Majority of Muslims are ceremonial or occasional

This may not appeal to some of you if not all of you but this is nothing but factual state of affair which I not only noticed but you too know it very well for decades not years, months, weeks or days but you kept quiet whereas I picked up pen. I must admit very plainly without any cover up that but with shame that sometimes I cannot reach mosque but pray at house.

Today Sunday 6th November, 2011 is the 1^st day of Eid-ul-Adha in Kuwait and eid prayers were held today at 0615 hours at Mariam Al Dukhan mosque, Mahboola which is about 200 yards away from my residential complex and just a few minutes earlier it drizzled for about 15 minutes resulting in that those who were walking to the mosque were wet and resultantly those men who were are to offer prayers outside the mosque had to be accommodated inside the mosque which demanded some steps to be taken accordingly. The mosque I am referring to has 20 officially designated carpeted rows which had been too insufficient if extra steps were not taken today. Book rakes where Holy Qurans are kept were removed to create extra space for shippers and it was announced on loud speaker that not only each person must come forward ignoring the designated rows but also to narrow down the distance between the two rows so that maximum worshippers can be housed inside the mosque. Everybody hurriedly complied with the instructions and though it was impossible not only for me but for anybody else too to count as to how many rows were made eventually but I can roughly say that at least 8 to 10 extra rows were made and everyone offered prayers inside the mosque.

However, I was in the same mosque at 1130, 1702 and 1831 to offer Zohar, Magrib and Isha prayers respectively and it is shocking to pen that each time the worshippers were less and less. In Zohar there were almost 5 rows whereas 5 hours and 15 minutes before in Eid prayers there were 28 if not 30 rows and that too very tight and none but air only could pass through between the two worshippers but now in 5 rows of Zoher were like 3.75 rows of eid. I offered Aser at some other mosque so I cannot pen how many were in Aser but I fell that the numbers must have dwindled than Zohar. In Magreb we were in almost 4 rows and in Isha hardly 3.5 rows were completed. I am not very sure as to what could be the reason for so poor attendance and what does it prove is to be answered by you and not me?

Needless to mention, 5 daily prayers are obligatory which each one of us who is adult irrespective of the factors namely male or female; governor or governed; master or slave; doctor or patient; black or white; educated or uneducated; rich or poor; employed or unemployed and the list can be increased to any length but the fact remains that none can run way from 5 daily prayers. Allah will ask each and every one of us to give a complete account of 5 daily prayers from day one till the last moment and there is very severe punishment for those who missed the prayers. However, Allah will certainly bestow His extra bounties on those who offered Eid prayers but He will not question if someone misses Eid prayers meaning by that these are extra and optional prayers but one way or the other each year it is noticed that exceptionally very large number of people turn up to offer Eid prayers but bulk majority of those who came for Eid did not come back later in the day.

Today Fajer was offered at 0457 and quite a good number of people after offering Fajer preferred not to go back to the house and come back for Eid and instead they stayed back in the mosque and recited Takbeer till Eid prayer was offered. What prompted us to come just on Eid prayer and neither before nor after? What had happened if they had absented on Eid could be an interesting question both to ask and to answer? It is really pity that we are too happy to be our own enemy and fell proud to be in mosque for Eid only and I know a few who cursed themselves when they missed Eid prayer for any set of imagination but at the same time it did not even strike to them that they missed obligatory prayers before coming for Eid. You simply cannot dispute with me even in fraction when I pen that we very proudly tell others that I offered prayers in the same mosque, if not the same row, where Head of the State or Head of the Government and cabinet ministers offered Eid but did you hear someone telling others proudly that he missed some daily prayers, perhaps none. 

It reminds me an instance quoted by one of Raiwind Tableeghi which I heard myself when I happned to be in the mosque where Tableeghi group had camped for 3 days. He said that one day someone working in a factory was fast asleep and he woke up very late. He hardly had time to put on working uniform what to talk of eating breakfast. He ran out of his house with empty belly to board company transport but alas, the bus had gone. He was afraid that if he cannot clock in on time then he will be docked for the day which he never ever wanted but what to do otherwise. He looked around for any lift or taxi but nothing could be found and he was almost in tears when luckily a taxi came and he just boarded it without even asking how much he is to pay. He told the driver that he must go very fast because if he is late in marking his attendance then not only he will not be paid for the day but also an explanation notice will be served asking his to explain why did he come late. Anyway the taxi was running at the maximum possible permissible speed but yet he was doubtful if he could make it. He asked the driver to go at the highest speed but the driver was afraid that traffic police could spot him so there was some tussle between the driver and the worker who wanted to pay even some extra money if he goes faster. The driver took the advantage and really drove fast enough and reached factory gate on time. The worker thanked the driver and paid his 20% extra money. He was too happy to clock in on time.

The narrator posed a very piercing, bitter and blunt question asking us if we anytime asked any taxi driver to run fast to catch prayer since prayers shout has been heard? This question cannot be answered by regular worshippers what to talk of ceremonial and occasional worshippers?

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With my honest and solemn prayers