عن النعمان بن بشير رضى الله عنه أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم قال :
" عباد الله لتسون صفوفكم أو ليخالفن الله بين وجوهكم" أخرجه البخارى.
An-Nu‘mān bin Bashīr رضى الله عنهnarrated that Rasūlullāh صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “O slaves of Allāh! Straighten or rows or Allāh will certainly turn your faces against each other.” [al-Bukhārī]
Two common complaints amongst Muslims today are:
- Why can't Muslims unite? Why doesn't organisation X unite with organisation Y?
- Why do we have so many problems?
Both questions require in depth replies, but certain factors, however small, need to be considered:
- How can we unite when we ignore the basic prescriptions of Rasūlullāh صلى الله عليه وسلم, such as straightening our Ṣufūf during Ṣalāh? Did he not warn us that not doing so would cause disunity? No amount of conferences and movements can create unity when the Most Truthful Nabī صلى الله عليه وسلم has warned of dissension due to crooked rows.
- Ṣalāh is our communication with the solver of all problems. What communication do we have if we have no concentration?
As trivial or even absurd as it may seem to the respected reader, I draw attention to the fact that – unintentionally or otherwise – the carpets in our Masājid are designed to create crooked rows and distracted Ṣalāh. There are of course a host of additional factors to consider, but every factor should be considered without bias. Are disunity and incorrect Ṣalāh trivial matters?
Three rows per Ṣaff
Our insistence on having needlessly fanciful carpets and not sufficing with a simple, thin straight line causes a phenomenon where up to three rows can be witnessed standing in a single Ṣaff. How can the Ummah unite when we have an attitude ultimately based on egotism, outdoing others and extravagance?
See below picture. The three black lines point to the three rows confused Muṣallīs can choose from.
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| ?Where do I stand |
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| Three row, one Saff |
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| Mitre |
Has the Pope visited your local Masjid recently?
Chances are that he frequents your Masjid more often you do. Do you know that some Masjid carpets are imported from Catholic Belgium and Spain? Is it mere coincidence then that the Cross finds its way into the Masjid by way of Muslim paid for carpets? See below and decide.
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| ? Crosses extending diagonally from the bottom |
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| Catholic Mitre? |
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| Are those 5 Palm trees going vertically up each "pillar" or 5 Crosses? |
Pareidolia?
Pareidolia is the concept in Psychology which explains why the human mind tries to form images out of random patterns. This is a fact which we all experience. This on its own is sufficient reason why our Masjid carpets should be plain, without Pareidolia invoking patterns and supposed flowers.
Sometimes words are formed, find the love below:
Now how often do you see a FACE distracting you from Ṣalāh?
A distraction from Ṣalāh would be sufficient cause for concern. What is more worrying is if you compare these faces. Why are they almost all the same? Why no other human face? No women for example. Note the eyes, beard, horns and goatish face in all of them and compare with Mister below. Makes you think doesn’t it?
Eye of Horus
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| Eye of Horus |
Finally, have you heard of the Egyptian idol the Eye of Horus and which mightpossibly represent ad-Dajjāl? Even he might be visiting your Masjid.
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| Masjid Carpet |
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| Eye of Horus |
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| Dollar - Masonic Eye |
All this may be far-fetched coincidences, but this does not negate the fact that we with our own hands and money bring things into the Masjid which divide the Ummah and destroy Ṣalāh.
An appeal is made to the Ummah to rectify their intention when building houses of Allah. Stop our needless extravagance and fancies. Plain carpets can be installed when a new Masjid is built or when a carpet becomes worn. The alternative is crooked rows and distractions in Ṣalāh.
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| Plain but beautiful is possible |
سليمان الكندي
