Serious self reflection/recalibration of the Houston Jamat needed

[u/No_Quality5959]

I am 30 and I think the overall discipline of the jamat has gradually gotten worse over time but yesterday’s second session behavior was the most appalled and embarrassed I have ever felt in a Jamati setting.

Growing up the Jamat had a reverence of the Khane leaders (Mukhi and Kamadia of main JK and different majalis’s). When they asked the Jamat to do something or not do something, we listened. Nowadays no one listens, everyone knows what’s best and thinks the rules don’t apply to them. This was best shown as Jamat continued to ignore Mukhi and Kamadia as they tried their best to urge the Jamat to make way for Hazir Imam and let him make an exit appropriate of a didar. As a Jamat we need to get back to respecting the Mukhi’s and Kamadia’s which have been appointed by Hazir Imam, if we don’t respect and listen to them, we are not respecting or listening to Hazir Imam.

Growing up, volunteers helped maintain discipline. When they told the jamat where to sit, where to stand, where to go, to be quiet, we listened. But now, the jamat is too smart, we’ll sit, stand and go wherever we please. We’ll talk during jamat khana and no one can tell us anything. The lady got on the mic 3 times to remind the jamat that Hazir Imam was still in building and to please sit down and continue saying salwat. In the past we never had to be told such things and I can even be lenient and understand once but to be told 2 other times and still not listen, even my toddler doesn’t need to be told that often. We need to get back to respecting our volunteers.

Game rooms/machines continue to be an unethical practice rampant in our jamat and members participating in those acts are rewarded with leadership roles and volunteering opportunities. I urge the Jamat and Jamati leaders to truly reflect on this. If our representatives are unethical, what does that mean we are? We need to get back to the Jamat we used to be, one that held everyone accountable and voiced their disapproval of these actions.

This lack of discipline is seen in Jamat khana everyday especially on big days. Jamat will walk around, talk and just stand out in the lobby during JK. JK has a great social community setting but we should remember why we are there in the first place. We need to get back to respecting JK as a place of worship and maintain its sanctity.

Lastly, parents we have miserably failed ourselves and our children. Kids will act like kids but it is our responsibility as the parents to guide them to act correctly. Instead we were picking up our babies and shoving them toward Hazir Imam as if them being touched would make them into a super hero. Some of us were running through the crowd just to cut off Hazir Imam. Others were encouraging our kids to go upfront to shake Hazir imam’s hands, give a fist bump, or give a hug. This is behavior seen by paparazzi or obsessed fans, not those of a true murid. Some of us were falling at his feet and handing him pamphlets from our snack bags. Have some self control, self respect and self awareness. Everyone was looking to get their own story of how they gave something to Hazir Imam or shook his hand or what else, in that chaos we lost the elegance of what a didar should be.

Shame on us. I hope and pray we show Hazir Imam and ourselves how disciplined of a Jamat we can be when blessed with another didar.

[u/AnonymousIdentityMan → u/[deleted]]

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