Monday, September 17, 2007

Muslims are better prayers?

Not that I’m converting to Islam anytime soon, although quite the contrary, but its interesting to note. I was talking earlier to my Muslim coworker regarding his Ramadan this month; what it actually entails and how hard it is for him. It’s always interesting listening to their side and sort of comparing it to my own religion. We never really discuss Israel, just Jews and Muslims as a religion.

As every one knows, they fast for 30 days during the day then eat at night. That itself sounds really hard. I can just imagine yesterday 30 days straight. Although yesterday’s fast wasn’t super hard (also it can be because we ate for 3 days straight which helped a bit), but I can’t imagine doing that everyday for 30 days. That’s a lot of days. He wakes up at 4 am to eat as if it’s the most normal of habits. Whenever we have these fast days, I personally eat a big meal before I go to bed at midnight so not to wake up extra early in the morning.

Besides the fast, they have a 2 hour prayer every night starting at 9 PM. The time I am usually implanted on my bed watching the tube, they are at mosque. I complain about selichos with the extra 30 min for a week, they are praying 2 hours a night (in addition to their other prayers) for 30 days straight. But he says every person comes on time, turns off their cell phone, and not a sound is heard for 2 hours. I can’t remember the last shul I have been to where that happened. Maybe I am just used to my Flatbush shul, roll in 5 or 10 min late, schmooze with some people then get down to business for a few minutes then schmooze a little more, (watch the important people check their blackberries every 10 minutes when its not shabbos), maybe I am just antzy to sit still for that long.

After talking to him, I couldnt help but think about this. For some reason I believe him that this actually goes on at the mosque. I think it’s kind of odd that there is more respect and devoted people at the mosques than we have at our frum shuls.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

but there are a lot of shuls like that too. no phones no talk and people just daven. I'm sure there are mosques where people shmooze and groan "2 hours? cant they get a faster chazzan?" ask your co-worker and see what he/she says.

anyway, in my shul, none of the muslims ever talk during davening and they daven pretty well. maybe its a respect thing.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, but do they have kidushim with cholent and meatballs?

P L said...

Its amazing how similar frum Muslims are to us. Their whole culture has the same issues and struggling with Chumras and modernity as we do. I recently posted a number of videos about a Muslim Rebbetzin talking about shidduchim that sounds exactly what your local Rebbetzin would say.

Halacha Of The Day

Anonymous said...

youre a f#$kin moron- there are plenty of jews as devout as those muslims- youre the one who always talks ins shul. Furthermore atleast our devout coreligionists arent blowing up people

Notsofrummie said...

I should give him a name and number of the chazan that my shul had..

I highly doubt they have kiddush clubs with chulent. they may have some yummy looking halal. always wanted to try out those gyros outside my office.

hey anon - i have been to many shuls in my lifetime and i cant remember one where every person came on time and stayed there for the completion, and have never been to one where not one person talks. Even in most frum one's, there is always the few (myself included. Next, this posting had nothing to do with their views on the jews; was about their devotion to their belief.

Anonymous said...

hey nsf
this is the first anon
not the one that called you f)(*ing moron (ha ha ha)
but anyway
dude
you are right. you cant remember.
also, are the type of guy who looks for the huge kavana minyanim where people go to daven and keep quite or are you the type of guy that goes to chilled out minyanim where the talking aint such a big deal and kavana is not as important as a conversation about _______ (whatever)

I take your silence as agreement
Anon - 1
NSF - 0

Ha ha ha ha

Anonymous said...

looking back the previous post did not make sense at all. but it made sense in my head
what does that mean? am i insane (i used "crazy" and not "schizophrenic" because i dont know how to spell that

peath out

Anonymous said...

Anon guys,
If you have balls, write your comment linking it to your homepage. Besides that all such comments are comments of a sissy.

NSF,
My nanny growing up as a little girl was a religious Muslim. She used to pray 5 times a day etc. I remember she told us that some people come to the mosque to close out business deals. So they would stand there mumble something so they can meet up with some of the congregants. Her hubby told her about this cause he disliked going to the mosque on Fridays because of that. So there are people everywhere who will pretend to pray at a synagogue or a mosque, but their intentions are actually different.

Anonymous said...

The day we can learn ANYTHING from murderous beasts will be a sad day indeed.