By God its Friday!

I am forced to listen to a sermon on the Internet from one of the cubicles belonging to one who is not even there himself, it is just left on as loud so everyone in the room has to listen to the ulama talking n0on stop over matter covering from heaven to earth. Locally the ulama' is quite well known fro his sense of humour and unique style, but anything even gospel truth can be overwhelming after you are forced upon it for too long. But... such is with Malays, the respect for an individual's privacy, and space.I should not complain even if it is an effort for me to have a clear head free from the subject of how and why one should pray. it is Friday and I have spent almost two hours sitting in the mosque praying meditating and listening to the Imam, now i am still subjected to the same topic. My cousin brother and I would be among the first to arrive every Friday at our local mosque and we would occupy the first line in the congregation. I like doing this simply because i love the peace and quiet before the crowd fills up. I also like the idea that I am facing God right up front when I pray, i also like to be abel to not notice anything or anyone else as i sat there doing my thing whether it be Zikhr -ul -Allah or simply talking to my Lord in silence; no eye contacts, no interpersonal communication in any form as i sat like in Zazen facing the wall in front of me.
After doing the two 'Rakats' sunat prayer i would sit in Zazen meditation emptying my mind from any form of thoughts whatsoever through simply listening, and slowly into watching my breath while doing the Zikhr or Allah - Hu...in and out. Then comes the time ti listen to the Bilal call out on the loud speakers the azan. Unfortunately at this mosque the Bilal is more of a wailer, like he enjoys listening to his own wailing, crying his heart out in pure pain and anguish, instead of sounding positive and strong in calling out in the name of the Lord. If i had the authority i would have him sent to be reviewed in his style or someone aught to tell him to chill and share a little of joy when he screams into the early morning hours or the afternoons. my bad perhaps i am a little sensitive over what goes on around me and despite my practices i could not block out these kinds of vexations. The beautiful thing about a Congregational Friday prayer is the fact that no one talks and there is often complete silence among all those who were present till it is all over; this is often an awesome experience deep within. Ask any good Muslim and he most probably would tell you  that the most irritating thing, the most distracting thing, that can happen to you while you are sitting and getting ready to meet your maker is the guy who comes along side of you and throws his personal belonging on to the prayer mat in front of him! Hand phone, (so we know what brand it is), watches, why more than one, note pads, reporter?, and everytning else that a man can afford to carry in his pockets  is there in a small pile in front of you, mind, analyse that!
I have great respect for my fellow Muslims who pray five times a day, as a matter of fact, I envy them greatly for I could not. I tried in the past but it has always been sporadic in my attempts and i was never one hundred percent into what i was doing making me feel like I was being a hypocrite. No experience is more obvious in terms of watching one's mind that when one stands before GOD and perform the solat. If one is  fully informed on the rites and rules of the performance of the solat it would be an impossible task for one like me, but the Lord is Most Forgiving and this is what I bank on in my religious life; that His mercy surpasses His wrath. I qualify this as my religious life because i am not overly religious where religions are concern; I am Spiritual.
I try to always be the first to answer the Fatiaha verse just as soon as the Imam finishes it...AAAminnn!! I listen with my breath as he reads and I follow the sound till it is gone and I answer with the same tone and the rest of the congregation would follow my lead. Is it an ego thing? Maybe. But it is something I have come to make it as a practice and I try to do this at every  mosque I pray in, the last mosque was in Kota Bharu, Kelantan. For one simple reason i find it more fluid if the answer comes as a connected line, a chorus rather than suffer the embarrassment in waiting five minutes before the answer comes because no one wants to lead.; there is seldom the spontaneity in the whole prayer.
"It is said even the angels in heaven raises their voice in answering to the call of the Azan and the reading of the  Al-Fatihah."
I asked one of my grand nieces (5-6 yrs old) who was all dressed up to go to her religious class,
" Na' Pi mana?Where are you going?"
" Class Ugama!" - To religious class.
" Agama apa? Hindu ke Cina ke?" (What religion? Hindu or Chinese?)
"Ugama Melayu la!" she said with a cheeky smile. (Malay religion.la).

 An experience that I had while in the mosque for the Friday prayer that I cannot forget happened in Kuala Terengganu, at Kam Telaga Batin, a Millitary base in the East Coast. My house was close by at the time, next to the present airport and my wife and children became adopted  by the Ustaz and his family, who was the Imam at the mosque.
So one Friday as always I was sitting in the second row and as the place filled up I noticed a very well dressed gentleman sitting up in the front row, did not think much of it, back into my own inner sanctuary for peace and silence. Then the Imam was giving the sermon and I notice this gentle sat with his legs practically out stretched and knees rocking up and down gently, and i thought to myself, how arrogant a man can be even before his God and the Imam he sits like he owns the world, dropped it.
Later I learned that the gentleman was then Defence Minister Najib Tun Razak. Masha'Aallah!! If it makes any difference now I apologise for my criticism of him at the time; I am sorry that I did not salam his hands before I left the mosque.! Had I known it was the Minister of Defence that was sitting there how would I have reacted? Another ego tripping question.