Asalaamu alaikum brothers and sisters...
This is just me venting.
I was once a very patient person back when I was younger, but age and experience I guess has eaten away at that. Now I get grumpy very easily. Particularly with the behavior of some of my brothers at the masjid.
We have a handful of brothers - about 5 in all, I think - who, when praying do an unusual thing with their mouths when the Imam is reciting. They recite along, or maybe making dua, or doing whatever and they do it very loudly only without using their voice. What they do is an extremely over-exaggerated smacking of the lips and tongue that sounds like (and this is just for reference, not to be cruel) an animal eating peanut butter, or puppy eating canned dog food out of a bowl (think about it, you will know what I am trying to describe here!) One Maghrib a few weeks back one of these brothers stood between a friend and me in the prayer line. He smacked and clacked so loudly that he seriously distracted from the prayer. Later, when my friend and I were chatting before Isha I asked him if he knew what the man who was between us was doing and he said "Oh I try to block all that out. There are a couple brothers here who do that." so I am not alone in noticing this.
I know there are ettiquets about coming to the masjid smelling of onions or garlic (though I find cigarette smell more offensive) but so far I've not seen any on being quiet during the prayer.
I also know that there are different schools who pray differently - a couple brothers who pray with us keep their arms at their side and look straight ahead during salaat, and I found out recently that they are Malaki (is that the right word?) and pray differently than the rest of us. With that in mind I was unsure if these brothers are following some teaching that tells them to recite this way (which was why I asked my friend about it).
Anyway... thanks for letting me get this off my chest. I know in the big world its a small affair but that's life!
Ma salaama
D...
This is just me venting.
I was once a very patient person back when I was younger, but age and experience I guess has eaten away at that. Now I get grumpy very easily. Particularly with the behavior of some of my brothers at the masjid.
We have a handful of brothers - about 5 in all, I think - who, when praying do an unusual thing with their mouths when the Imam is reciting. They recite along, or maybe making dua, or doing whatever and they do it very loudly only without using their voice. What they do is an extremely over-exaggerated smacking of the lips and tongue that sounds like (and this is just for reference, not to be cruel) an animal eating peanut butter, or puppy eating canned dog food out of a bowl (think about it, you will know what I am trying to describe here!) One Maghrib a few weeks back one of these brothers stood between a friend and me in the prayer line. He smacked and clacked so loudly that he seriously distracted from the prayer. Later, when my friend and I were chatting before Isha I asked him if he knew what the man who was between us was doing and he said "Oh I try to block all that out. There are a couple brothers here who do that." so I am not alone in noticing this.
I know there are ettiquets about coming to the masjid smelling of onions or garlic (though I find cigarette smell more offensive) but so far I've not seen any on being quiet during the prayer.
I also know that there are different schools who pray differently - a couple brothers who pray with us keep their arms at their side and look straight ahead during salaat, and I found out recently that they are Malaki (is that the right word?) and pray differently than the rest of us. With that in mind I was unsure if these brothers are following some teaching that tells them to recite this way (which was why I asked my friend about it).
Anyway... thanks for letting me get this off my chest. I know in the big world its a small affair but that's life!
Ma salaama
D...
