The Bowl of Saki Commentary

God is in the depths of consciousness. Now the Message of God, being the Message of God, has employed such prayers as would make this a reality in one. The idea of words not carrying life is foreign to Sufism. Sufism is the philosophy of life, so its words must be living words. While it is not wrong to petition God, the training in Sufism enables one to pray in a practical manner to attain to Success. Saum, Salat, Khatum, and all prayers that have been included in any portion of the Sufi message given by Hazrat Inayat Khan are valuable beyond conception.

If it be supposed that one might petition God without these prayers, it is not wrong, but if one be a lover of another, the lover does not ask the beloved to assume tasks which the lover might do by oneself. Therefore, for the purpose of attainment it is preferable to practice meditation or concentration and not to petition God. We should rather pray by saying, "Use us for the purpose that Thy Wisdom chooses," and "Give sustenance to our bodies, hearts, and souls." Such a prayer combined with Darood, meditation, and concentration will serve every need of humanity.