The Man and the Mosque

Note: This is a fictional story with an Islamc moral

There was once a Muslim who never used to go to the mosque. He was not a very knowledgable man but used to pray all his prayers at home and work very hard to support his wife and kids as well as his parents. He was a shy person who never spoke much. In his heart each day he used to intend to go pray at the mosque. One day he finally did it! He went to the mosque to pray instead of at home.

He wore his best clothes all covered in perfume and clean as a whistle he entered the mosque and finished his prayer in congregation. As he was leaving he was stopped by a brother who said to him, "Bro you know your prayer was not accepted and that your feet will be in hell because your trousers are below your ankles?"

He was a bit taken aback but not disheartened. So the next prayer he went with his trouser legs above his ankles.
After prayer he met the same brother again who said to him, "Is that perfume you are wearing brother? Smells like Davidoff Coolwater to me, haram! Your prayer wont be accepted! It contains alcohol, you should wear itar"

So for the next prayer he wore itar instead of perfume and went to the mosque again. After finishing his prayer the same brother approached him and said, "your head isnt covered brother astaghfirullah, do you know angels curse the man whose head isnt covered? I wonder how your prayer wil be accepted with the angels cursing you!"

His zeal was however unshaken so he went to the mosque again for the 4th prayer this time with a hat on his head. After he finished his prayer, the same brother approached him and said, "Astaghfirullah you are wearing pants and T-shirt, the clothes of the kuffar! How can you dress like the Kuffar and call yourself muslim! Astaghfirullah!!!!"

Finally for his Isha prayer he dressed in a gown (like the ones the Arabs wear) and went to the mosque. After prayer he met the same brother who said to him, "Astaghfirullah brother you dont have a beard!!! Law hawla wala quwata! You know the Prophet would not even meet a man who didnt have a beard, you think your prayer will be accepted?"

At night as the man lay to sleep he felt bad that all day long he had recieved nothing but criticism and decided he will from then on pray at home only.

~The End~

Moral Of The Story

The moral of the story brothers and sisters should be quite evident.
Instead of encouraging a new comer to the mosque, that other brother kept criticizing him with no Adab (manners), often condeming his prayers.

Allah swt has shown us great mercy that he enlightens us with knowledge, yet we forget so easily where we stood a few years back and then point fingers at one another criticizing.

In the Quran Allah swt says,
Chapter 23:
109 - "A part of My servants there was who used to pray `Our Lord! we believe; then do Thou forgive us and have mercy upon us: for Thou art the best of those Who show mercy!'
110 - "But ye treated them with ridicule so much so that (ridicule of) them made you forget My Message while ye were laughing at them!

Surah 49
11 - O ye who believe! let not some men among you laugh at others: it may be that the (latter) are better than the (former): Nor let some women laugh at others: it may be that the (latter) are better than the (former): nor defame nor be sarcastic to each other nor call each other by (offensive) nicknames: Ill-seeming is a name connoting wickedness (to be used of one) after he has believed: And those who do not desist are (Indeed) doing wrong.

In comparison to the story above we have the narration of one of the Ahadith of Prophet Mohammed(s)

While we were in the mosque with Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) a desert Arab, came and stood up and began to urinate in the mosque.

The companions of Allah's Apostle (peace be upon him) said: Stop, stop; but the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him): Don't interrupt him; leave him alone.

They left him alone, and when he finished urinating, Allah's Apostle (peace be upon him) called him and said to him: These mosques are not the places meant for urine and filth, but are only for the remembrance of Allah, prayer and the recitation of the Qur'an or Allah's Apostle (peace be upon him) said something like that.

He (the narrator) said that he (the Prophet) then gave orders to one of the people who brought a bucket of water and poured it over.

[Sahih Muslim Hadith 559 Narrated by Anas ibn Malik]

That was the end of the whole situation!

The story I have initially posted has a lot of truth in it - I often find those very same things happening to me!
People rudely or sarcastically telling you that your prayers are invalid because of such and such things!

The worst that happend to me was a man grabbed me by the arm very harshly and literally wanted to jump me because I unknowingly passed in front of a man who was praying. I however told him I did not know and that Allah is forgiving. He had to let me go eventhough I could see he really wanted to fight over the matter.

The worst I have seen happen is a man slapped a young boy (approx 7 or 8 years max) very hard across the face for wearing his slippers into the mosque.

The example of the perfume was taken from my fathers life who was told his prayers are not accepted because he was wearing perfume with alcohol in it

The example of the "kuffar clothes" is taken from a friend of mine who was literally told "those who emulate the kuffar are one of them"

Is this what we are really doing to our very own brethren?

The religious police who must run after everyone with sticks and stones?

Is this righteousness?

Or is praying with your trouser sleeves above your ankles righteousness?

For indeed righteousness in the Quran is defined very differently!

Surah 2
177 - It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces toward East or West; but it is righteousness to believe in Allah and the Last Day and the Angels and the Book and the Messengers; to spend of your substance out of love for Him for your kin for orphans for the needy for the wayfarer for those who ask and for the ransom of slaves; to be steadfast in prayer and practice regular charity; to fulfil the contracts which ye have made; and to be firm and patient in pain (or suffering) and adversity and throughout all periods of panic. Such are the people of truth the Allah-fearing.

The fact of the matter is that we all do things in our past which are wrong and along the way slowly learn and develop.

But then once we are 'good' we look down upon others and are quick to judge and jump on them!

Islam is a deen of compassion and understanding - not a rijid strict dry unforgiving one.

So even if we are to teach each other good we should do it gently and nicely with love and compassion in our hearts for one another insha'Allah

Thus we should take heed from the example of the Prophet(s) and his mercy towards everyone and soften our hearts to show compassion to one another insha'Allah