaves; other people worship God seeking reward, and that is the worship of hirelings; and some people worship God out of love, and that is the worship of those who are free, and that is the most excellent worship."
Jafar al-Sadiq
Every time I reread this passage I am moved, and I've probably featured it on posts somewhere along the way. It is from Jafar al-Sadiq, a very important figure in the Shia branch of Islam. To me, if you're praying and you're only doing so because you're afraid - or simply because you want something from God - then I don't really understand the point of your faith (or any faith, for that matter). Why would you worship a God (no matter how you define the divine) whose relationship with you is either a glorified Stockholm syndrome or the equivalent of Amazon? We're only free when, well, we're free to determine our path. If we're not free in that most intimate moment with the divine, then the moment is stripped of its beauty and meaning.
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