you cannot pray here

you cannot pray here.
Author: Michelle Schafieh

     One day, my brother and I went to eat dinner at a restaurant. We go to this restaurant often since it has a patio and is located in an open shopping center. Usually after we eat, we pray Maghrib in a small corner of the shopping center since it is never crowded.

    When it was time for Maghrib, we both decided to go to the usual spot and pray. Suddenly, we heard someone say on a walkie talkie, “Go check on the two."

   My brother and I both heard footsteps coming closer and closer. A woman interrupted us and said, “You are not allowed to pray here because we are blocking, and people are trying to get by." Although the space was large enough for people to get through, we respected her request and stopped.

    I did not have an issue with this incident because I just learned to find a new place to pray. However, my little brother was never comfortable praying in public and was traumatized by the whole incident. He did not even want to go back to the restaurant because he did not want to seem like a “weirdo." He was afraid of being judged by people.

    The reason why I am sharing this incident is because it taught my brother a valuable lesson. I explained to him that we should always respect people, but we should never conform to society if it goes against our religion. In other words, just because we cannot pray in that shopping center, it does not mean we should not pray in public at all. We can just find another spot! 

    We should always remember that Allah SWT is Al-Hakam, the Judge. Allah SWT is the ultimate judge, and we should always be mindful of that. May Allah SWT guide us all to the straight path, and may He give us the strength and confidence to practice our religion in the best manner possible. Ameen!