.......Some non-Muslims know that Muslims pray but are unaware how exactly we pray.
Others might see us in public washrooms performing wudu (washing before praying) and boy, I’m sure a lot of them get freaked out.
Some of us like to make a lot of noise while performing wudu. I know in some schools of thought the water has to reach the back of the mouth while rinsing it however some people like to swallow the water then regurgitate it back out.
Imagine a non-Muslim innocently doing their business in a public washroom while listening to these heavenly sounds by Muslims “rinsing” their mouth.
Seeing the puzzled look on their faces while your foot is in the sink is also hard to cope with. “You should try this, it’s fun” I said once.
Once our school’s prayer area was locked so I decided to pray my Zuhr (noon prayer) outside in a little quiet area. Little did I know that this area wasn’t quiet at all. While in Ruku (prostrating), a tall, white non-Muslim man came by.
“Oh you lost your contact lenses too? Man, I lost mine this morning. I’ll help you look for them” he said. Great. This guy started a full-fledged conversation with me.
He went on-and-on about his girlfriend losing his belongings. “…women are trouble man, they lose everything” he explained. He left the area mumbling to himself about “rethinking his relationship”.
At least he didn’t care that I didn’t respond to anything he said. However this prayer was far from over.
An old friend of mine came by and I haven’t seen this friend since high school. This friend also liked giving out hugs.
Unfortunately for me, this friend was a girl. She saw me standing there in prayer and was just overjoyed. “HAMZAH!!! OH MY GOD I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!” she shouted as she ran over to hug me.
I felt two heavy arms engulf me. I didn’t want to tap out… nothing will stop me from ending this prayer. “Where have you been Hamzu? It’s been too long,”
she continued.
Perhaps a way of throwing her off was by going into Ruku (prostrating in prayer) and Sajdah (prostrating on ground) but man, she must have taken mountain climbing lessons during the summer or something. She was a grasping tightly, like a cliff-hanger.
“Hamzah this is such a silly place to do exercise teeheehee”.
Unfortunately for me, the next scene wasn’t too good. Our MSA President walked by to open the prayer area and regrettably sees a girl latching onto me while I’m in Sajdah.
oh: :yawn::eek:
“Hamzah?”
“Yo.”
“What are you doing?”
“Dawah.”
I explained to my high school companion that hugging me is bad and talking to me while praying is bad and hugging me while praying is really bad.
She giggled and apologized and trotted down the hall. I slipped the MSA President $20 to never mention that incident to anyone ever again.
Re: Embarrassing experiences with prayer in public
Kamal Makki I think his name is, has a da'wah audio, in the lectures he tells a story of how a woman came to Islam. It was funny, basically she was at the airport and saw some middle eastern looking men all look at their watches, then go into the bathroom, lol, and I think one of them said 'its time' then she kept her eyes on the bathroom door, and they came out, and started moving in wierd ways. She went home to look it up and then from there became muslim.
^^Thats a brief account with mistakes, for the real deal listen to his talk It was nice.
The path is long but I hope we meet,
After the grave and the Day, in paradise in bliss upon a reclined seat.
A traveler traveling - travelled from shirk to tawheed,
If I'm remembered for anything - let it be the Mercy I seek.
Re: Embarrassing experiences with prayer in public
I often havee problems at work,,I try to find private places at work to pray ,,so I look for empty office somewhere,,,oftern when I raise from my prayer I notice people staring in thru the window,,,making me feel like im on display at the zoo,,,,,, MUSLIM --DO NOT FEED
LOL
Re: Embarrassing experiences with prayer in public
The only place i can remember is at the car workshop. My car brokedown, and i've to drive the car (eventhough the temperature was high still i took the risk) all the way to the workshop.
I called my hubby and to meet him there. It was a longggg day and time for maghrib, and couldn't find the best place to do salah.
So i got into the brokedown car and pray inside there. My car is small and have big windows...just imagine everyone was looking at me.
