(This is a dialogue between a mother and her 15 year-old son)
Mother: “Why don’t you offer prayer, my son?”
Son: (For a few seconds he kept silent, then he stammered) “Mama …I don’t …feel like …offering prayer?”
Mother: (with slightly high tone) “Sorry??”
Son: (Closing his eyes as if it is difficult for him to say what he is going to say) “I don’t like to offer prayer?”
Mother: (She kept silent for few seconds, then asked softly) “Have you ever thought…why it is so?”
Son: (spoke whisperingly while having a look at his mother) “Yes”
Mother: (calmly asked) “So what do you think… why do you feel so?”
Son: “Mama, doesn’t it seem illogical to murmur the words which you don’t understand…even after reading the translation the meanings are not clear…plus while offering prayer different thoughts come to our minds…we are involved in just a physical exercise and actually we are mentally somewhere else…I think that’s why I cannot make up my mind to take out some time for performing the futile exercise?”
(Mother kept silent for some time)
Son: “Are you angry with me? Have you disliked what I said?”
Mother: (With a sweet smile on her face) “Not at all my son, rather I am happy to know that you are at least thinking about why you are not practicing the right thing…
(She stopped for awhile then spoke) “So you are saying that it seems illogical to murmur the words which you don’t understand…My son, when you were only 3 year-old and used to recite your counting and ABC lessons you were not able to understand what you were saying…but you did so…because you wanted to follow me, your teachers and all elders…You just wanted to make us happy…you believed us…and today you, yourself can realize that if you did not follow us then you would not be able to get the degree, position, earnings and respect you currently hold…you can imagine what would be the situation if you did not MURMUR the words which you did not understand then…
Secondly, you say that while offering prayer different thoughts come to our minds…we are involved in just a physical exercise and actually we are mentally somewhere else.
Imagine when you are traveling in a bus or car, don’t you experience the same feelings…unintentionally and unconsciously you confront multiple thoughts coming to your mind…but there also comes a time you just forget all the things when you finish the traveling and enjoy the final destination.
Similarly, today when you start offering prayer…you are not actually in a position to imagine the benefits which one can get afterwards…you are so immature to realize the ultimate blessings of the final destination until you make it your practice to offer prayer regularly. With the passage of time things are automatically made clear and understandable. All what you have to do is to make God happy, to believe Him…just like you believed your elders…made them happy when you were 3 year old”
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