A disciple of Rumi asked him: Is there any way nearer to God than prayer?
Rumi answered: “Yes, but it is also prayer. It is prayer without outward form. This outer form of prayer is the body of prayer, since it has a beginning and an end. Everything that has a beginning and end is a body. All words and sounds have a beginning and an end, and therefore are form and body. But the inner soul of prayer is unconditioned and infinite, and has neither beginning nor end".
Source: Faith and Practice in Islamic Traditions, Volume 1
