Be Careful With Your Words!

Every Moslem pilgrim is reminded time and again by anecdotes of the hajis experiencing embarrassing phenomena - in some cases for all to see - while in the Holy Land. In most cases the anecdotes or true stories depict 'retributions' from the Almighty to the sinful mortals while they are in the Holy Land. There are even books written on this. I don't know how many Moslems who have skeletons in their respective closets choose to forestall their once-in-a-lifetime journey for fear of embarrassing incidences that may befall them for their sins.

Me? Like any other fellow pilgrims we were told to watch our words lest they become du'as that may be answered immediately. Lo and behold if your not so pure thoughts that pass through your mind while looking at something 'weird' or 'strange' suddenly being 'classified' as du'a and are answered by the Almighty. I find this a bit unsettled, as it seems Allah the Omni-Knowing is dumb or cannot differentiate the wishes from the mere thoughts of his creatures.

Anyway, that's not for me to answer. I had that kind of experience too. You see the African pilgrims sense of dress is a bit off-the-mark. And from their appearance, it is as if they do not keep their physical cleanliness and hygiene up to an acceptable standard. Once I was praying in the Grand Mosque and an African was in the row in front of me. His feet didn't look clean. Adding to that was that he put his slippers - yes the wet selipar jepun - next to his feet on the gleaming marbles of the Grand Mosque floor. Wish I was not praying near him! went my thought. I winced at the sight of his feet. After the compulsory prayer the African performed the auxiliary one. So did I but I had to move up half-a-row and ouch I had to soon after that perform my prostration with my face right on the spot where the African's selipar jepun was 'parked' a few minutes before that and my left eye can see the scaly and flaky skin of his right foot next to my face.

Be careful with one's words while in the Holy Land! but to me this was not a matter of God being ignorant or vengeful. It was more of keeping your inner sense pure while there and here too!