To Open

As I was looking at the opening prayer of the Qur'an, I realized that people have a tendency to say something when every they begin something new. Its like the ribbon cutting at a new store or building. There is this whole routine that occurs before the store is opened. First there are speeches and there are toasts and often a party or something of the kind. It ends with the ribbon being cut and then the store opens. It does not matter what the store or building is, there is almost always this ceremony at the beginning. I realized that this is very similar to the start of prayer service, whether Jewish or Islamic. For Jews, services always start with the Shema, or the call to service. It does not matter what Torah portion is being read that day, the Shema is always chanted at the start. The same seems true for Islamic prayer service. They always begin with the prayer The Opening.

The need to start off anything with a consistent opening is not just held to ceremonies of warship. People usually start most things in life with a consistent routine. Most people will start each day with the same routine, such as brushing their teeth. The need to start the unfamiliar with the familiar is very strong and is a part of our lives, whether in just daily life or in prayer.