In Ramadan, people go to the Islamic Centers or Mosques not only to worship God but also to profit from the services provided in this blessed month. Sadly, many Muslims, in particular, women do not have a clear understanding of the true meaning behind worshiping in a Mosque. They fail to see the beauty and thrill of Islamic events as well as the importance of keeping silent during the prayers and sermons. They chat breathlessly, laugh loudly, and burp impolitely as that of a violent storm. Doubly worse, there are children shouting, crying, and running around as though the Mosque is a playground. In the meantime, there are steady whispers of “Hush!” “Be quiet!” from the true believers trying to listen to the Imam.

And who can ignore the cell phones with music ring tone going off during prayers despite the huge signs posted in every corner, ‘PLEASE TRUN CELL PHONES OFF!’

I have been experiencing the above occurrences during this Ramadan, which I must say I’m truly disappointed, somehow disgusted, by some Muslims’ misconducts. During a Friday Sermon, the Imam actually had to interrupt the khutba to ask for silence, adding that talking would invalidate the Friday prayer. Little did his sincere remark have an impact on peoples’ hearts to even lower their voices!

I used to attend all sorts of Islamic classes and prayers throughout the year but stopped because of Muslims’ misbehavior especially the chatty Women and their unruly kids. During one of the classes, a young non-Muslim woman, who had come from far away to learn about Islam, was listening to the Imam when a baby, whose father was praying, began crying as if a rocket was taking off! The harder the baby cried, the more the Imam raised his voice. In the meantime, the father continued his prayer for two or three minutes, careless of the class in session. I truly felt bad for the young woman who was so eager to learn about Islam. But what was I supposed to do except to condemn Muslims’ ignorance and lack of sincere respect for Islam?

Several years ago, I was invited to attend a church. To my astonishment, the calming effect of the service was indescribable. I left the church feeling rather refreshed. Leaving the Mosque, on the contrary, usually stirs within me an unwilling resentment toward some Muslims especially women. To this end, I’m ashamed to invite my non-Muslim friends to any Islamic event due to the disagreeable conducts of Muslims.

How can we achieve success if we continue the same disorderly trend day after day? Above all, how can we expect non-Muslims to respect Islam when we ourselves don’t follow its rules? After all, it takes more than just fasting and praying to honor Islam!