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Praying for sanity

PAKISTANIS NEVER forget to pray when they need Allah’s help to win a T-20 cricket match or get CNG from the nearby gas station, Mr Right said. “They live to pray only, but they don’t know how to pray and what to pray for?”

“We people don’t remember how to pray, the poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz had rightly pointed out,” I reminded him.

“We should be thankful to the Taleban for the current season of prayers that started in the country with the attack on the Swati girl Malala,” Mr Right said. “Now the whole nation is praying for her life.”

“Yes,” I said. “Men women and children are praising the little angel’s courage. Special prayer congregations are held in mosques, schools, offices and many public places, and rallies, processions and candle light vigils are organised everywhere. Everybody wants the brave girl to live on.”

“Prayers become good only if practical steps are also taken to reform society,” Mr Right pointed out. “A false prayer is like a ‘still born child’. We pray from the mouth not from our heart.”

I agreed. “Prayers have lost their effect because these are only meant to divert attention from inefficiency of the government. The event only reflects how badly the government has failed to keep the tormentors of society at bay.”

Mr Right grinned. “Since they do nothing, they pray. The founder of the nation had asked the people to work, work and work for prosperity, but the current rulers want the people only to pray, pray and pray for everything.”

“In that case, the government should now merge the ministry of religious affairs with the ministry of interior to form a new ministry of prayers to protect the lives and property of the people,” I suggested.

“The prayer ministry should rename all parade grounds in cities as prayer grounds,” Mr Right proposed. “The people should be motivated to observe special prayer days and hold prayer meetings to pray for everything—unity among the people, honesty in leaders and sincerity in workers.”

“A part of these prayer grounds should be reserved for candle light vigil,” I said. “Our youths like to make their prayers a bit romantic.”

“But mixed gatherings at these sites could incite the Taleban to declare these events unIslamic,” Mr Right warned.

“The Taleban are not alone in making life difficult for common Muslims,” I said. “Once the prayer culture spreads, all religious parties and sects will start forcing the people to follow their own prayer style.”

“But I am afraid, despite all our prayers and good intentions, brain eating bacteria is fast spreading in our environment,” I said.

“The result is confusion,” Mr Right said. “Everybody prays for selfish motives. The leader wants more power for him to control the official machinery and more wisdom for judges to remain friendly with men in authority.”

“Traders want maximum profits without paying minimum taxes,” I said. “Students pray to attain the wealth of knowledge but finally fall for methods to collect real wealth. All prayers are false.”

“The Taleban, therefore, don’t believe in divine help to change them,” Mr Right said. “They are like that little boy who used to pray every night: Lord, if you can’t make me a better boy, don’t worry about it. I am having a good time, anyway”.

Najmul Hasan Rizvi is a former Assistant Editor of Khaleej Times