Article January 1, 2000 Issue

Prayer is a part of life

Name: Anis Khemakhem

I think the most important value that I have in life is family. Family comes first. Honesty and honour are very important, too. Prayer is actually a part of life—it's not a separate thing. If you're honest and want to keep your honour, you have to pray. You can't do anything without the help of God. One must be honest with God, with one's self, and with other people. I feel it's kind of weird when people only pray when they're sick and forget it when they're healthy. Prayer humbles me and makes me think more about what I have. You have to thank God for what you have, no matter what it is or how much.

For me, spirituality is what guides your life. Spirituality is your belief in God, and your relationship with God. If you don't have that, there's no real meaning in life. There are a lot of ways to practice my love for God. For Muslims, the first is belief. You have to believe in the inimitability of God, in the hereafter, in the angels, in the Holy Spirit, in all the Prophets. To us, the Prophets are Moses, Muhammad, Isaac, Jesus Christ, Joseph, and all the other Prophets that came before Muhammad.

We pray five times a day, and then we pray other prayers to show thanks to God. It's not just talking. It's actually actions and getting close to God. We practice fasting, which humbles you and makes you appreciate the food that you usually have—and that during the fast you don't have.