prayer

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Address to divine power, ranging from a ritual formula to attain a desired end, to selfless communication in meditation.

Within Christianity, the Catholic and Orthodox churches sanction prayer to the Virgin Mary, angels, and saints as intercessors, whereas Protestantism limits prayer to God alone.

Hindu prayer may be addressed to any god or to the supreme godhead. It often includes chanting the scriptures in Sanskrit, and the sacred sound ‘Om’ or ‘Aum’. In Judaism, there are traditional prayers related to many everyday tasks or situations, and congregational prayers are said at the synagogue every day. It is the duty of every adult male Jew to attend these if possible and help form part of the minyan, or quorum of ten, which is necessary for congregational prayers. Sikhs repeat morning and evening prayers taken from the Guru Granth Sahib. Muslims are required to pray five times a day (salat).

The star represents Islam and expresses peace, harmony, hope, and socialism. The tricolour is reminiscent of the flag of France, the former colonial power. The pan-African colours express unity with other African nations. Effective date: 25 August 1960. >>