Family History in Muslims - Essay Example

We always looked forward to our going to the mosque on Friday as this presented us with an opportunity of meeting up with some of our friends and getting to play for a while after we had finished our madrasa classes. My parents would also take us out for a treat after these classes and this was another thing that made us always look forward to Fridays.

Both my paternal and maternal uncles and aunts are also staunch Muslims and as a result of this factor, all of my cousins have been brought up to become Muslims.  When my grandparents visited us, I soon noticed that my grandfather had the habit of rolling out his prayer mat and praying up to five times a day. To me, this was oddly peculiar as I was accustomed to seeing my family pray in the morning before everyone left the house for the day and in the evening when we all got back home safely. My curiosity led me to question my grandfather why he was always praying.

I will never forget the genial smile that he gave me as his old wrinkled face beamed at me. He picked me up and settled me on his knees and then explained to me that to him, being a good Muslim was not just praying and going to the Mosque every Friday, instead, Islam for him was a way of life. He explained to me that to him being a good Muslim should be evident in all his actions and thoughts. As a nine-year-old kid, what my grandfather said to me that day did not make any sense but as I grew older, I came to gradually realize the profound wisdom that was embedded in that short talk that I had with my grandfather.

Although all my paternal and maternal relatives are Muslims, their devotion to the faith is quite different. While my father’s family is quite devoted to the faith, my maternal family is a bit more liberal and most of them do not pray daily at times, some of my cousins sometimes fail to go to the mosque on Friday and instead stay at home either watching movies or playing video games. I once asked one of my maternal aunts why my cousin Abdul was sometimes allowed to stay at home instead of going to the mosque like a good Muslim should. My aunt explained to me that my maternal grandparents had moved to a cosmopolitan city while my aunt and mum were still young kids.

This led them to become exposed to a large number of religions and influences that caused them to become broad-minded in their religious beliefs. She then went on to explain to me that as a result of this influence, they had grown up to become more liberal and although they were not as devoted as the relatives from my father’s side of the family, their hearts were still in the right place and they were indeed Muslims. Read More