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Supplication (also known as petitioning) is a form of
prayer File:Prayers-collage.png, 300px, alt=Collage of various religionists praying – Clickable Image, Collage of various religionists praying ''(Clickable image – use cursor to identify.)'' rect 0 0 1000 1000 Shinto festivalgoer praying in front ...
, wherein one party humbly or earnestly asks another party to provide something, either for the party who is doing the supplicating (e.g., "Please spare my life.") or on behalf of someone else.


In Classical Greek religion

Supplication is a theme of earliest antiquity, embodied in the ''
Iliad The ''Iliad'' (; , ; ) is one of two major Ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Odyssey'', the poem is divided into 24 books and ...
'' as the prayers of Chryses for the return of his daughter, and of Priam for the dead body of his son, Hector. Richard Martin notes repeated references to supplicants throughout the poem, including warriors begging to be spared by the Greeks on the battlefield.


In ancient Rome

In ancient Rome, formal supplication as a request, whether to a private individual or following surrender or military defeat, had four formal steps: 1. Approach: the suppliant approaches the ''supplicandus'', the person from whom the request is sought. During the Republican era, this approach was not made at an altar and was not considered a prayer ''( prex)'' in the technical religious sense. 2. Identification: the suppliant performs conventional gestures or words in order to identify himself. 3. Request: the suppliant states what his request is and may present an argument for why he should receive it. 4. Rejection or acceptance: The supplicandus may reject the request. If he accepts it, he makes a pledge to fulfill it. The pledge to fulfill the request is the part of the process considered sacred and witnessed by deities including Fides and
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. In Latin, the word ''submissio'' more commonly expresses this act than '' supplicatio'', which was a form of public prayer procession. In the Imperial era, however, a petition to the
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for judicial review was called a ''supplicatio,'' with the term later used for a request that the emperor review a legal judgment that otherwise would not have been subject to
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.


In Christianity

In
Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...
, the prayer of supplication for health by and on behalf of the sick is referenced in early
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
writings in the
New Testament The New Testament (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus, as well as events relating to Christianity in the 1st century, first-century Christianit ...
, especiall
James 5:13-16
One example of supplication is the Western Christian ritual of novena (from ''novem'', the Latin word for "nine") wherein one repeatedly asks for the same favor over a period of nine days. This ritual began in
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during the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
when a nine-day period of hymns and prayers led up to a
Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...
feast, a period which ended with gift giving. A contemporary Christian example of supplication is the practice of the Daily Prayer for Peace by the Community of Christ where a member prays for peace each day at a specified time. Philippians 4:6 says, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."


In Hinduism

In
Hinduism Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...
, ''prārthanā'' is the
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
term that denotes the practice of supplication to a deity. It one of the various preparatory rites performed before '' pūjā'' (ritualistic worship of a deity), performed for the purpose of the purification of the devotee.


In Islam

In
Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
, the
Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
word '' duʻā'' (plural ''daʿwat'' or ''ʾadʿiyah'') is used to refer to supplications. ''Adʻiya'' may be made in any language, although there are many traditional Islamic supplications in Arabic, Persian and Turkish. In Islam, ''duʻā'' tends to mean supplication. The supplications ( Duaas) of Islamic prophets are given in the Quran. There are a number of supplications mentioned in Islam in the
Quran The Quran, also Romanization, romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a Waḥy, revelation directly from God in Islam, God (''Allah, Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which ...
and Sunnah that can be recited for various purposes for the blessings and the rewards of
God In monotheistic belief systems, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In polytheistic belief systems, a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the un ...
. Supplications can range in nature for everyday tasks like sleeping, eating, drinking water and can be more specific in nature like supplications for knowledge or supplications for health and more. The Quran is the most authentic source of supplications and 30 such supplications that are mentioned in the Quran are most commonly recited by
Muslims Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
.


In Sikhism

The word Ardâs ( ਅਰਦਾਸ ) is derived from the Persian word 'Arazdashat', meaning a request, a supplication, a prayer, a petition or an address to a superior authority. It is a Sikh prayer that is done before performing or after undertaking any significant task; after reciting the daily Banis (prayers); or after completion of a service like the Paath, kirtan (hymn-singing) program or any other religious program. In Sikhism, these prayers are also said before and after eating. The prayer is a plea to God to support and help the devotee with whatever he or she is about to undertake or has done.


References


External links

{{Wiktionary
Supplication
Prayers and Supplications from the Quran and the Sunnah
In Praise of God
Supplications by the great-grandson of Muhammad ( Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin) * Prayer types in Judaism, Christianity and Islam
Do You Pray Like Your Fathers?
Prayer Religious terminology