For those of you who do not know: Tahajjud is a lengthy prayer preformed in the last third of the night. In Ramadan, we Muslims tend to pray in congregation in search of the night of power which is found in the last ten days of this blessed month.
This all started 4days ago, when I decided to share my newly found Hadith
“Do not stop Allah’s women-slave from going to Allah’s Mosques”
with my dad. Naturally this was followed by a lecture for my knowledge was limited in this field. A few hours later, my dad noticed I was awake and he asked, ‘Zainab, why don’t you come to tahajjud with us?” I was immediately drilled with happiness!! The following morning, I was running late so the next day was my first day. On that day, the second my dad opened the house door, I was out of my room; dressed to pray. So we live a 25minute drive from the mosque but since there were barely cars on the road, we got there in less than 15 minutes. But a long drive it was.
Living in Uganda, a drunkard nation(In this great continent of Africa, we are number one in alcohol consumption) that would take no offensive on me typing this relevant fact has no limits whatsoever. On Fridays, they drink because the week is over. On Saturday, they drink because the weekend has begun. On Sundays, they drink because the week is about to begin. As for the other 5 days they drink for another 101 reasons, let it be a drinking contest in which one would win more alcohol or to prepare for school/university/work…basically anything. Overall, our roads flow with drunk-out-of-their-minds drunkards.
On my first night, we countered superman kind of fearless drunkards on the roads of Kampala, jumping in front of speeding car. On Saturday we did as well, Sunday no difference. And on Monday, I concluded nothing was going to change. This is what we Ugandans call a backwards country.
…
So here in Uganda we have Shia’s, well displaced Shia’s, so they set up many mosques. So that is definitely a no-go. Then there are plenty of small local Ugandan mosques and given their lacking in Islamic knowledge, I’d advise anyone to check out the mosque they attend. The two main mosques for a person like me are, Uganda National Mosque and Tawhid Mosque. Now when it comes to Uganda National Mosque, they’ve created an innovation that the night of power is on the 27th of Ramadan. So, they only pray on the 27th of Ramadan. Ugandans came from all across Uganda to attend that one night prayer. Let it be a 4hour drive into Kampala, this will definitely not stop them. May Allah not make us amongst the blind. May Allah unblind the blind.
I went to Tawhid Mosque, a mosque packed with worshipers ever single morning, to the extent that I as female, barely find anywhere to standI feel like the number of men will always out number of women imagine the men? In fact these past 7 days, we have been witness a train of showers here in Uganda and the mosque is so packed that people pray outside and it just occurred to me how it rains on them.
Upon entering the very crowded mosque, all eyes are on me, I really am not accustomed with Somalilistic behavior. Like do they like to stare or do I funny? Nonetheless, may Allah protect me from their eyes.
Subhanallah, I’ve seen many people attend Ramadan prayer to see their friend/s. Alhamdulillah that is not the case for me. I love to pray and being in a house of Allah has a different feel to it. So since there is nowhere to sit or pray Sunnah I stand and wait for the prayer to start so people make room for people like me. By the will of Allah, I always find somewhere. And the Sheikh begins reciting and my tahajjud experience begins. Mashallah after 4 rakat of standing, we are given some time to rest despite the fact that it’s really not needed. And even during those few minutes, we were advised islamically, with dalil(proof) with everyday problems accompanied with their solutions, my spirit was immediately boosted. I pray Allah reward these men for their sincerity, for they have benefited me alongside hundreds of people. I pray the masses take their advice into application. May Allah continue to guide the guided. May Allah guide the unguided.
Above All, may Allah accept our fast. May Allah accept our prayers. May Allah accept our dua’s.
Words of a Ramadan Addict 