What we all feared, has started happening....!

Today is just the 2nd day of Ramadhan and one of our neighbourhood mosques (Umoja Estate is surrounded by them), is leading the late night prayers over the PA system, again!

For the past week there's been some peace during prayer times when ONLY the calls to prayer have been on the PA systems and as I write this it is 9.00 pm and the special prayers that one says during Ramadhan called Tarawih, are being led very loudly on the PA system of one of the mosques.

Does this mean that our peace and quiet is now gone and since this mosque has started disturbing the whole neighbourhood, others will follow in its wake?

May I again remind this Imam and the various attendees who are praying in these mosques to PLEASE, have consideration for their neighbours as well as the fact that nowhere in the practice of the Holy Prophet (saw), was this done nor is it allowed in the Holy Qur'an to disturb others. It is NOT VALID for others to follow him and therefore, only the ones INSIDE THE MOSQUE are supposed to hear him and so the PA system should be switched inside and NOT OUTSIDE for everyone to be disturbed. 

Please, do remember that most of your neighbours would like to go to bed early and whom you are keeping awake with your loud prayers.... or are you trying to show off to others that you are so holy and as proof you are leading these loud prayers?!

If that is the case, then the Qur'an speaks of people like you - you have little of faith and would just like to be seen and heard by men, i.e. show off how holy you are!!! Then, shame on you, all. What you are practicing is definitely NOT the ISLAM THAT THE HOLY PROPHET (saw), came with!

Have consideration for your neighbours for there are many non-muslims living amongst us and even the Muslims are getting disturbed and cannot do what they would like. Which can be their own prayers, sleep, etc.

The offensive and disturbing noises continue....

 It is beyond me to understand, why some of my muslim brothers are so insistent on having a peaceful and quiet neighbourhood erupt into incoherent noise comes Friday mid-day prayers.

On what basis do they insist on doing this? If, as some on social media, have rudely told us (muslims and non-muslim alike), to move or that they are trying to 'spread' Islam by giving loud and incoherent sermons on the PA systems, I would like to again ask them where in the practice of our beloved Prophet (saw), was this the case. 

Again, I would like to point out to them that there are a multitude of different kinds of people living within hearing distance of these loud sermons followed by prayers and they are disturbing EVERYBODY. I, being a Muslim, myself, was disturbed by this nearly half an hour of sermons being given in the mosques surrounding us. Since, they are ALL loudly given, we cannot make sense of anything. The ONLY thing it does is interfere in our prayers and/or anything else we might be doing at the time. 

Now, imagine the effect these loud (and competing sermons), will have on those fasting from next week. We are told in the Qur'an and the Seerah of the Prophet (saw), to observe more ibadah during this month. Therefore, we will be doing more prayers and especially reciting the Holy Qur'an more than usual, but, these mosques will probably be making more noise than ever, thereby incurring Allah's wrath because they'll be disturbing their neighbours.

So, for what purpose do you do this? You are DEFINITELY NOT doing ANYTHING meritorious by inconveniencing your neighbours, believe me. Again, I would beseech you all to look up what the rights of neighbours are......, not what you're practicing!

By rudely telling us to move, is highly offensive and uncalled-for and akin to giving threats. And I would remind you that Islam was never spread by threats and violence but by adhering to the Qur'anic teachings and practice of the Prophet (saw). 

Islam stands for PEACE and your behaviour is anything but, that. So, PLEASE stop being pests!

Noisy Mosques...continued from the last post....

While the mosques around Umoja estate have considerably reduced their noise levels, and we thought that the bliss would continue, but unfortunately it all lasted only till today, a Friday, 2nd April 2021!

Today, the noise level increased considerably and the sermon after the Adhan, was again given using the outside PA system. This is not allowed. Like the prayer which is to be done only for those within the mosque, the sermon, too is only for them, NOT for the public.

Now, I wonder if this is in preparation for the coming Holy month of Ramadhan? Are we all going to be inundated with noise from all the mosques surrounding us on a daily basis?

I would again, like to ask these imams, why do they do this? First, even if we were inclined to listen (which we are NOT AT ALL!), to their noisy sermons/prayers, etc., we cannot understand or hear what they are saying due to other mosques competing with each other on who can be the loudest. In fact, they sound more like they are telling off their congregants and whoever is listening to them and that they are quarrelling!

The other thing I would like to remind these noisemakers is the fact, that when they are reciting the Qur'an, we, Muslims are told to listen to it. Now, they are putting the non-mosque going Muslim public in a dilemma - we cannot make out a thing other than noise, when they are reciting the Qur'an on PA systems and others are also doing the same. Therefore, they are making a mockery of the Qur'an.

Can they please, stop this? You are disturbing your neighbours which is against Islam! Please do not confuse the freedom of religion with that of noise pollution.