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Supplication (also known as petitioning) is a form of prayer, wherein one party humbly or earnestly asks another party to provide something, either for the party who is doing the supplicating (e.g., "Please spare my life.") or on behalf of someone else.
Supplication is a theme of earliest antiquity, embodied in the Iliad as the prayers of Chryses for the return of his daughter, and of Priam for the dead body of his son, Hector. Richard Martin notes repeated references to supplicants throughout the poem, including warriors begging to be spared by the Greeks on the battlefield. [1]
In ancient Rome, formal supplication as a request, whether to a private individual or following surrender or military defeat, had four formal steps:
1. Approach: the suppliant approaches the supplicandus, the person from whom the request is sought. During the Republican era, this approach was not made at an altar and was not considered a prayer (prex) in the technical religious sense.
2. Identification: the suppliant performs conventional gestures or words in order to identify himself.
3. Request: the suppliant states what his request is and may present an argument for why he should receive it.
4. Rejection or acceptance: The supplicandus may reject the request. If he accepts it, he makes a pledge to fulfill it.
The pledge to fulfill the request is the part of the process considered sacred and witnessed by deities including Fides and Jupiter. [3]
In Latin, the word submissio more commonly expresses this act than supplicatio , which was a form of public prayer procession. [4] In the Imperial era, however, a petition to the emperor for judicial review was called a supplicatio, with the term later used for a request that the emperor review a legal judgment that otherwise would not have been subject to appeal. [5]
In Christianity, the prayer of supplication for health by and on behalf of the sick is referenced in early Christian writings in the New Testament, especially James 5:13-16.
One example of supplication is the Western Christian ritual of novena (from novem, the Latin word for "nine") wherein one repeatedly asks for the same favor over a period of nine days. [6] This ritual began in Spain during the Middle Ages when a nine-day period of hymns and prayers led up to a Christmas feast, a period which ended with gift giving. A contemporary Christian example of supplication is the practice of the Daily Prayer for Peace by the Community of Christ where a member prays for peace each day at a specified time. Philippians 4:6 says, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."
In Islam, the Arabic word duʻā (plural daʿwat or ʾadʿiyah) is used to refer to supplications. Adʻiya may be made in any language, although there are many traditional Islamic supplications in Arabic, Persian and Turkish. In Islam, duʻā tends to mean supplication. The supplications (Duaas) of Islamic prophets are given in the Quran. There are a number of supplications mentioned in Islam in the Quran and Sunnah that can be recited for various purposes for the blessings and the rewards of God. Supplications can range in nature for everyday tasks like sleeping, eating, drinking water and can be more specific in nature like supplications for knowledge or supplications for health and more.
The Quran is the most authentic source of supplications and 30 such supplications that are mentioned in the Quran are most commonly recited by Muslims.
The word Ardâs ( ਅਰਦਾਸ ) is derived from the Persian word 'Arazdashat', meaning a request, a supplication, a prayer, a petition or an address to a superior authority. It is a Sikh prayer that is done before performing or after undertaking any significant task; after reciting the daily Banis (prayers); or after completion of a service like the Paath, kirtan (hymn-singing) program or any other religious program. In Sikhism, these prayers are also said before and after eating. The prayer is a plea to God to support and help the devotee with whatever he or she is about to undertake or has done.
Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with an object of worship through deliberate communication. In the narrow sense, the term refers to an act of supplication or intercession directed towards a deity or a deified ancestor. More generally, prayer can also have the purpose of thanksgiving or praise, and in comparative religion is closely associated with more abstract forms of meditation and with charms or spells.
Amen is an Abrahamic declaration of affirmation which is first found in the Hebrew Bible, and subsequently found in the New Testament. It is used in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim practices as a concluding word, or as a response to a prayer. Common English translations of the word amen include "verily", "truly", "it is true", and "let it be so". It is also used colloquially, to express strong agreement.
In Islam, duʿāʾ is a prayer of invocation, supplication or request, asking help or assistance from God.
Witr is an Islamic prayer (salat) that is performed at night after Isha or before fajr. Witr has an odd number of raka'at prayed in pairs, with the final raka'ah prayed separately.
Dhikr is a form of Islamic worship in which phrases or prayers are repeatedly recited for the purpose of remembering God. It plays a central role in Sufism, and each Sufi order typically adopts a specific dhikr, accompanied by specific posture, breathing, and movement. In Sufism, dhikr refers to both the act of this remembrance as well as the prayers used in these acts of remembrance. Dhikr usually includes the names of God or supplication from the Quran or hadith. It may be counted with either one's fingers or prayer beads, and may be performed alone or with a collective group. A person who recites dhikr is called a dhākir.
