I have always felt the mosque was a place of sanctity as well as a place for prayer.
Last weekend I was out of NY and visited a mosque in another state that will remain nameless.

There were about 1200 worshippers for Jumuah.
90% had nothing on their heads, 95% were dressed in shirt and pants (I only counted 10 people including me with a kurta or gown). I have nothing against a clean shirt and pants, but I am talking about those with T-shirts and frayed pants dragging on the ground, and when they bend over, you could see a few cracks. The saf looked like a raggedy band of refugees.

I understand that many of these people come in from work, but how much does it take to bring a bag with a clean shirt or kurta, and a hat for Jumuah?

I hope I am wrong, but I see some lowering of standards and disrespect here.

While nothing is wrong with a t-shirt and pants...the dragging pants and cracks is definitely an issue...
I am almost sure that these folks are not regular attendees of the Masjid.

It has become a ritual now and i see them in ¾ pants too. This is total disrespect for the house of Allah. I beg that almighty Allah guide us towards doing that which pleases him. Too much compromise in this country.

This attitude will lead to men wearing burkha. Please quote me the prayer dress code from the Quran. Many thanks!

quote:

Originally posted by ICIP:
This attitude will lead to men wearing burkha. Please quote me the prayer dress code from the Quran. Many thanks!

There is no prayer dress code listed in the Qur'an. It does emphasize clenliness though. And that is why I prefer not to wear the long gown because it is like a sweeper and to omuch materials which gets in the way. I am more comfortable in a shirt and pants.

Forget the religious aspect. It is an eyesore to see kids dragging their clothes all over the road and then dragging it all over the floor where we have to place our faces. However, when I pointed this out many years ago, an official of the jamaah remarked that they should be given patience because at least, they are in the masjid when they could have been elsewhere.

Everything in moderation is the key.

quote:

Originally posted by Terry Ishmael:
I have always felt the mosque was a place of sanctity as well as a place for prayer.
I hope I am wrong, but I see some lowering of standards and disrespect here.

Time and Place: Nowadays, people (we) tend to disregard the notion that there is a time and place for everything. Indeed, the masjids and all other places of worship are places of sanctity and prayer, but, somewhere down the line the congregation and the leaders alike, chose to ignore the onset of inappropriate dressing. Different occassions call for a different type of attire, however, many of us don't seem to know this. I believe that the leaders need to dedicate time in their sermons to address this issue. Perhaps, a meeting needs to be called to share, listen, and discuss this issue that would eventually become a serious problem. Now, this may sound laughable...a meeting? Think about it - if the masjid is running low on funds to pay the utility bills, or the leaders want to discuss an upcoming conference, won't a meeting be be called?

One may ask why can't this be discussed at home? The answer might be that standards are slipping at home too. Parents are not taking the time or trying to avoid squabbles or simply being grateful that their children are going to the masjid/church/mandir.It could also be that the parents themselves have fallen into the trap of wanting to be a part of the "trendy" clothing fashion. There is a certain standard for the workplace, restaurant, someone else's home... and definitely a standard of the highest level for the place of worhip. If we begin to not uphold that standard, what do you think might happen?

I've often asked these questions (mostly to myself): Would that person dress in those clothes to go to a job interview? To meet his or her in-laws for the first time? When meeting someone important? To a wedding? To a funeral?

I truly believe that leaders need to focus on the children and the young people, after all, they grow up to be adults and we have a responsibility to them.

quote:

Originally posted by coco:
I've often asked these questions (mostly to myself): Would that person dress in those clothes to go to a job interview?

If anything, then people should go dressed to prayer as if they going to interview as such types are looking for a post in heaven.

Does God look at your clothing?

quote:

Originally posted by Luke:
Does God look at your clothing?

Do you go to your boss dress like a bum?

You really did not go there to pray but to check out the fashion what everyone else wearing, why did you not tell the guys that them crack showing
and ask who you went there to pray to if it really
matters how they dress.

Yu like to see a crack close to yuh face? (:-))
I gun send yu the address...

That is why you should have told the crack butt person to cover up ir move to a crack free area for your prayer. Buy send me the address anyway and i will tell them.

TI " render thy soul & not thy clothing"...

Show of the "crack" is not appropriate...

Say no to crack at all times.

Back to Terry's first post. Agreed on one part. But the Q says "Libaas al taqwa..dhalika khayr" the garment of god consciousness, that is better.
We know that in the prophet's day, some people wore izars...that were torn..that is like a torn loongi.
It is true that that Quran says "take your adornment to the mosque"...but that presupposes time and placd consideration in a soceity where Islam is the norm. Here we work in a variety of places, and fashions change. I remember when I used to wear painted tshirts and army boots...i don't LIKE what these guys do with their cracks showing etc, but I will not go as far as to say anthing to them or make an issue. THey are there because they are trying....and I would rather them be judged by God rather than on the DOJ when they are asked" why did you not come to the mosque" and they will say "because DS argued with me about my crack showing."
That being said, I was in Herndon (adams) yuesterday for Juma...and I must say I was impressed...in spite of more than 1000 cars being there, there was so much discipline! Shoes neat...they dressed in their best...damn...I was happy.
ah think superm was trying to hide from me though.

