‘The Murmuring Jamaah’ by Zainol Abideen

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.

Dear Ikhwanul Muslimin na wal Muslimat. How are you? Hope you are in the best of Iman, Health and Wealth. Hehehehe..the last one is a sincere wish, for you. 🙂

A recent acquaintance of mine refers to it as ‘Vitamin M’. 😛

Money of course. Both to fulfill the objectives of our worldly needs here and to help prepare us for the hereafter. But that is not what I wish to share with you tonight.

No sirree.

What I wish to share with you tonight is something that took place yesterday while I was standing in prayer next to a fellow Indian Muslim.

This brother was murmuring loudly following every verse that the Imam was reciting whilst in prayer.

At first I thought it must be my hearing! I was starting to hear a sort of an echo following the recitations of the Imam.

When the Imam was reciting the Suratul Fatihah, I was hearing from my right hand side, verse for verse recitations coming from the Muslim next to me!

I tried to focus by closing my eyes and try to hear the recitations from the Imam but this brother’s echoing each verse the Imam recited sort of got to me and I understood that this brother was really repeating the verses that the Imam was reciting vocally albeit in a very loud murmur!!!

It didn’t stop with just the Suratul Fatihah.

When the Imam recited the following surah’s after the Fatihah, the man next to me did a splendid echoing of the Imam’s recitations.

When the prayer and do’a was over, I grabbed his hand in salam and enquired whether he spoke Tamil?

He enthusiastically replied yes and my prayers were answered. 🙂

I had so wished that he was a Tamil Muslim so that I could advise him and he was. Alhamdulillah!

I introduced myself and asked his name. I then asked whether he would be willing to listen to some advice and he said that he would be happy to hear what I had to say?

I then explained to him that when we are in prayer as the Makmum @ following an Imam in a jamaah prayer, we are to observe the do’s and don’ts of such a prayer.

When the Imam is reciting the Suratul Fatihah, as the Makmum we are to be silent and to listen to the recitations and comprehend its meanings.

He nodded in agreement and said that he was just following what a ‘Hazrat’ @ learned Indian Muslim man had told him that its alright to follow aloud when an Imam is reciting the Quranic verses during the jamaah prayer if one is not that well learned in one’s Islamic knowledge!

I told him that its wrong what the ‘Hazrat’ had taught him for it goes against the Sunnah and what the Prophet Sallalahu Alaihi Wassallam has taught us!

It is due to such false teachings that many ignorant folks end up committing grievous wrongs in the course of the life as Muslims.

I reiterated to him that what that ‘Hazrat’ had taught him is wrong and that he is to stop murmuring along with the Imam from now on.

We are to be silent when the Imam is reciting the Suratul Fatihah, say ‘Ameen’ loudly with the other jamaah at the end of the Surah when the Imam says it and only then recite the Suratul Fatihah in our hearts.

Not to murmur loudly as to cause any disturbances to our brothers besides us during such congregational prayers!

He thanked me profusely for my advice and promised not to murmur again in the future along with the Imam! 🙂

I wished him well and then made my way to see my friends amongst the Imams and other committee members of the masjid.

There are many things which we need to correct amongst the ignorant members of our ummah. One major act of Khurafaat which I notice being practiced widely by them is the wearing of ‘tangkal’ or amulets.

There are many amongst the Indian Muslims from India and even many Malaysian Indian Muslims, local Malays or those from Southern Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Pakistan whom I have come across wearing such amulets, talismans and other objects that are thought to offer the ignorant wearers of such items of disbelief that can lead to them becoming those who commit Shirk al Akbar towards Allahu Ta’ala!

Whenever I come across such folks, I will advice them of their error and ask them to remove such objects of disbelief from their persons if they wish to remain as true Muslims or risk dying as Kaffirs with such objects of Shirk on them.

Some listen to my advice. Some promise to remove them later. Some are recalcitrant.

You can advice some folks who are willing to listen and learn from you. Yet there will always be those who choose to be deaf, dumb and blind to good nasihah.

Will they ever repent?

Wallahu Alam Bissawab!

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