Have you ever been to a place where there are too many people?
So many people that you can’t even move an inch?
Were you able to sit or stand there?
I have.
I have been to Masjide Sahla1 on a Tuesday evening in Kufa, Iraq. There were so many people, that there was no place to say your compulsory prayers. I will narrate an incident and the thoughts the incident sparked within me in the Masjid.
We were looking for a place to pray. The Quranic recitation2 had begun and the women were being ushered into a different place for congregational prayers. We went from the courtyard to the back and then to the right. There was no place at all as there were women everywhere.
Finally after looking and looking for a place my mother and I found a spot to pray. What a mission it was! Upon sitting down my mother realized we forgot to bring our turbahs3. I went to get the turbahs.
As I was returning to my spot I saw a lady advance towards my spot and I immediately thought that she was intending to sit there. I almost sprinted back to my place and sat down just as she was trying to pass through. Upon looking up I realized that it was a familiar face of a lady I had met in London. I greeted her and we finished our prayers in ease! Alhamdulillah!
After this incident, I was struck by a few thoughts. Imagine what will happen to us on the Day Of Judgement when no soul will avail another and the “the day when the guilty will wish to redeem himself from the chastisement of that day by (sacrificing) his children, and the near of kin who gave him shelter and all those that are in the earth (wising) that this might deliver him. By no means! Surely it is a flaming fire, dragging by the head (70; 11; 16)” {munajat Imam Ali (as)}
The narrations tell us that each day will be equivalent to 50,000 years and the sun will be above the head at a spearhead’s length. The heat will be unbearable, the earth will be burning hot and nothing except ones good deeds will be of value.
These kind of thoughts were mushed up in my head while I was at the Masjid and I thought, I am in the world, where there are so many provisions, conveniences and people to share my grief and plight with. Yet we fight, push, be greedy and don’t play fair in life’s trials and ways - even in the mosques! Its scary to imagine what we do outside the mosques and even scarier to think about the day of Judgement.
“O ye people, guard yourselves (against the wrath of) your Lord, and fear the day when a father shall not avail of his son, nor the child shall avail of father; verily, the promise of Allah is true, so let not the life of the world beguile you, nor let the deceiver beguile you concerning Allah. Verily Allah is He with whom is the knowledge of the Hour; and He sends down the rain, and knows He what is in the wombs; and knows no soul what he shall earn tomorrow (i.e., what will happen to him tomorrow); and knows no soul in what land he shall die. Verily, Allah is All-knowing, All-Aware.” (Qur’an, 34:33-34)
Now imagine the opposite group of people who get their deed scroll on their right hand and are those who believe, do good deeds, stand with the truth and are patient. (Holy Quran-Sura Asr: 3)
“And those who are careful of (their duty to) their Lord shall be conveyed to the garden in companies; until when they come to it, and its doors shall be opened, and the keepers of it shall say to them: Peace be on you, you shall be happy; therefore enter it to abide.
And they shall say: (All) praise is due to Allah, Who has made good to us His promise, and He has made us inherit the land; we may abide in the garden where we please; so goodly is the reward of the workers.” Sura Zumar [73-74]
We pray to Allah to give us the ‘tawfeeq’4 to be of the second group of people.
Footnotes:
1. Masjide Sahla: A mosque in Kufa, Iraq.
2. Quraanic recitation: In some mosques there is a 10 minute Quranic recitation before the call for prayers begin.
3. Turbahs: A piece of sand clay that the shia’s prostrate upon.
4. Tawfeeq: The blessing and opportunity from God to do good.
