A Lesson from MAS MN Questionnaire
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Analyse Muslim Practices and Prayers in Ramadan
Recently Muslim American Society of Minnesota distributed a questionnaire for their forthcoming annual Convention. One of the questions and the options have and interesting angle:
Why did you attend the MAS MN Convention? Select all that apply:
To learn about Islam
To meet the Muslim community
To support the Islamic work done by MAS
For the entertainment
Other
The obvious and unquestionable reason for the Convention is to teach and learn about Islam. But the organisers are realists and honest to realise that other intentions prop up according to human temperament. All the choices are perfectly appropriate. The test is the relative proportions. Unless the urge to learn Islam remains the dominant desire, the whole purpose of the Convention is lost.
Ramadan brings a lot of fun and activities with it: never ending Iftar dinners, congregational taraweeh and an organized Lailatul Qadr. There is tremendous enthusiasm going around. Very good but how and why; what drives it? Perhaps, all of us need a questionnaire to answer this question. Strictly personal and confidential act between us and our Creator. A sort of self soul-searching exercise. The question that comes to mind:
Why am I so enthusiastic, regular and diligent about Iftar dinners, taraweeh and communal Lailatul Qadr?
It is my religious duty and will gain the favour of my Lord Creator.
I like to dine outside; it gives variety.
I love socialization and meeting people.
I cannot do it alone at home..
My children can taste the Islamic atmosphere.
Am I sure there is not a pinch of ostentation in all this?
The last is easily answered first. We all pray that Allah Ta'aala Subhaanahoo saves all of us from even an iota of hypocrisy which will be lethal.
The rest of the alternatives are all valid, permissible and operative. Only the first needs close scrutiny.
The rituals — iftar, prayers, taraweeh, observing the Night of Power — are the external physical manifestations of Ibadah. These are activated into genuine worship only if the internal component is available to fire it — The active feeling of the presence of our Lord and that we are facing HIM and trying to communicate with HIM. This feeling is present but dormant all the time in every Believing Practicing Muslim. It gets stimulated on certain occasions like the one we are discussing: an evening of Ramadan. But this stimulation needs a specific type of ambience and mood. Do I get it during these activities? As far as the iftaar is concerned mentioning the name of Allah should do the trick. Taraweeh presents a different problem. During whole of my professional life I offered it by jamaa’ in a Musjid just because I could not do it otherwise. I was satisfied at completion of the ritual but remained disturbed at mindless rapid chanting of the Text followed by rapid successions of genuflection and prostration; any sense of the inner feeling was lacking. Now I offer it in the privacy and peace of my home following the Sunnah of our Holy Prophet and the four exalted Caliphs. I understand and enjoy what I am reciting, in my own qiraat and going at my own speed. It is a whole different experience very conducive to produce the “khushoo wa khuzoo” necessary to feel HIS Presence and HIS Nearness. May Allah Ta'aala Subhaanahoo help me. However congregational taraweeh is the rule of the day and for very good reasons. It serves as an opportunity to greater number of Muslims to offer their prayers.
Praying for Lailatul Qadar is distinctly a private and personal exercise. There are many authentic rivayaats stating that our beloved prophet encouraged offering nawafil in the privacy of our homes. Full application and absorption is required to achieve inner peace and a dialogue, one sided of course with the Omnipresent and the Hearer.The popular version of collective praying in Musjid on this night cuts across the main motive and objective of devotion and communion on the Night of Power. However, it does motivate and induce many more Muslims to participate. This is encouraging. But the goal should be to pray and meditate in the silence of our homes to try and achieve the nearness and company of our Lord which is the ultimate desire of every Muslim.
This is how I would answer the questionnaire. Would like to know about you, if you care to.
