In The Light of Experiences

Persia, under the principle “Al-fadhl ma shahidat bihil a‘da” (True merit is acknowledged even by adversaries). During the caliphate of Umar ibn al-Khattab, when Muslim armies entered Persia, they prayed in large congregations in open fields as there were no mosques at the time. Observing this scene of congregational prayer, Rustam exclaimed: “Umar has pierced my heart; he is teaching discipline even to dogs!” (Muqaddimah Ibn Khaldun, p. 152). During my time at the madrasa, the supervision of congregational prayers was entrusted to a senior teacher, Maulana Akhtar Ahsan Islahi (d. 1985). He would come to the hostel right after the Fajr adhan to wake the students. At that time, I was in my youth and found it hard to wake up. Maulana Islahi used to say about me: “He is a very deep sleeper.” I recall one instance in the mosque’s open courtyard during the rows for prayer—likely during the Isha prayer—when a snake suddenly entered the mosque. It passed through the rows, heading toward the back where shoes were placed. Although the snake was not very large, it was still a snake. Yet, I observed that there was no panic or commotion in the congregation. Everyone remained in their positions, and the snake passed through and exited. This incident gave me firsthand experience of how prayer instills discipline in individuals.