الصلاة عماد الدين.....Solat Tiang Agama

For the past few days as I browsed thru Malaysian newspapers online, I can't stop thinking what is going to happen to my beloved country in 10 - 15 years time...I'm referring to the social and moral system which for me is deteriorating at high speed.Why are bullying, ragging, throwing babies, killing own children and other heart-throbbing news are more like our daily and routine norms and culture.

Then, this morning I came to a solution (from my own research of course !! ).... I'm focusing on muslims since most of the 'bad' actions are done by our sisters and brothers of Islam. My solution is back to the basic principal of Islam and the significant pillar after syahadah which is ....PRAYING 5x a day.

There's no doubt PRAYING potraits who we are, a person who prays is absolutely different from he who doesn't, that's the way it should be. However, how many of us really perform our prayers whole-heartedly with mind,body and soul focus only to the Almighty for the entire process of praying???...Frankly......I DON"T ..and I'm definitely sure many of us will give the same answer......I salute to those who say..I DO...Alhamdulillah.

I'm brave enough to say that many and many muslims in Malaysia do not pray or just 'physically' praying. Why?? No 1 reason, most of us do not understand the meanings of the quranic verses that we recite while praying ...so only the body moves ,our mind is always somewhere else....what to cook later, how's the kids at school, where did I put my car key , what to wear to work today, the boss is waiting and so on and so forth..so we end up with all problems solved , questions answered after giving salam....( oh boy .... my experience !!! )

That's muslims in Malaysia, well not much different from muslims in Jordan...with exception that they understand arabic( quran ). Don't be surprised if I tell you many and many arabs do not pray 5x a day as we always believe. They are very much sensitive if Islam is criticised, they know quran and hadith by heart, but,but... they do not pray.... many arabs which zaid and I know do not pray.When asked why aren't they praying, they just say...I don't feel like praying.

I was once at Zaid's house in Mu'tah ( 1st floor of a shop-house in the middle of the town ) and it was friday. The mosque is so close to zaid's house , I could even hear the iqamah called . When it's time for jumaat prayer, I looked down the street..I was shocked to see many arab men keep on doing their job and some were walking with their wifes shopping vegetables and other stuff(suami berjubah, isteri berpurdah ) like they couldn't be bothered with the prayers.

( Pray no matter where.......I snapped this picture while waiting for a bus to go to Mu'tah )

Don't get me wrong.. They are also many muslims who observe praying 5x a day. Here in Jordan those who observe praying, they pray anytime and anywhere they want, not only in the mosque. I've seen them praying at the meat's stall , in restaurants, by the roadside , at the bus stop and of course all shopping malls have praying halls.

Our nation and our muslim world will remain in bad shape if no action taken to bring back all muslims to the pillar of Islam which is PRAY 5x daily because that's the only time we really ' talk' to ALLAH THE ALMIGHTY.When Allah is always remembered and loved, we are always in good shape not only physically but mentally and spiritually as well, InsyaAllah.