Pray less and work more, says Al Qaradawi

[N.O.R.F]

Well-known Egyptian preacher, Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, has put forward a simple answer to Egypt's productivity problem -- pray less, work more.

 

"Praying is a good thing ... 10 minutes should be enough," Qaradawi said in a religious edict, or fatwa, published on his website.

 

The fatwa is aimed at removing prayer as a pretext for not producing.

 

According to an official study, Egypt's six million government employees spend an average of only 27 minutes per day actually working, reflecting a real problem with productivity.

 

 

Problem

 

Praying five times a day is one of the five pillars of Islam, along with making a pilgrimage to Mecca and giving alms to the poor.

 

Two of each day's five sessions -- the dhuhr (noon) prayer and asr (afternoon) prayer -- fall within working hours, bringing work to a standstill at least twice a day in many places.

 

A prayer generally takes an average of 10 minutes, but it can be extended if a worshipper chooses to recite one of the longer verses of the Quran.

 

And before the prayers themselves, there is also a mandatory ablution during which worshippers must wash their faces, hands and arms, feet and heads. In large office buildings, trips to the bathroom can also eat away at valuable work time.

 

In every large company, factory or public building, there is a formal prayer space. Individual prayer rugs, slumped over the backs of chairs or folded neatly on a desk, are often at hand in public offices, ready to be used once the call to prayer booms out over the public address system.

 

 

Solution

 

Qaradawi offered a few ideas to help shorten the prayer time: Muslims can do the mandatory pre-prayer wash at home before reaching the office, instead of in the office toilets during working hours.

 

"To save some time, they can also just put some water over their socks, instead of taking (socks) off to wash the feet," Qaradawi says in his fatwa.

 

While it may be too early to judge the effects of the popular sheikh's fatwa on productivity in the work place, Egyptian clerics, in a rare show of unity, have largely agreed with the Qatar-based cleric.

 

"He's right. I cannot say the contrary. One must not waste time at work and use prayer as the pretext," Sheikh Fawzi al-Zifzaf, of the center of Islamic studies at Al-Azhar, Sunni Islam's main seat of learning, told AFP.

 

As for Mohammed al-Shahhat al-Gendi, secretary general of the Council of Supreme Islamic affairs, "10 minutes are absolutely suitable for one prayer." "Improving productivity is not at all contrary to Islam," he told AFP.

 

Religious beliefs in Egypt are overt, from the headscarf covering the majority of women's heads to the bruise on many a man's forehead showing how piously and how often he has touched his head to the ground in prostration.

 

http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2008/06/05/51009.html

 

[Jacaylbaro]

I agree with the Sheikh. 10 Minutes should be enough.

[N.O.R.F]

Ever been to an Arab governmental office? You will be lucky to get what you came for,,,,

[Fabregas]

EAT LESS, WORK MORE

[Fabregas]

Originally posted by J.a.c.a.y.l.b.a.r.o:

I agree with the Sheikh. 10 Minutes should be enough.

yes, 10 minutes shuld be nuff 2 usa ta internet.......not 3 hourz of ur work day......

[Ibtisam]

They need to sto eating so much, and sto sleeping in the afternoon. And no Politics talk in the office. Arab office is like a somali Maaqaaxi! Everyone is political expert and they just talk and talk and talk. I doubt they pray for so long.

[Jacaylbaro]

Originally posted by Brofessor_Geeljire:

quote:Originally posted by J.a.c.a.y.l.b.a.r.o:

I agree with the Sheikh. 10 Minutes should be enough.

yes, 10 minutes shuld be nuff 2 usa ta internet.......not 3 hourz of ur work day......

Maxaad isaga dhigaysaa mid 3 hours tukada ,,,

[Fabregas]

Adeer, webisite ban ka ahay Imam Weyn

 

adigu maxad isga dhigaysa mid shaqeya 3 hours?

 

 

the point am trying to make is prayer probably takes less time than the other things such as serving the internet, replying on facebook or speaking to your co workers! Or in the case of Carabta eating cunto and smoking shiisa

[Jacaylbaro]

aniguna the same website baan ka ahay Mu'adin .... sooniga markaad maqan tahayna tukiya ,,

[Som@li]

The Shiekh wants the Egptians to move active and productive.

 

I remember calling Etisalat one day ,thru our Corporate VIP number, to log a major incident, and the guy said, Can you call me in 30 minutes, I am going for a prayer.

[Jacaylbaro]

loooooooool@30 minutes ,,,, miyuu seexanayaa bal ,,

[Resistance]

he should have drink less shaax and less smoking.

[Jacaylbaro]

don't abuse the Shaah ,,,,,,,,,,,, one of the best things Allah created for the humans.

[STOIC]

More often I find myself getting a little irritated when the Imam in my local mosque takes 15 minutes straightening the Salah line something that could have been done in less than five minutes if the mosque authority allowed the line to be drawn on the carpet. When I inquired why there was no line on the carpet I was told that there was no line during the prophet’s time, but for God's sake so is the microphone the sheikh uses to lead the prayer. I understand about the importance of keeping the gaps closed between the Muslims brothers, but I think drawing a line on the carpet will not be classified as a bidhaa (sp?)it will only save time.

 

PS By the way I love the Salafi Imaam and the people that pray in this particular masjid and I understand they are men of God.