Both Muslim and Christian noise

I've written many emails, many times regarding this topic, but, they have made little difference, it seems. For a while, I thought that the mosque in my neighbourhood had got the message and even understood it, but, enter the Holy month of Ramadhan and everything is back at square one!

What I cannot understand is that (and I am a practicing Muslim), why the Adhan has to be given at an HOUR before the actual dawn prayer and later that one, too? This was definitely NOT the practice of the Holy Prophet (pbuh), nor of the early Muslims immediately after him. Then, we do have clocks with alarms to wake us up for either prayer (Tahajjud) and/or the early breakfast before starting the fast. We are not, fortunately, living in times gone by when we didn't have a way of telling us the time and used to rely on the call to prayer for many things. Therefore, there is no need to disturb the Muslim and non-Muslim alike by giving this early Adhan needlessly.

Then, there is a so-called Muslim fanatic who insists on adding to the racket by going around loudly and angrily shouting at all the houses/flats in this neighbourhood to get up for prayers. Doesn't matter that many are non-Muslims and even the Muslims don't need his nasty way of waking them up! If, he or even the mosque Imam, know their faith, there is no compulsion in religion as truth stand out clear from error. In case, they don't, the verse I'm referring to comes immediately after the famous 'verse of the Throne (Ayatul Kursi)' in the second Chapter of our Holy Book, the Qur'an.

Considering this Imam and all the others like him, insist on reciting the holy Qur'an on the loud speakers EVERY SINGLE DAY after the Asr prayers, don't they understand what they read? First, when the Qur'an is being recited, people are requested to pay attention and listen to it. And like I've mentioned before, how many are really doing this, at the time? Therefore, it's an insult to the holy words being recited with not many paying any attention to them. It is also disturbing the peace, when, should we want to recite on our own at home, we cannot concentrate. Is the Imam compelling us and/or dictating to us when we can recite the Qur'an? I truly hope and pray he isn't, God forbid. What about the fact that he is and might be disturbing the sick, elderly and the non-Muslim in this estate? Or is he compelling them, too, to listen?

Then, there is no difference between a Muslim, who described in the Holy Qur'an as one who enjoins good and forbids evil.... or one of another faith and is he going to defend his actions by saying that, that is what he is doing by reciting the Qur'an loudly. But, how many can understand what he is saying? Even himself, for that matter, because, I don't think his teachings are having much effect on his congregation. Because, immediately that they break their fast and leave the mosque after the sunset prayer, they, start making a lot of noise and some insist on setting off my car alarm EVERY SINGLE DAY at every opportunity they get, on their way to wherever they might be going! Is this what he is teaching his congregation - to have no respect for another's property and disturb others?

Now, to come to the Christians.... They, too, make a racket every single working day over the lunch hour at Mombasa Women's Hall. I thought that they worshiped on Sundays, only, and the Seventh Day Adventists (SDA), do so on Saturdays. But, this too is not supposed to be loud and for HOURS on end! The ones who meet on weekdays at lunch time (for nearly 2 hours!), at the MWA hall, are from the Neno Evangelism as I've seen their huge bus that arrives outside the hall everyday.

The little church belonging to the 'Jesus Victory Temple', despite it's small size, uses huge speakers to the detriment of the patients at Aga Khan Hospital and the residents of our estate including Star of the Sea School. I think these people have joined up with the Neno Evangelists.

It is my observation that while we have so many 'religious' institutions sprouting up all over the country, it is directly proportional to the numbers of crooks among us! Despite making a show of being religious, there is NOTHING of the awareness of God, among most of us. It is now a matter of showing off rather than true piety. If piety was the criterion for going to attend church and mosque services, would we be disturbing others in the process? And wouldn't it have made a difference to our behaviour and attitude, too? Instead we're going from bad to worse, unfortunately.