My Evidence for Pysical and Spirtual Prayers

[Raaajah]

History and Archaelogy

"In wandering over the earth, you can find cities without walls, without science, without rulers, without palaces, without treasures, without money, without gymnasium or theatre, but a city without temples to gods, without prayer, oaths and prophecy, such a city no mortal has ever seen and will never see."

Patricia Crone and Michael cook
But the importance of the targumic north-west in the sacred geography of the Hagarenes is most dramatically confirmed by what we know of early history of the qibla it is towards somewhere in north-west Arabia that they appear to have turned in prayer. In the first place, we have the archaeological evidence of two Umayyad mosques in Iraq, that of Hajjaj in Wasit and another attributed to roughly the same period near Baghdad. These mosques are oriented far too north by 33 degrees and 30 degrees respectively; and with this we may compare the literary testimony to the effect that the Iraqi qibla lay to the west. Secondly, we have the literary evidence relating to Egypt. From the Islamic side there is a tradition that the mosque of Amr b. al-As in Fustat pointed too far north, and had to be corrected under the governership of Qurra b. Sharik

According to archaeological research carried out by Creswell and Fehervari on ancient mosques in the Middle East, two floor-plans from two Umayyad mosques in Iraq, one built by the governor Hajjaj in Wasit (noted by Creswell as, "the oldest mosque in Islam of which remains have come down to us" - Creswell 198941), and the other attributed to roughly the same period near Baghdad, have Qiblahs (the direction which these mosques are facing) which do not face Mecca, but are oriented too far north (Creswell 1969137ff & 198940; Fehervari 196189; Crone-Cook 197723,173). The Wasit mosque is off by 33 degrees, and the Baghdad mosque is off by 30 degrees.

We can disagree wit their Qibla issue, but the evidences they have provided are obvious for us to believe that the early Muslims were performing Physical prayers facing toeards some point.

Jacob of Edessa says

The Jews who live in Egypt, as likewise Mahgraye there, as I saw with my own eyes and will now set out for you, prayed to the east, and still do, both people - the Jews towards Jerusalem, and the Mahgraye towards the Kabah (Kbt&#039. And those Jews who are in the south of Jerusalem pray to the north; and those in Babylonia and nhrt' and bwst' pray to the west. And also the Mahgraye who are there pray to the west, towards the Kaba; and those who are to the south of the Kaba pray to the north, towards the place. So from all this it is clear that it is not to the south that the Jews and Mahgraye here in the regions of Syria pray, but towards Jerusalem or Ka`bah, the patriarchial places of their races
Here again we come to understand that Jews were also performig Physical Prayers.

[Raaajah]

and the Christians, offcourse

Psalm 956 O come, let us worship and bow down let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
Numbers 206 And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces
Matthew 2639 Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) also puts his face to the ground in humility before God.
Matthew 2636-39 Then cometh Jesus ... And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed.

Now some may say that this bowing and prostrating is metaphorical and not in actual (lazy lads)
Let us go to quran than if not Physical than why this

To observe prayer one must make ablution (443; 56).
specific timings for prayers and offcourse (not to go/turn around) are provided in difference verses.
Prayers, unlike fasting, cannot be performed later after they are missed; they must be observed on time
And when you have finished the Prayer, remember ALLAH, standing and sitting, and laying on your sides. And when you are secure from danger, then observe Prayer in the prescribe form; verily Prayer is enjoined on the believers to be performed at fixed hours. (4103).
This physical ritual is not required at the times of emergencies, fear, and unusual circumstances (2239) therfore at other times it is Pysical.

Prayer performed daily is only a component of Salaat. Within this system, prayer is a powerful and effective means of achieving the Quranic goals. Outside the system, however, it becomes a soulless ritual repeated solely for getting rewards in the hereafter