Asking the Clergy: What places are meaningful for prayer?

Prayer is an essential part of many believers’ lives — an opportunity to express “a longing of the soul,” in Mahatma Gandhi’s words, or to put “oneself in the hands of God” according to Mother Teresa of Kolkata. This week’s commenters describe the places where prayers help them find inner peace, reconnect with a lost loved one, or fulfill a religious obligation.

Anu Jain of Jericho

Member, Jain Center of America, Flushing, Queens

Jain temples are the most sacred places to pray because many people chant mantras there. As a result, the energy is purer, happier and more calming. Additionally, I have the opportunity to interact and meet a lot of people.

The Jain Samaj of Long Island temple in Hicksville and the Jain Temple of New York in New Hyde Park are my favorite sites to visit on Long Island for prayers. Shantinath ji Bhagwan, the 16th of the 24 tirthankaras, our spiritual teachers, is the principal idol of the Hicksville temple. Jain people pray to Shantinath ji Bhagwan to elevate their spirit experience tranquility. Every day, people do pooja (a ritual prayer) and other religious rituals in this temple. Every first Sunday of the month, a group of people congregate at the temple to recite and chant the Bhaktamar Path, a famous prayer. Throughout the year, both Long Island temples conduct all Jain religious activities and events.

Additionally, these temples also have Jain pathshalas, learning spaces where volunteers teach Jainism to children. Furthermore, in the temple, many Jain individuals begin their day by praying to God.

The Rev. William McBride

Religious director, Interfaith Community Religious Education Program, Brookville Multifaith Campus, Glen Head

My favorite place to pray is Upland Park in Great Neck, a park my family has affectionately named The Veronica Park, after my sister Veronica, who played there with our son Michael in the first four years of his life and the final four of hers.

The park has become a place of retreat where I can relax and enjoy, reflect and enlighten, and renew and invigorate my very best self in the face of life’s challenges. Veronica was known for her wise one-liners delivered with spirit, so praying in The Veronica Park always helps me to face life and death questions as a child of God searching for wisdom. For example, she once said, “Life is like driving through fog; you can get by as long as you don’t look too far ahead.”

In the face of her own death, Veronica suggested a tombstone that read, “This wasn’t on my list of things to do.” Sitting on a bench believing that Veronica is interceding on my behalf helps me pray from my pew in the park. From my favorite place to pray, I know Veronica and God are conspiring in my favor. Amen.  

Mohammad Rashid

Executive committee member, Islamic Center of Long Island, Westbury

One of Islam’s Five Pillars requires a Muslim to pray five times a day. Muslims should pray in the morning before dawn (Fajr), at midday (Zuhr), about 1½ hours before sunset (Asr), at sunset (Maghrib), and at night about 1½ hours after sunset (Isha).

Praying on time and with congregants in a mosque offers more rewards than praying alone. If, for some legitimate reason, I can’t pray on time, I am still required to do my best and fulfill the obligation as soon as possible. For instance, at work it is sometimes difficult to pray if I have back-to-back meetings, so during lunch hour I take a quick break to pray.

There are three sacred places to pray. No. 1 is at Masjid al-Haram, the mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, where I have prayed many times. The second most sacred place would be the mosque of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in Medina, Saudi Arabia. The third is Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Israel. For a devout Muslim, praying in these sacred places is more rewarding than praying in another place.