'Going' to the masjid for the very first and last time...

***
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful; blessings and peace be upon Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.

Reflection

The Declining Day (Al-'Asr)
1. By the declining day,
2. Lo! Man is in a state of loss,
3. Save those who believe and do good works, and exhort 
one another to truth and exhort one another to endurance.
***

NEXT February of the new year 2015 I would be 53; during my lifetime I had witnessed several Muslims who had never stepped on a masjid once - but one very sad thing when they die, their remains were brought to the masjid for the final prayer before they were quickly carried to the graveyard for burial.

At last, as a Muslim 'he' or 'she' finally made it to a masjid, perhaps it was 'his or her first and last' to the house of Allah SWT. The question is why many of us shy away from the masjid; it was a standard yardstick during the five times daily compulsory or obligatory prayers i.e.'subuh', 'zuhur', 'asar', 'maghrib' and 'isyak' only a row or two are fill with congregators.

'Subhanallah' (All praise is due to Allah) there are people 'who totally boycott' masjid during their lifetimes - they had never set their foot on the floors of any masjid but the irony of it when they die, their remains would be brought to the masjid and to be prayed to. But they themselves had never prayed to Allah SWT in the masjid.

And there are individuals who only performed their prayers in masjids on a weekly basis that is 'solat Jumaat' (Friday prayers) and there also bound to be persons who only come to the masjid twice a year to perform their 'solat sunat' Aidilfitri and Aidiladha (the recommended prayers of Eid Adha and Eid Fitri).

An 'ustaz' (religious teacher) during his 'tazkirah' (lesson) at a masjid near my house warned congregators who shy away from the house of Allah based on 'Surah 'Abasa (He Frowned) with the meaning: "Man is (self-) destroyed: how ungrateful (Ayah 17); From what thing doth He create him? (18); From a drop of seed. He createth him and proportioneth him (19); Then maketh the way easy for him (20); Then causeth him to die, and burieth him (21); Then, when He will, He bringeth him again to life (22); Nay, but (man) hath not done what He commanded him (23).

Allah The Merciful calls us to the masjid to perform our duties to Him but we just ignored it. Imagine five times daily, the 'mu'azzin' would faithfully do the 'azan'. 'Azan' is a call to the Believers to hasten to worship Allah SWT. The 'azan' is purely to glorify Allah SWT and acknowledge His prophet Muhammad (s.a.w. - peace be upon him) and the guidance to be successful in this world and the Hereafter.

The 15 lines recited in the azan are (with the meaning): 'Allah is Greatest' (4 times), 'I testify that there is no god to be worshiped except Allah' (twice), 'I testify that Muhammad is His final Messenger' (twice), 'Come to prayer' (twice), 'Come to success' (twice), 'Allah is Greatest' (twice) and 'There is no god to be worshiped except Allah' (once).

The 'mu'azzin' is only doing his duty, it is actually Allah SWT is calling us to his house to perform our duties to him. Remember the purpose of human being (us) being sent to this world is to oblige to His orders: "And I have not created the Jin and man but that they worship Me." (Qur'an 51:57)

But as usual many of us ignore the call of Allah SWT. We are totally engross in our work. Even if we hear the 'azan' with soothing and warm words 'Come to prayer and come to success',  we keep continue on our work as though we had hear nothing.

To some 'hardcore persons' the 'azan' means nothing to them; perhaps their ears 'are hardened' to it, some hear it but have made their minds to say their prayers later on; some hear it but have the cheek not to perform their duties to their Creator and only a few choose to stop their work to answer the call of Allah SWT.

'Masya-Allah' (by his grace and mercy) are we too proud to answer His call? Are 'our work' more important that His call? Allah SWT has showed us the way to be successful in this world and the Hereafter (Come to prayer and Come to success) but 'sadly' we choose our own way. 

No way you would be successful if you go against His guidance. No way you would be successful it your do not perform your 'solat' in mass in the masjid (for Muslim men) without any reason whats more if do not perform it at the comfort of your home and office.

But dear men who choose not to 'solat' at the masjid thinking they have a very good reason for it, 'please digest' these hadiths - It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah s.a.w. said: “By the One in Whose hand is my soul, I was thinking of ordering that wood be gathered, then I would have ordered that the call to prayer be given, then I would have told a man to lead the people in prayer, then I would have gone from behind and burned the houses of men who did not attend the (congregational) prayer down around them. By the One in Whose hand is my soul, if any one of them had known that he would get a bone covered with good meat or two sheep’s feet with meat in them, he would have turned up for the isyak prayer.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 618; Muslim, 651)

Even a blind man who could hear 'mu'azzin' was not given concession: It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: A blind man (Ibn Umm Maktoom) came to the Prophet s.a.w. and said, “O Messenger of Allah, I have no one to lead me to the mosque,” and he asked the Messenger of Allah s.a.w. to grant him a concession allowing him to pray in his house, and he allowed him that. But when he turned away he said, “Can you hear the call to prayer?” He said, “Yes.” He said, “Then answer it.” According to a version narrated by Abu Dawood (552) and Ibn Maajah (792) he said: “I do not think there is any concession for you.” Al-Nawawi said concerning this hadith: its isnaad is saheeh or hasan.

Well, readers there are constant calls by Allah SWT to us to go the masjid but we choose to ignore Him. We do not want to go the masjid. Why is it so? What are we afraid off? Perhaps we are 'sombong' (proud and ignorant) to accept orders from Allah SWT. 'Nauzubillah' (God forbids)...Please note the warning of Allah SWT in Surah 'Abasa: "From what thing doth He create him? (18); From a drop of seed. He createth him and proportioneth him (19); Then maketh the way easy for him (20); Then causeth him to die, and burieth him." (21)

If during your lifetime you are 'sombong' to go the masjid, you just wait...one day SURELY 'you would be forced go to the masjid' - perhaps it would be your very first and last because your are already dead for after life it is death. Nobody could escape it. So before you 'are forced' to go the masjid, please allocate your precious time to be in touch with Allah SWT in His house that is masjid or better still in Masjidilharam!