ISLAM: A WAY OF LIFE

Islam is a Way of Life
by Tariq Al Maeena

I spent the better part of Eid and the holidays in bed with a cold; running nose, congestion, coughing, aching body parts and all. And during that rest, I had enough time to reflect and determine the moment I fell victim to the cold.

It was at the mosque on the last Friday of Ramadan. As the congregation stood up and lined in for prayers, the virus journey began. The young man next to me set in motion a steady stream of sniffles and coughs. And all throughout the prayers, he kept at it. Sneezing and clearing his throat every now and then followed another blast of a vicious cough.

While I felt sorry for the young man's condition, I could not help interrupting my prayers with thoughts of self-preservation. How was I going to avoid the steady deluge of the virus-laden mists emanating from this individual? Short of holding my breath intermittently during the prayers, there wasn't much I could do. And for the first time, I wanted the prayers to finish up as quickly as possible.

The seconds passed agonizingly slowly as my companion kept at it. And much as I wanted to escape then and there, there really wasn't much I could do about it. Whether it was paranoia or the lingering effects of Ramadan, I don't know, but I suspected the imam leading the prayers wasn't being very sympathetic to my plight. He had chosen that particular day to recite long chapters from the Qur'an, adding to my growing anxiety.

But finally it was over, and I let out some contained breathing. The moment the imam brought the proceedings to an end, I quickly got up and departed, my thoughts lost in the condition of the sickly man next to me and the distance I wanted to keep between us. Without a backward glance, I made my way rapidly to my car and drove off.

Sure enough, a day later, I started feeling the effects of his bounty. It began with scratching at the back of my throat, followed by trickles down my sinus passage and later aches and pains through with weary muscles and a full-blown cold.

Honey with hot tea and lemon followed along with generous helpings of Vicks around my chest and throat every few hours or so, but there was no immediate relief. Eid day came and I was forced to confine my celebrations in a state of quarantine even from my family. There were plenty of activities previously planned for the holidays, and I wasn't benevolent enough to get any of them sick. And as I could not participate in these family get-togethers, I was feeling miserable and blue.

And then I started reflecting on my prayer companion, one whose identity I would probably never know. Did he realize the selfish nature of his act when he made his way to the mosque in the state he was in? Did he really believe the divine blessings he was to receive for offering Friday prayers would overcome the human sufferings he may cause? Why didn't he just offer his prayers at home?

And it re-affirmed my presumption that there are people who so blindly and rigidly follow one feature of our religion that they ignore the others which are just as significant. To cause pain to others including yours truly, as an act to avoid is one of them. Our religion does not grant carte blanche allowances or rewards for feats that inflict suffering on others.

Unfortunately, there are those who are so embroiled in microscopically adhering to the cosmetics of our great religion that they completely forget the message. Islam is a way of life.

Pertinent Links:

1) Islam is a Way of Life