WUDHU - Back to Basics

A PARODY -   NANA NI TO'   VAAT LAGI     BASIC MAAJ BAFOO

( my son in law being from Nagar, the colloquial word VAAT  used  by my grandson Moiz means
 'nana ni to'aavi bani ! )


Enjoying the regal status of a family Patriarch of a large brood of brothers and sisters, all grown up and having grown up children of their own, I have all these long years enjoyed an esteemed status, and have been looked upon by my family members as being the most religious, well read, knowledgeable, particularly in matters of DEEN etc: etc:

A regular Masjid goer, attending religiously miqaats and majalis  -  come Jumoa and you find me at the Masjid one hour before Zohar time, praying Tasbih ul Azam Namaz followed by tilawat of Surah Al -Khaf, Surah Al- Fath etc: My daily tialwat of Bawisa has long been appreciated by my family members and mumineen who hear me all these past years  during Layali Fadehla. 

This Ayyamul -ta-budaat out of the number of pious activities that mumineen are expected to perform for the shifa e kulli and umre darazi of our beloved Aqa Moula (TUS) whose 102 nd Milad Celebrations have commenced, I found out I have been performing most of them.  

The result of this post, is to share with my family and friends, my ignoble fall from the high horse that I have been riding all these long years. 

A'li Qadr Moula Mufaddal Saifuddin (TUS) call and emphasis this Ayyamul - ta- budaat  to do 'Kaamil Woodhu' has jolly well shaken my high pedestal. Like me, there are many who have been holding very elite and powerful positions in the Dawat khidmat, especially lady members of different khidmat idaara,  exhorting others all the time, now like me these poor souls are on their back foot. !!!

BACK TO BASICS has unnerved many. Ladies are saying they are being discriminated as mardo have to only 'sunavo' Quran Tilawat, while they have to perform Woodhu and all proper 'arkaan'  etc: to obtain the coveted Certificate. 

I was among the first to attend the Quran Tilawaat mohim, and as I knew the Muraqeeb on personal term, I just breezed passed. 

What was my undoing, was when I exhorted the ladies of my family to go and obtain the coveted certificate for Wudhu. For young mothers, with madrasa going kids, it was easy, as while teaching their kids, they were fortunate to brush up. The problem was with the old ladies past 60 like my wife. An E Jammat Sms came for a lady relative aged 92 years !! 

While my wife was trying to brush up correct pronunciations of woodhu ayaats and reciting them to my madrasa going grandson Moiz (the thumb rule in family relation is that grandparents are always more close and confide in their grand children, more,  than their own sons and daughters, as the latter, do not have much time for their parents )   

As my poor wife was 'lage raho' with my grandson, who had to repeatedly correct her several times, I was strutting around the house on my "KNOW ALL" high horse and feeling amused and at the same time a little sadden by the effort being put in by wife at this age. Poor thing had to first overcome her ego and open up to her grandchild - who became her tutor. 

I am all appreciative and impressed by the DEEN knowledge being dispensed to our children in  MSB and Madrasa idaaras throughout the world. It was so very different when we were Madrasa going kids. 

My Madrasa was in the Jamaat khana - 4 classes held in the four corners. We used to sit on the floor, and the Mulla Sab (now every one is called Janab) used to have a black low bench in front of him and a cane or fut - patti. Spanking was common. If a Class 2 boy got spanked, the entire Madrasa witnessed it !! 

As my wife was trying to pronounce correctly the masah for ears and faltered before my grandson, I made a life blunder by laughing out loud. This than my dear Readers was my undoing. Moiz turned around to me, and said 'Nana tame padho' Catch 2 for me. 

I blurted out confidently : wa sam mim mi monadeean ..... I was stopped mid sentence by my grandson who said: Nana - wa sam mim mi galat - wa asmeani.

Thus started a chain of commands one after the other, and as I faltered it was my wife's turn to feel amused. After 3-4 failed attempts on my part, my son Moiz ran to his mother and blurted out loud, so that the entire family could hear "MAA MAA  - NANA NI TO' VAAT LAGI - BASIC MAAJ BAFOO"

THANK ALLAH AND A'LI QADR MOULA (TUS) for sparing us mardo !!!

However, my family high pedestal had started to rock, and I was bent on making it steady. But it was easy said than done. Many thoughts assailed me - what was the point in saying namaz when my woodhu is not kaamil etc: The following night was a torture as one thought after another assailed me, and created doubts in my mind. 

Some how I managed to gather my wits, and as with my regular practice during Ayyamul ta-budaat I got up during Nisful Layl and with the mind focused on correctly pronouncing 'wa asmeni' I started the Wudhu, telling my self Asgar, steady, be clam, one thing at a time. 

Viola ! Correct pronunciation of 'wa asmeni' ! Felt very elated, but what happened next will surprise you. My mind went complete blank and  when it came to 'matha ni masah' how hard I tired I could not recall the correct words. It may be because I was so focused on 'wa asmeni' that I forgot and was totally confused.  I had return back and look up again and do the woodhu. 

I know my young friends will be finding this very amusing and unbelievable - but just wait my young friends, a few more years and  turn to my age approaching 75 and you will empathize and understand with my plight, and all those elders, who are trying hard to learn and perform correct Woodhu. Years of faulty recital is so ingrained, that any change is proving a daunting task. 

This 'write up' is than is a tribute to all seniors like me, who are making an honest attempt. Do not give up, how hard it may seem now. Both Moulas doa mubarak and nazarat will overcome the shortcoming.