The Role of Dispositional Desires in Prayer Fulfillment

Prayer or supplication holds a profound significance within mystical traditions. Mystics contend that the mere verbal articulation or heartfelt yearning in prayer holds limited efficacy in attaining fulfillment without an accompanying disposition. Nevertheless, the reverent essence of prayer or supplication remains affirmed and accepted by religious doctrine. In the journey towards prayer fulfillment, individuals' existential capacities and dispositional states, particularly in relation to divine understanding, serve as crucial factors determining the reception of God's grace. Dispositional want, often described as an inner prayer or, in the lexicon of mystics, as hidden calls, denotes the soul's quest for a level of perfection conducive to receiving divine grace. This stems from the belief that God, inherently abundant in grace, continually bestows His generosity without reservation. As eloquently expressed by Ibn al-ʿArabī, God is abundantly rich in grace. The soul possessing such disposition perceives its prayers as efficacious and fulfilled, as it has the capacity to receive divine grace—devoid of impediments or deficiencies. In this context, the Quran asserts, "and He gave you all that you had asked Him" (Quran 14:34), signifying that God grants desires according to the language of one's disposition. Prayers lacking such disposition, however earnest, may not be fulfilled by God. Yet, an inquiry arises concerning the role of dispositional want: whether the disposition of "fixed entities" (al-aʿyān al-thābita) remains immutable, rendering prayers ineffective, or if God's grace manifests and diffuses in consonance with dispositional states. This study delves into the multifaceted role of prayer or supplication across various stages of existence, elucidating the pivotal role of dispositional desire in prayer fulfillment.