A novena is an ancient tradition of devotional praying in Christianity, consisting of private or public prayers repeated for nine successive days or weeks. The nine days between the Feast of the Ascension and Pentecost, when the disciples gathered in the upper room and devoted themselves to prayer, is often considered to be the first novena.
In ancient Roman religion, a supplicatio is a day of public prayer during times of crisis or a thanksgiving for receipt of aid. During days of public prayer, Roman men, women, and children traveled in procession to religious sites around the city praying for divine aid. Supplications might also be ordered in response to prodigies (prodigia); participants wore wreaths, carried laurel twigs, and attended sacrifices at temple precincts throughout the city.
۩ Sujūd, or sajdah, also known as sijda,sejda or shejda is the act of low bowing or prostration to (God) facing the qiblah. It is usually done in standardized prayers (salah). The position involves kneeling and bowing till one touches the ground with 7 bones (points): the forehead & nose, two hands, two knees and two sets of toes. In accordance with the Sunnah of Muhammad, one's elbows should be far from one's body, unless it causes discomfort to other worshippers. Some scholars hold the position that this applies only to men, and that women are encouraged to tuck their elbows in out of modesty,
Muzdalifah is an open and level area near Mecca in the Hejazi region of Saudi Arabia that is associated with the Ḥajj ("Pilgrimage"). It lies just southeast of Mina, on the route between Mina and Arafat.
Tawassul is an Arabic word originated from 'wasilat'. The wasilah is a means by which a person, goal or objective is approached, attained or achieved. In another version of the meaning of tawassul in another text: Tawassul is an Arabic word that comes from a verbal noun, wasilah, which according to Ibn Manzur in Lisān al-'Arab means "a station of King, a rank, or act of devotion". In other words, it refers to a position of power due to one's proximity to the king or sovereign. While the tawassul or tawassulan is the use of wasilah for this purpose. In religious contexts, the tawassul is the use of a wasilah to arrive at or obtain favour of Allah.
Eid prayers, also referred to as Salat al-Eid, are holy holiday prayers in the Islamic tradition. The literal translation of the word "Eid" in Arabic is "festival" or "feast" and is a time when Muslims congregate with family and the larger Muslim community to celebrate.
"Qunut" is a supplication type of prayer made while standing in Islam.
A Sunnah prayer is an optional or supererogatory salah that can be performed in addition to the five daily salah, which are compulsory for all Muslims. Sunnah prayer have different characteristics: some are done at the same time as the five daily compulsory prayers, some are done only at certain times, or only for specific occasions ; some have their own name and some are identified by how they are performed. The length of Sunnah prayer also varies.
Prayer in the Catholic Church is "the raising of one's mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God." It is an act of the moral virtue of religion, which Catholic theologians identify as a part of the cardinal virtue of justice.
Istighfar is the act of seeking forgiveness of God in Islam. This is usually done by saying "I seek the forgiveness of God", or the longer version "I seek the forgiveness of God, my Lord, and turn to him ". It is considered one of the essential parts of worship in Islam.
Salah, also known as namaz, is a form of worship performed by Muslims. Facing the direction of prayer also known as Qibla, it is performed standing, bowing, and sitting and prostrating in various stages, during which phrases from the Quran and phrases which are thought by Prothet Muhammadﷺ are typically recited.
Jawshan Kabeer is a long Islamic prayer that contains 1001 names and attributes of God, and is widely used in many Shia Muslim traditions, especially in Turkey. Jawshan means "steel plate" or "mail" and thus the name of the prayer refers to Muhammad's heavy armor in battle. According to Shia Muslims, God taught the prayer to him as a protection from injuries in war, instead of hard armor.
Menstruation in Islam relates to various purity related restrictions in Islamic jurisprudence. The ḥayḍ is the religious state of menstruation in Islam. The Qur'an makes specific mention of menstruation in al-Baqara 2:222:
And they ask you about menstruation. Say, "It is harm, so keep away from wives during menstruation. And do not approach them until they are pure. And when they have purified themselves, then come to them from where Allāh has ordained for you. Indeed, Allāh loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves.
Dua Tawassul is the name for various supplications in Islam. This prominent supplication has been written in the book of Bihar al-Anwar. Muslims within the Middle East recite this supplication in religious places, most commonly on Tuesday nights.
Though the novena is primarily a devotion used by members of the Catholic Church, it is also practiced by some Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran Christians.
