Bacalah dengan perlahan...

Hari ini, ketika bersolat zohor di masjid kajang, satu fenomena ajaib telah berlaku! Seorang anak muda yang kurang cerdik telah datang join solat lambat sikit dari yang lain. Setelah berdiri di saf, beliau pun memulakan solat dengan takbir kuat sampai boleh didengari oleh hampir semua orang di dalam masjid. Hal ini menimbulkan kekeliruan jemaah lain sampai separuh dari jemaah telah pun ruku' sebelum imam ruku' kerana terdengar takbir si anak muda tadi. Saya pun menjadi konpius kerana ingat mic yang imam pakai sudah rosak, maka sebab itulah suara menjadi perlahan sikit. Tapi saya telah memandang ke atas sekejap dan telah nampak imam di hadapan masih dalam keadaan berdiri. Setalah beberapa saat, baru kedengaran Imam bekata "Allahu Akbar" dan beliau pun ruku'. Maka ketika itu barulah jemaah lain meruku', tetapi, jemaah yang sudahpun ruku' tadi, bangun melakukan i'tidal pula. Just look at how much confusion was caused because of this silly young man who pronounced the takbir loudly upon joining the prayer! Kenape perlu menyuarakan takbir sehingga didengari oleh makmum yang lain? Nak tunjuk suara cantik ke? ke nak tunjuk rajin dtg masjid? Kan dah cakap banyak kali, bila jadi makmum, biar semua bacaan perlaha, cukup sekadar telinga sendiri mendengarnya!

Actually this is a problem not just with the takbir, but with the whole prayer. Many muslims in malaysia, because they cannot understand arabic, and because they are taught a very very strict ruling about reading al-fatihah after the imam, they tend to read the fatihah quite loudly after the imam, oblivious to the importance of listening to the next surah the Imam is reciting. In their mind, "What is the point of reading fast, I can't understand the next surah anwyay!" Such fellas will say, the Imam should pause to give time for the makmum to finish reciting, but unfortunately such a long pause was not done by the prophet SAW. He would pause just for a very short while to signify the end of the surah and would continue reciting the next surah.

If only people are taught the different opinions about reciting fatihah after the imam:  not to recite AT ALL(the imam's recitation is considered the makmums recitation as well), to recite with the imam softly or to recite quickly and softly after the imam so as to be able to listen to the next surah. (I prefer the last opinion because I feel it is storngest but all 3 are valid insya Allah). Allah says in surah al-araf verse 204:


"So when the Qur'an is recited, then listen to it and pay attention that you may receive mercy."

The word used for listen here is 'fastami'oo' instead of 'fasmi'oo' which also means listening. The difference  is that the former is for you to listen very attentively so that you may benefit from what is being recited. How do we even begin to comply with this ayat when we are so busy reciting the al-fatihah will full of tajweed and tarteel instead of listening to the next surah? It's bad enough they cannot understand arabic to be able to appreciate the Quran (which is not their fault btw, i'm not blaming anyone here), it's worse when their loud recitation of fatihah prevents others from listening to the imam as well! I've had such people next to me so many times but most of them were old uncles, and that's why I never bothered saying anything coz i know they wouldn't listen. You can't teach an old cat new tricks.

But for us, the younger ones, let us imporive our knowledge so we may better our prayer, and do not disrupt others who wish to pray properly. The real  life example above is what happens when one does things one may think is right, but in fact is wrong and even disruptive! And that is why in his book the Fiqh Of Priorities, Shaykh Yusof al-Qaradawi places seeking knowledge at a higher level than opitional worship like fasting, zikr etc because it is only with proper knowlege will one be able to better one's self in all aspects. 

Ayuh belajaq supaya jadi insan berilmu!