2. "Thee do we serve and Thee do we beseech for help. Guide us
on the right path" (1:4, 5). 3. "And when thou art among them
and leadest the prayer for them, let a party of them stand with
thee and let them take their arms; then when they have
prostrated themselves let them go to your rear and let another
party who have not prayed come forward and pray with
thee"(4:102). The prayer-service of Islām is essentially a
congregational service, and has, besides the development of the
inner self of man, through communion with God, other ends as
well in view, which show what a unique force the Islamic prayer
is in the unification of the human race. In the first place,
this gathering of all people living in the same vicinity five
times daily in the mosque, is a great help to the establishment
of healthy social relations, the circle becoming wider in the
Friday service, and still more extensive in the 'Īd gatherings.
But the jamā'ah not only promotes social relations: what is far
more important it levels down social di