There’s something deeply unnerving, uncomfortable and down right creepy about when you walk past (not in front of) a person in salāh and they glance over and look you square in the eye.
*shudders*
You’re trying to leave the masjid and the exit route takes you past someone making a sunnah salāh, or some late arrivals in another jamā’ah, and as you get about level one of them does that Action Man/G.I. Joe thing with their eyes and sneaks a peak at you.
Now, working on the assumption that this action has been spawned by ignorance can I just point out to any G.I.Joe-ers out there that you’re supposed to be focusing your vision on your point of prostration (except in tashahhud where your gaze doesn’t fall past your right index finger)?
As helpful as ever, I’ve even drawn a diagram of roughly where your gaze should be directed.
Here!
Now let’s have no more of that kind of tomfoolery, ok?
(Smāll) Hāts Ōn Vōwēls 
February 10, 2007 at 7:09 am |
That diagram is so great. Thanks for the tips. I’ll make sure to visualize my feet and point of gaze from now on, according to your photo. hehe.
February 11, 2007 at 5:21 am |
Awesome Diagram!
February 15, 2007 at 1:16 pm |
You are so right! It does make me uncomfortable as well. I can still remember the time (several years ago) when my late brother-in-law glanced at me when he was in the middle of his prayer. I can’t seem to forget that look. So weird!
February 16, 2007 at 5:09 pm |
As’Salaamu Alaikum wa’Rahmatullahi wa’Barakatahu!
JazakallahKhair for this post akhi….however….
I think that this post raises another important question — and that is:
Why do Masajid incorporate the use of such fancy and decorative prayers rugs in the main prayer hall?
What benefit do such fancy rugs have for the worshippers who pray in our masajid?
If anything they are nothing more than a distraction and actually divert ones gaze from the place of sujood as the diagram correctly points out.
February 16, 2007 at 6:04 pm |
wa ‘alaykum salām wa rahmatu Allāhi wa barakātuh.
That’s a good point. I’m actually a bit anti-flashy carpet myself. Here’s the mat I use at home. It took me a while searching to find a completely blank one but I was happy when I did.
In defence of the masjid that I took a shot of for the above post, that was a photo of their roll-up rugs they use outside when it’s full on jumu’ah or ‘eid. I just thought it looked more flamboyant for the post than the one they use inside.
Most of the masājid I’ve been to in Saudi have relatively plain carpets. This is a fairly standard masjid set up, carpet-wise it’s ok, not sure about the need for chandeliers though.