Flowers for the Women Wearing Veils - Volume I — Page 195
! ! 195 applicable to adults did not apply to me. H owever, I was on my way to the mosque to offer Friday prayers when I met a person on the way. In general, it is hard to remember a face at that age, but this incident had such an effect on me that I can still recall that person’s face. His name is Mohammad B ukhsh and he now lives in Qadian. I asked h im, “Are you already returning ? Has the prayer been offered?” He replied , “There are too many people and there was no more room at the mosque , so I have co me back. ” Upon h earing this, I turned back and offered prayers at home. On observing this, the Promised Messiah as asked me why I did not go to the mosque to offer prayers. Since childhood, b y the grace of Allah , I have always given the Promised Messiah as due respect for his station as a Prophet. I detected a tone of severity in his question and the flush of anger upon his face. His way of questioning me left a lasting effect. I replied that I did go, but there wasn’t enough room, so I had returned. The Promised Messiah as re mained quiet after hearing this, b ut after Friday prayers, when Maul vi Abdul Karim ra came over to inquire after his health , the first question the Promised Messiah as asked him was whether more people had been present that day at the mosque. At that moment I became extremely anxious, for I had not gone to the mosque. I did not know if t he man was mistaken, or I had misunderstood him regarding whether there had been enough space at the mosque. I worried that if either of us were mistaken, the blame would lie on me. Maul vi Abdul Karim ra confirmed, “Yes H u z oo r as , there were actually quite a lot of people at the mosque today. ” Even to this day I do not know the truth. Allah either provided the means for my exemption through Mau lvi Sahib ’ s affirmati on or truly a great number of people ca me to the mosque that day. Whatever the case , this incident left a deep impact upon my heart, and it reveals the depth of the Promised Messiah ’s as concern for congregational prayer. If an adult does not offer c ongregational prayer, then he is a hypocrite. However , those parents are the murderers and slayers of their own children who do not inculcate the habit of congregational prayer with in their children. If parents instill the habit of congregational prayer in their children , the time will never co me when it will be said of them that reformation is impossible , and a