Yesterday,
at Asr time…
By Iqbal Nanabhai
----------------
I had the fortune of calling out the Adhaan, Iqaamah as
well as leading the Salaah. I'm sure that you must be thinking
that I was indeed very fortunate – here's how come:
There
is a Masjid that I attend frequently; I'm not resident in
the suburb and it's not the closest to me, yet I go there
by vehicle (about 5 minutes drive) due to the fact that they
have stipulated fixed times for salaah and they even accommodate
patrons whenever and wherever necessary, for example, when
the time for Isha salaah came very early, the Adhaan time
scheduled to be 19:00 was changed to 19:15 after a number
of musallees signed a petition requesting the change.
I
arrived at the Masjid directly from work at 16:16. Asr Adhaan
time is scheduled at 16:15. There was nobody present upon
my arrival and I did not hear any Adhaan being called out.
I then proceeded to the toilet, thereafter made wudhu and
by 16:25, there still wasn't anybody else.
By
this time I was feeling quite strange (I'm sure that you must
have had an experience where you sometimes mis-read your watch
and jump into a frenzy, rushing about), and checked and re-checked
the time to see that I didn't make a mistake.
At
16:30 I went outside and waited to see if anybody was coming.
At 16:35, I went back in and decided to call out the Adhaan.
As
the Adhaan "room" is locked I could not call out
the Adhaan using the sound system, so I just called it out,
went into the Masjid, called out the Iqaamah and read my salaah.
By
the time I finished my salaah and left the Masjid –
still nobody arrived!
THUS…
I felt it imperative that I write (and speak) about this.
The
only person who can possibly be excused is the Muezzin, who
at Zhuhr time had mentioned that his wife was in hospital.
Other than that, where was everybody else?
There
are a number of Ulama and Huffaaz resident in this suburb.
Its become fashionable nowadays to prefer reading salaah in
the Madrasah even though its right next to the Masjid, so
that "accounts" for some of the Ulama.
Others
were still out, so they can be excused. Who else?
Oh
yes, the businessmen and working people – they were
all at their respective places. Some businessmen have even
made "Jamaat Khanas" in their shops, another fashionable
trend. OK, so they are also "excused".
Those
men who may have been at home didn't hear the Adhaan being
called out, so they are also "excused". And,
the (younger) youth were all in the Madrasah whilst the elder
youth were studying for exams. OK, also "excused".
Obviously,
anybody else who may have been ill couldn't come to the Masjid,
thus they are also "excused".
Well,
take a guess what – maybe we should amend our ruling
that the Muezzin open the Masjid 15 minutes prior to each
salaah and lock it again 15 minutes after each salaah –
maybe we should only open it on Fridays and special "big
nights" and Ramadhaan and definitely the 2 Eids (isn't
that when the Masjid is really full?)
Seeking
forgiveness... To everybody out there who reads this:
If
you are offended by anything I have written, please forgive
me. Over and above that, point out to me what in particular
has offended you. My intention in writing this is to bring
home to you the situation we are faced with – you know
best how accurately this has a bearing to you in your life
and community. Much has been said and written on the virtues
of salaah in the Masjid. Similarly, the warnings on discard
of salaah with jamaah.
I
humbly appeal to you to analyse your own situation and I make
dua unto Allah that He keeps us steadfast on the Straight
Path and does not make us from amongst those who have earned
His Anger nor of those who have gone astray. Aameen. |