Critical Thoughts

Sometimes I come across the most weirdest of polemics ever when it comes to attacks on Muslims and Islam on the Internet. Recently I came across a ridiculous assertion regarding the salaah (Islamic prayer). An Islamophobe stated the following:

I have worked with enough muslims to know that time is taken out of their working day for prayers, As do you. And as such this activity will reduce their productivity. it’s common sense and a factual reality, Don’t embarrass yourself by denying it.

I really don’t think that this person knows what he/she is talking about. I pointed out that during the standard working hours , which is between 8am – 5pm (taking the Malaysian working hours here, I suppose it varies by country), there are only two prayers out of the five that Muslims are supposed to perform. Each do not usually take more than 5 – 6 minutes. How is that going to have any impact on productivity, I asked?

The person then made up a convenient “cover” to get away from his misadventure:

It doesn’t matter how much time they have off, on their knees, wailing to some imaginary god[...]it’s a mathematical fact that working for 7 hours will produce less than working for 8 hours.

Yes, its confirmed. He/she is an Islamophobic atheist. How misinformed this person truly is to say that Muslims “wail” in their prayers! And apparently this guy does not know maths either because even if we total up the amount of time needed to do the prayers, it takes only a fraction of that “one hour” he/she is bitching about.

Sometimes these Liberals really astounds me. Its amazing that a certain person in Australia could identify himself as a “Muslim” and fast in the holy month of Ramadhaan, while at the same time unabashedly admits that he fails to do the salaah. Actually I am speechless and I do not know what to say about this kind of attitude.

It does however remind me of a hadith by the Prophet Muhammad (P), which goes as follows:

“It is possible that one standing [in prayer] only attain weariness from his standing and the one fasting only attain hunger and thirst from his fasting.” [Musnad Ahmad]

Which aptly describes this person very well. I would think that even getting a nose job rhinoplasty in Philadelphia would be more difficult. So he might as well not fast.

Now if you would excuse me, I have to go and prepare for my salaah, lest I be compounded with folks the likes of this hypocrite.