Don't Pray With That T-Shirt Next Time
Long ago, my parents sent me to attend Islamic classes in the evening. The Sheikh there was very strict, in fact he was too strict. My friends and I called him Santa Claus behind his back because he had a really long white beard. “Oi dude, cut the crap. Santa Claus is coming” my friend would warn me when we fooled around the mosque.
One day we were going to pray, and Sheikh Santa noticed my friend’s T-shirt. “You can’t pray with that T-shirt boy. It has pictures on it. Don’t you know pictures and statues are haram?” screamed Santa. My friend at the time wore a Nike T-Shirt with a picture of Michael Jordan on it. He apologized and said he wouldn’t wear it again.
I found the experience hilarious. Next to my friend, another boy stood wearing a T-Shirt with “Metallica” written across it. It’s a good thing Sheikh Santa didn’t know what the hell Metallica is because if he did or had any idea what the lyrics of their songs were about, my friends and I probably wouldn’t be alive today.
Needless to say, I kept telling my dad all those stories until one day he decided to find me another place with a sane non-extremist Imam. Indeed he did and the Sheikh there was much nicer and more reasoned.
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Hahahah!
I went to school next to this big Islamic institution for kids to learn Islamic studies and the Koran, and when my older sister and I would wait outside for our mother to pick us up the Imams would always yell “wear your hijab, you will burn in Hell!”
I usually ignore their calls for attention, but my sister doesn’t. She always has to fight back and cause a scene. She always has to infuriate them further by making faces at them, etc. We were 13 and 15 at the time.
We had a lot of bad experiences with Imams, but the funniest one I could recall was when my sister threatened to suffocate one of the Imams with his own beard if he came any closer. Actually, none of the experiences were really that funny, because both of us used to think that this was the real Islam and considered letting go of our religion. Fortunately that didn’t happen. But a lot of my friends remain athiests for these exact reasons.
These fools really traumatize kids though, I mean you don’t declare yourself as some kind of a religious leader and then tell a bunch of teens that they’re going to hell. Their institution is also responsible for handing out newsletters saying that some of the best Arab scholars, including the most famous Arabic novelists, are the works of “Satan.”
” both of us used to think that this was the real Islam and considered letting go of our religion.”
Era’a I know exactly what you mean. I myself experienced a period of “non-religiousness”. It was fun but there was no piece of mind or heart. Now alhamdulillah there is
It pains me to say this but we’re experiencing our own period of dark ages now… Those type of Sheikhs are asses. We need more of the Amr Khaled type.
By the way, is atheism really taking a hold amongst youth in Bahrain. I know it is in Iran.
My mother is obsessed with this guy. His tapes are always on repeat in our house. His lectures are very thought-provoking and I’m glad to say that he’s one of the few people who remind me why I’m a Muslim. What an amazing achievement.
Not so much atheism as much as just … not religiousness, like you said. You rarely see young people in mosques and I can safely say that most probably don’t pray. Some of them are just agnostic, some really don’t give any thought to religion, and others are actual athiests in the sense that they are strongly against the “idea of God.” And it’s really easy being the latter in a society where corrupt Imams and Sheikhs roam around freely.
Reminds me of the Ultra Orthodox Jews. We used to be ultra-orthodox around 12 years ago. The boys weren’t allowed to wear anything that resembled “cool”. Just plain t-shirts, or preferably shirts – white – with buttons. The girls had uniforms – navy blue and white. There isn’t any law against wearing t-shirts with slogans in Judaism. But the ultra orthodox culture turned it that way….oy vey, as they say.
xcuze brother the matter of wearin’ T-shirts with pictures on is haram from the days of our prophet it’s not ur sheikh opinion.. it’s ur religion opinion .. u can back to the prophet sayings and see how he talked about pictures .. thank u .
Drima:
Heresy! If you are to call someone Santa Claus he better damn well be jolly.
You better repent, yesterday, or there will be NO PRESENTS for you this christmas. Santa sees all, and knows you have been a bad boy. Take it back, and Santa will be merciful.