OUR ANNUAL MUSLIMS
Each Muslim whether living in an Islamic country or
otherwise irrespective of his or her topographical location, very much waits
for long year to annually celebrate both Eids (Eid ul Fiter and Eid ul Azha)
with great pomp and show and quite fortunately just a couple of days before
only Eid ul Azha 2020 had fallen on Friday 31st July in Kuwait where I am
living while it was marked alike in my beloved Pakistan the very next day on
Saturday 1st August
We Muslims both male and female, governor and governed,
rich and poor, black and white, educated and uneducated, married and unmarried,
separated and widow, tall and short, healthy and sick are ordained by none but
Allah that we must offer 5 prayers a day on each day of a week, month, year and
decades and it should continue alike till the person breathes his / her last to
be honest, rather dead honest.
Likewise, Allah obliges that all Muslim irrespective of
their respective circumstances whether living in east and west, south and north
must pray during summer and winter, during dry season and rainy days inclusive
of bright day time and dark night, be it summer and winter or for that matter
spring and autumn one must pray without any exception come what may.
What surprises me the most and I definitely very much
regret to pen that despite Allah’s instructions not many Muslims go to their
mosques which are far too many all-around
to offer prayers, even one
prayers if not all the 5 prayers of the day which is very much shocking to be
honest and those who skip any prayer of any day must be very much ashamed of
themselves to tell you the truth.
I have no hesitation and or reluctance to pronounce
without least exaggeration that over all the situation is very much gloomy and
similar at all the places on global scale, of course with some difference in
percentage only, because one way or the other all Muslims very much regretfully
do not pray 5 times a day in mosques in Kuwait which is a Muslim country in any
case and I am living here since 1978 or it is Saudi Arabia which is known world
over because of holy Kabaa or Masjid e
Nabvi where I have worked also during 1976-78 period or for matter it is India
where not only millions Muslims live but I was born there in 1943
The mosque where I pray is just at stone away distance
from my residence and the mosque gifted by a Kuwaiti philanthropist is very
much spacious one which is fully airconditioned, fitted with cozy carpet and
laced with sound system. There is a huge chandelier in the middle of the main
hall right under the mosque dome. Each row accommodates around 90 persons which
touch 100 during peak days like Friday and month of Ramazan in general and last
10 days if Ramazan in particular. On a normal day on average only two to three
rows only have worshippers otherwise the rest part of the mosque is all empty.
My goodness! On Eid day not only the mosque had over
flown to be truly honest but also one could see people praying in the open
without any air conditioner as well which is very much encouraging and not just
for me but many other my co-worshippers also could see so many new faces, not
just for one or five, for the very 1st time in the mosque but it is almost
impossible to answer the question as why and how it could happen alike on Eid
day?
I do understand that all the new faces are not those who
were non-Muslims but just yesterday they shunned their religions and turned
Muslims so how they could be found in the mosque when they were not Muslims.
The other possibility could be that the new faces are those who reside in other
cities or alternatively they are resident of different locality than this but
came here to spend Eid with their friends and relatives hence they could not be
seen before which is quite but natural and accepted but my question is so many
new faces cannot be guests come what may.
The answer is simple though as bitter as quinine which we
will have to swallow simply because that 99.9% new faces offering Eid ul Zoha
namaz are none but our neighbors living very much within us but one way or the
others they very much knowingly and intentionally offer just two annual prayers
of Eids who can never ever be seen before and after come what may.
Hold your breath and only exhale when asked to do alike.
Unbelievable must be believed as I can say even on Holy Quran that not even 10%
offered Zohar prayers right on Eid ul Azha very well proves beyond slightest
iota of doubt that for centuries many Muslims pray only two Eids whom I name as
our Annual Muslims.
Iqbal Hadi Zaidi / Kuwait
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