There is absolutely NOTHING in Islamic law that asks for head covering. There is also nothign that asks for kurta (this is indopak anyway, and Muhammad was an arab, so it is to be assumed he wore arab clothes, except in the hadith that states wehre he once wore a roman gown).
We ought to dress in the raiment of the society at large....but again, the history of the companions show their dress was quite revealing. We also know of one guy who supposedly peed right in the mosque, and the prophet forbade the people to argue with him.
I am not against TI's mores, but we have to realise that different people see God in different ways.
WHen I was about 16, I felt that to pray before God naked was the best I could do to show how humble I was. Now I "know" differently, but still think that my expression of spirituality was so Jainic that I am happy about it....
U'd be amazed at the spirituality in some of these underdressed jokers if you spoke to them...

Kudos to DS for the clarity in his input. He did not waste his time going to school in August. My sisters and their families go to Adams also. I have been there on the few occasions that I have visited my relatives in Northern Virginia. It is really nice and organized. I am not so sure now that SupaMike is able to carry his crazy self there though. :))

Ah just funning with SM...I did promise to contact him, but was too busy in VA.
Adams has full time employees...they seem to be the epitome of what a NA mosque should be like. And on top of that, they allow anyone to speak regardless of viewpoint...yesterday the khutba was about literal sticking to hadith....we disagreed with the scholar in private, but he was allowed to give the khutba. WHile in another session, another scholar who questions hadith will present...

quote:

Originally posted by dara shikoh:
Ah just funning with SM...I did promise to contact him, but was too busy in VA.
Adams has full time employees...they seem to be the epitome of what a NA mosque should be like. And on top of that, they allow anyone to speak regardless of viewpoint...yesterday the khutba was about literal sticking to hadith....we disagreed with the scholar in private, but he was allowed to give the khutba. WHile in another session, another scholar who questions hadith will present...

Sallam Bhai..why didn't you touch base with me Bro???? Yu mek me vex wid you now

quote:

Originally posted by ksazma:
Kudos to DS for the clarity in his input. He did not waste his time going to school in August. My sisters and their families go to Adams also. I have been there on the few occasions that I have visited my relatives in Northern Virginia. It is really nice and organized. I am not so sure now that SupaMike is able to carry his crazy self there though. :))

Sallam Bro. yu funny... when i walk in my Masjid every man jack doze show max respect... i shake them up one time in a general meeting..My son did a presentation on youths of today and yoo every one was stunned...he too called them out on the nonsense they carry on with.

[Sallam Bhai..why didn't you touch base with me Bro???? Yu mek me vex wid you now[/QUOTE]
I will be working with those people a lot. So we can connect in future. But I do know that you live far away, plus i was working from 9-6 everyday...and at night, was researching...doan worry...I will bug you soon...
dem boys at IIIT got their own bank and everything...and despite the economic crunch, their stocks and mutuals are excelling....u eva visit them boys subdivision of housing in Herndon? Is a paradise...

quote:

Originally posted by dara shikoh:
[Sallam Bhai..why didn't you touch base with me Bro???? Yu mek me vex wid you now

I will be working with those people a lot. So we can connect in future. But I do know that you live far away, plus i was working from 9-6 everyday...and at night, was researching...doan worry...I will bug you soon...
dem boys at IIIT got their own bank and everything...and despite the economic crunch, their stocks and mutuals are excelling....u eva visit them boys subdivision of housing in Herndon? Is a paradise...[/QUOTE]

no i don't go around that end very much, but next time you here let me know so i can come down and hang out and see the place etc.

quote:

Originally posted by dara shikoh:
Now I "know" differently, but still think that my expression of spirituality was so Jainic that I am happy about it....

Is what you know now that make you put on clothe to pray?

quote:

Originally posted by SuperMike:

quote:

Originally posted by dara shikoh:
[Sallam Bhai..why didn't you touch base with me Bro???? Yu mek me vex wid you now

I will be working with those people a lot. So we can connect in future. But I do know that you live far away, plus i was working from 9-6 everyday...and at night, was researching...doan worry...I will bug you soon...
dem boys at IIIT got their own bank and everything...and despite the economic crunch, their stocks and mutuals are excelling....u eva visit them boys subdivision of housing in Herndon? Is a paradise...

no i don't go around that end very much, but next time you here let me know so i can come down and hang out and see the place etc.[/QUOTE]
will do. bring shrimp curry though.

quote:

QUOTE] Is what you know now that make you put on clothe to pray?

Note I put "know" in inverted commas. I don't "know" that any one is better than the other in private prayer. The Jains work on austerity: for many other faith interpretations, and this differs WITHIN the faiths as well--one might say that to DENY the bounty God has given us is problematic and that when one goes to pray, one might do so with a dress that indicates such thanks....I work with both, depending on my mood. But don't forget rant that I live in CA, and naked maan can get in big trouble