P.S : I just want to highlight some existing evils in our society. These words may be too harsh for some. I recommend sensitive people from not reading the following post.
There are some characteristics unique to Indian muslims. Many muslims in India have neither religious nor scientific education, though most people can read arabic without understanding a word and many others can program for IT firms having the lest idea what they are doing. Simply put, they are uneducated literates.
Adults Only !
Some mosques in India, segregate kids in the jamaat. Kids below certain age are not allowed to stand in line with others. And the age limit enforced can be as high as 12 or 13 years of age. Adults supposedly can not concentrate in prayer when there are kids around. As if 12 year olds can not stand quietly and pray. If a kid next to you can disturb your concentration, then you need to retrieve to a cave to meditate. These “elders� often know less quran than these kids (as people grow they keep forgetting what they learnt) and most of the times they have much lesser concentration as they worry about their wives, their jobs and their money during prayer. The principle that “children are a gift from God� is strong enough for mullahs to discourage family planning but not enough to treat them as equals.
In such mosques sometimes they allow kids to pray along with elders if they are accompanied by some guardian. I guess soon, mosques would have areas alloted as UG, PG , A etc…
Ring ring !
At the entrance of every mosque, there is a notice which reads “Please switch off your cellphones.� But to forget doing so is human, especially when you are entering the mosque mechanically. So it is not uncommon to hear cells ring once in a while. But in India, things are always unique. Some crazy muslims in my country think it is forbidden to do “unnecessary� movements during salah like taking your noisy cell out of your pocket and switching it off. I suppose for them, a ringing cell is a disturbance but switching it off is a sign that you have been disturbed. They care least about others who are continuing to get disturbed. Once I cut my salah, walked across the mosque picked up the cell and switched it off. With mp3 ring tones I wont be surprised to hear the latest item number song when I am reading suratul fatihah. Craziness!
Dont touch it !
No… dont touch it. You are not clean. Muslims in India would not touch the quran unless they are clean. They would not read the quran in a lying down position. They would not keep the quran at a lower rack. It has to be kept at the highest point irrespective of whether it is reachable or not. They would not even stretch their legs towards it. They would follow so many rules when they wish to discard them. Worst still, many riots are instigated when pages of the quran are burnt. They would do everything possible, save reading and contemplating.
I am not saying this is specific only to India. But you would find more of these people in this continent. Would be coming with other stuffs soon.
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About the cellphone rings: That makes me angry. Not about mosque only, I generally keep my cell phone in vibrating mode (silent). Because the rings, loud and repeated, could be a distraction for anybody.
It is better to keep them silent.
As far as Holy Quran is concerned, I too keep the Holy Quran on the highest rack and all other things you have mentioned.
Regarding the treatment with childre, (I mentioned this on Noemaun’s blog but repeating here):
The worst sight is children being dragged away to back by late-comers to mosques. In the harsh summers, many people take away ‘children in niyat’ to the back where there is no carpet and on the burning stone slabs, the children have to stand. This is such a cruel thing. Especially in North India, I don’t know what happens in South. But the treatment with children is very harsh. I have experienced it, witnessed it and when I was a child, I suffered, my feet would burn. Then I vowed to protest whenever I would see such behaviour….masoomoN ke saath itni sakht zyaadati ka tasavvur hi…
I echo you views about cell phones in mosques.
Children of age less than 5 should not be brought to the mosque lest he will make noise, may sometime starts weeping and may try sitting in his father’s lap. Yesterday, during magharib prayer one child started weeping and shaking his father duing jamaat.
I feel its personal assesment if somebody’s child has started understanding and will not cause disturbance, he can bring him to mosques. Prophet Mohammad (SWL) him self used to line up childern in mosques before prayer so that they can learn.
salaams,
i agree that sometimes 5 year old kids can be a disturbance. but 12 year old kids should be asked to stand behind and pray. the general interests of everyone should be considered instead of any superiority complex even at the house of Allah.
You may respect the quran, but dont think something bad would befall you if you by chance drop the quran.
I have on several occasions tried to convince those “elders” in the mosque when people asked my son to be sent to the back row. It is that protection/respect which makes him want to go for prayer to the mosque instead of praying in the house or simply not praying at all.
The Prophet (PBUH) once delayed his Sajda because one of his nephews had climbed on his back while he was in prayer.
There is another thing that I have observed that here in India even in a mosque people tend to argue loudly. I have seen the Arabs–however arrogant they maybe outside the mosque but once inside they are the best examples of caring for their fellow muslims.
Yes cellphones are a distraction but we need to educate people that they can even during prayer take their phones and shut it. It is better than disturbing everyone.
It irritates me too when sincere 12 year olds are pulled back by late comers.
One more thing i think needs addressing, (now that we are on topic of general etiquettes in mosques) is cleanliness around a mosque.
I understand it general public cleanliness and hygiene is difficult in poorer localities (although it is the actual responsibility of the government), yet it would be better if Namaz are held in multiple Jamaats (for large ones like Jumaa and Eid), rather than surplus people in a single jamaat overflowing out of the mosque into the adjoining streets, with chattais laid on streets and near drains, something which wouldn’t satisfy the basic tenets of Namaaz (having a clean prayer surroundings)