Old tradtions or perhaps the forgotten practices
Mohsin
How are you doing today? I remember when I was one year old baby, my
Grand father (mom's dad) would get up at Tahajud time and pray, during
the mean while it would be time for Fujur, my Grand Ma would wake up
and pray fujur and during the mean while wake up her children to pray.
Later Grand Pa and Grand Ma would read Quran or some book for a while.
Their days used to start early at fujur and finish after Isha. Then
she would go to kitchen make breakfast for all of us, uncles would
pray eat food and go to business, Grand pa would stay till a bit later
to give money to children who are going to school, then one of us
would comb his hair and he would leave for work too. Later an old lady
would arrive who was our neighbour she would give me a bath for free
because she liked me. When I started getting older my Grand pa would
wake me up and starting taking to mosque for fujur, after fujur we
used to go for a walk with Grand father. I remember that once in a
while his friend would come who would always ask us about our prayer,
he would always bring some gifts for us. My Grand Ma used to get
angry at that (she believed we were being spoiled) but even then
sometimes he would bring gifts for all the kids. In my presence he
never ever asked us for one acknowledgement. Those people used to do
favours to each other, used to care about each other, used to help
each other without any intention for reward and even acknowledgement.
Things used to be very simple.
Prehaps they always relied on Allah. Perhaps they were not driven by
needs and wants. Perhaps they cared about people and led a simple
life, or it may be they followed Islam better than us. Probably that
is why Satan always failed to get them into complicated issues like
group issues etc.
Those people have passed away, may Allah Grant them Heaven for their
efforts and a very simple humble life they lead, without any great
needs and wants. It seems those practices have left us along with
them.
What I see today is very strange, people don't encourage their
childern to pray, Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said that seven
year old children should start praying. He did not say seven and a
half, he didn't say not to pray in cold or hot. But today's parents do
not wake up their children for Fujur and do not take them to mosque
because the society is bad, they will perhaps learn bad things, who
made that society anyway and who thought those things to children. Or
the weather is too cold, they may get sick. But can I ask a question
if children don't learn to pray at younger age, when will they pray
and when will they learn to follow and stand for Islam, when, when it
will be too late.
Not only that today our days and our activies are not organised around
our prayer. We start our days late, not at Fujur. We stay up late
without considering our morning prayers.
I am sorry if I said anything wrong, please forgive me and correct me
for my human errors. And may Allah give you all Eman.
Wa'Salam
Mohsin
Sherwan
A. Gulled
Our parents have been forced to worship Marx, Secularisms, Nationalism,
and Tribalism and in that order (my experience in Somalia). They will be
lucky if they know the difference between the prophet and Marx or the
difference between the prophet and the clan leader. Praying is a ritual
they (parents) dont understand themselves.