After the salah, i tried to hide myself in the car. They busy repairing other cars...so they leave my car alone and waiting for my hubby to discuss about the car.
Last edited by syilla; 07-17-2007 at 05:20 PM.
25:36 And the true servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk the earth with humility and when the ignorant address them, they respond with words of peace.
Re: Embarrassing experiences with prayer in public
Funny story. But if this had happened for real, his wudu would have broke the moment his friend touched him. In that case, I wonder whats the point in continuing with the prayer.
Looks like this was written by Hamzah Moin. I wonder if his site - maniacmuslim.com is still there.
Re: Embarrassing experiences with prayer in public
but we rarely or perhaps never seen malaysian perform salah by the side of the street. or in the open area.
25:36 And the true servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk the earth with humility and when the ignorant address them, they respond with words of peace.
Re: Embarrassing experiences with prayer in public
The best was when my friend stopped at a cafe or something on her way to London. She stopped to pray her salah. She was with some other members of her family too so they all started praying together. Once they started, all these people who were sitting nearby whipped their phones out and started videoing!
She expected to see herself on youtube the next day!
Re: Embarrassing experiences with prayer in public
salam
i am prone to imbarrasing situations dont know why lol at least it makes me laugh afterwards.
once me and friends decided to go to a talk, but it gt full up so we had to return to our car, it happened to be magrib lng way from home so we decided why not, boy was dt uncomfortable, imagine de scene four sisters all in black in a car park, all simultaneously bending, and if that didnt catch attention its a small car so a few honks accidently been hit on by my head would not go a miss. lol
Re: Embarrassing experiences with prayer in public
Assalamu 'alaikum
aww you poor girl lol that was one crazy situation though. I know what you mean about doing wudu in public washrooms.. I pray at my school, and it seems whenever I'm about to do wudu' the washroom door is wide open. So I have to shut it while everyone outside shuts up and watches me curiously. I remember MANY times when my foot was in the sink and someone walked in!
Re: Embarrassing experiences with prayer in public
format_quote Originally Posted by syilla
but we rarely or perhaps never seen malaysian perform salah by the side of the street. or in the open area.
The only place I've seen Muslims praying in the football field is in Int'l Islamic Univ. M'sia. And none of them are Malaysians.
Maybe Malaysians preferred to pray in a specific place dedicated for worshiping which is clean as our streets and fields are wet... (hey, we live in an equatorial country right?).
When I was in the religious school, and there was a theft case and ... as usual the thief would never confess.... thus all of us (like 300 students) were asked by the teachers to perform "taubah" (repentance) prayer on a field in the middle of the night. It was so dark and there were zillions of mosquitoes... and when we perform the "sujud" (prostration) you can feel the wet soils and those thick grass on the nose and forehead...
I hope the thief repented and gave back the victims' belongings.
Re: Embarrassing experiences with prayer in public
Well just last saturday I went out with 2 of my friends and my sis and my two little brothers (9,10) into town.
We shopped around and stuff and then we stopped somewhere to have lunch...after lunch it was Dhuhr time and so I told my little brothers " time to make Salaat now "
They were like RIGHT HERE!! :eek: In the restaurant??
I was like, well where else?
So I spread out a piece of newspaper for them on the floor..and this restaurant is pretty open...everyone could see, and they started making their salaat...at first just 3 or 4 people passed by and stared, and then this waiter came along and stood staring at my brothers for the longest, and then he disappeared and next thing you know, about 7 other restaurant workers were standing there staring...
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oh: :yawn::eek:
:scared: , he talked ?????
Re: Embarrassing experiences with prayer in public
lol that was one crazy situation though. I know what you mean about doing wudu in public washrooms.. I pray at my school, and it seems whenever I'm about to do wudu' the washroom door is wide open. So I have to shut it while everyone outside shuts up and watches me curiously. I remember MANY times when my foot was in the sink and someone walked in!
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