I have to recover from a continous streak of depressants in the form of people dressing up as noteworthy-looking scholars from the Mid-East, standing right in front of the praying congregation, and reciting as if there's no end.
Many fellows of mine also cringe at this. Isn't it quite obvious that at almost every other mosque here the Imams will recite as if they were crawling like tortoises? When they begin the Basmalah they would do an average of between 4-8 seconds in what would usually, and really, take only 3 seconds to recite. The slower-school types could drag up to 9-10 seconds!
I haven't taken into account the Takbiratul Ihram when they raise their hands and say, "Allllaaahu Ak..bbar!" Average: 4-6 seconds. Really: 1.5 seconds.
And then the Fatihah. OmiGod! Okay they recite according to Shafi'i school of law which requires stops at every verse I don't doubt that. But its not the pausing or stopping that irks me, its the tempo, the rhythm. Forgive me but they're just too long. To cut the story short the time it takes is between 60-75 seconds. But really it should've taken at most 45 sec!
I cannot imagine myself praying at some of the mosques here. Yes to pray in congregation is Sunnah and highly desired I don't wanna go against that. However not to pray behind an Imam who takes like a whole month to finish, ain't it? I feel it at the Friday prayer. OmiGod they just take so long, Hallo!! Don't you realise we're working?! The longest ever record-breaking 'Isha or Night prayer in which I had the dubious honour of being a part of was a whole 14 MINUTES!! Call Guinness!
When Shaykh Nazim told us to pray quickly I firstly felt strange. Why quickly? Aren't we supposed to take our time focusing, concentrating, and be due diligent in our direct communication with the Almighty? And then the answer came shooting at me: its because if you pray longer, you get agitated, your body will get tired, your mind will get restless and wander, your heart will lose focus and you wish it will end now, and most important of all, your ego (esp. if you're the Imam with that wonderful angelic of a voice) will play with your prayer. Let's face it you idiot - you're not a Saint!
Masha Allah! Ah son neh..!
I see it and I feel it. Whenever I pray behind my Shaykh or his deputies I realise we finish quick. The prayers were very consistent and focused, no need for ego-dragging. But never to the point that we get rushed or tired. Ever. In fact we feel so fresh, so renewed we actually wanted to pray more and more and more, never stopping. Many of us didn't even feel that we've started the prayer, only to realise that we've finished!
I felt a difference in me when I started praying fast, not fast as in speeding of course since there's a huge difference between them. Then I felt, hey, I've got nothing to prove. Well people told me I've been blessed with a great voice but now I realised I'm not gonna read for the congregation behind me. I'm not praying to or for them but to Allah, and because of Allah alone. But since I'm weak I have to drive my ego to the ground, which was what I understood about Shaykh Nazim's advise: Don't pray with your ego! If it wants to, let your ego play with you outside of prayer, but not in it.
Yes Sir! How if the Imams here heed that advise. That's why I can't pray in the mosques nowadays. Whenever I pass by one that's already praying, I'll either wait for them to finish before I get in, or I'll pray somewhere else, like at home. 'Cos I can't be sincere enough to pray behind someone when I get all these feelings running up on me. I'd rather not give in to injustice. So I go.
And the Imams read on...
Many fellows of mine also cringe at this. Isn't it quite obvious that at almost every other mosque here the Imams will recite as if they were crawling like tortoises? When they begin the Basmalah they would do an average of between 4-8 seconds in what would usually, and really, take only 3 seconds to recite. The slower-school types could drag up to 9-10 seconds!
I haven't taken into account the Takbiratul Ihram when they raise their hands and say, "Allllaaahu Ak..bbar!" Average: 4-6 seconds. Really: 1.5 seconds.
And then the Fatihah. OmiGod! Okay they recite according to Shafi'i school of law which requires stops at every verse I don't doubt that. But its not the pausing or stopping that irks me, its the tempo, the rhythm. Forgive me but they're just too long. To cut the story short the time it takes is between 60-75 seconds. But really it should've taken at most 45 sec!
I cannot imagine myself praying at some of the mosques here. Yes to pray in congregation is Sunnah and highly desired I don't wanna go against that. However not to pray behind an Imam who takes like a whole month to finish, ain't it? I feel it at the Friday prayer. OmiGod they just take so long, Hallo!! Don't you realise we're working?! The longest ever record-breaking 'Isha or Night prayer in which I had the dubious honour of being a part of was a whole 14 MINUTES!! Call Guinness!
When Shaykh Nazim told us to pray quickly I firstly felt strange. Why quickly? Aren't we supposed to take our time focusing, concentrating, and be due diligent in our direct communication with the Almighty? And then the answer came shooting at me: its because if you pray longer, you get agitated, your body will get tired, your mind will get restless and wander, your heart will lose focus and you wish it will end now, and most important of all, your ego (esp. if you're the Imam with that wonderful angelic of a voice) will play with your prayer. Let's face it you idiot - you're not a Saint!
Masha Allah! Ah son neh..!
I see it and I feel it. Whenever I pray behind my Shaykh or his deputies I realise we finish quick. The prayers were very consistent and focused, no need for ego-dragging. But never to the point that we get rushed or tired. Ever. In fact we feel so fresh, so renewed we actually wanted to pray more and more and more, never stopping. Many of us didn't even feel that we've started the prayer, only to realise that we've finished!
I felt a difference in me when I started praying fast, not fast as in speeding of course since there's a huge difference between them. Then I felt, hey, I've got nothing to prove. Well people told me I've been blessed with a great voice but now I realised I'm not gonna read for the congregation behind me. I'm not praying to or for them but to Allah, and because of Allah alone. But since I'm weak I have to drive my ego to the ground, which was what I understood about Shaykh Nazim's advise: Don't pray with your ego! If it wants to, let your ego play with you outside of prayer, but not in it.
Yes Sir! How if the Imams here heed that advise. That's why I can't pray in the mosques nowadays. Whenever I pass by one that's already praying, I'll either wait for them to finish before I get in, or I'll pray somewhere else, like at home. 'Cos I can't be sincere enough to pray behind someone when I get all these feelings running up on me. I'd rather not give in to injustice. So I go.
And the Imams read on...
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