Solat, jangan tak solat

It is interesting to note that both Shireen and Fee Cheng - the former visited me in November while the latter in late December - queried me about it; where do I pray when I go out?

Solat time changes frequently here – in accordance with the season changes, that sometimes it is just not possible to perform all five required solat at home. Asar currently begins at around 2.30 p.m., but will begin from around 3.30 p.m. in late May. Maghrib’s beginning time ranges from 4.30 p.m. in winter to 7.00 p.m. in summer.

I must confess that while I am not the most disciplined of all to perform my solat immediately with the arrival of its time (I have my share of subuh gajah or subuh dinaosaur more than I care to admit), I do try my best not to miss performing them on their prescribed time no matter where I go. And since Tokyo is not like Kuala Lumpur where most malls and public areas have surau facilities, one must be rather creative in finding a suitable place, preferably a rather quiet and peaceful place.

It’s not like I am ashamed of performing my solat in public – I don’t care if anybody stare while I stand, bow, sit flat or prostrate, it is just that somehow it is easier to concentrate on communicating with Allah in a quieter place.

So, where do I perform my solat when I go out? In GSAPS, Muslim students normally pray at the end corner of the 8^th floor which has little chances of being disrupted by casual onlookers. When we go out, hubby and I normally bring a qiblah compass along. And we have prayed at various places – from performing ‘solat hormat waktu’ in trains, to praying properly in public parks, near staircases in various train stations and shopping malls, at the back of Muslim-owned shops, in Muslim-owned restaurant’s kitchen, in storeroom, near parking areas, in nursing rooms… I never use telekung when I pray outside – I pray with whatever clothing I had on, sometimes adding a ‘hand stocking’ when my sleeves are a bit short, so it’s compulsory to wear what is acceptable for prayers when I go out (suitable tudung, socks with no holes, long blouse/sweater, loose skirt/pants, etc) My similar experience of finding suitable place for solat in UK helps too – because some basic stuff remains (it’s usually quieter at the top floor, the end corner, and the back staircase)

I usually make use of the larger toilets normally reserved for handicapped and mommies with baby to perform ablution because it’s easier to do so in these toilets. Besides, since it’s spacious enough to bring Huzaifah’s baby car inside the toilet, it saves us from having to take turn looking afer him when both hubby and I need to perform ablution.

There are certain people I know who prefer to qadha’ their solat later at home rather than performing it anywhere else when it’s not convenient for them to do so. I normally would remind the person – unsolicited, but I did it anyway out of my responsibility as a fellow Muslim – how important it is to tame our ego in order to serve Allah. If we only pray when we like to pray, where we prefer to pray, then we are still serving our ego since our convenience and comfort should not be the consideration in our solat. It is compulsory for us to pray – at prescribed times in a prescribed manner - and the only consideration is our total submission to Allah.

Sometimes, non-Muslim friends and colleagues ask – why 5 times a day? To simply say ‘because Allah asks us to’, usually wouldn’t satisfy them, so sometimes it is easier to tell them that in the morning we wake up to thank Allah for waking us up and giving us another day to live and the rest of the day to continue saying thanks and being mindful of His presence. After all, Allah has only order 5 prayers - a few minutes out of 24 hours that we have been given daily. So, really, it is not asking for much considering He has given us life, our health, families, our rezeki and countless other bounties, ye tak?