During the holy month of Ramadan, all mosques are full of people. We also observe that a large number of children are also part of Ramadan gathering during prayer times this month. Children are maximum in numbers, particularly during Taraweeh prayers in all the mosques. There is no doubt that we should bring our children to mosques to impress upon them that prayer is the first pillar of Islam and we have to offer prayer five times a day.
This practice should not be limited to only the Ramadan month, but should be continued at all times of the year. In the above scenario, this practice is appreciated but my observation in the past several years is that a number of children come to the mosque during Taraweeh prayer and just rush to the area where bottled water is kept during Ramadan.
These children attack the water bottles and each one tries to take more than one bottle. They repeat this several times over during the short breaks. Some children come for Taraweeh just to get water and their first priority is to plan how to get more water. I have no objection to their taking water because its there to drink, but parents should also teach their children to be patient and take one bottle. In the female section, some women bring their small babies to mosques and they start weeping once we start the prayer which leads to loss of concentration while listening to recitations from the Holy Qur’an. When there are so many babies and many of them start crying together, it creates a situation where it becomes difficult to offer prayers in the true spirit. — Muhammad Mushtaq, Riyadh
A month of prayers and supplications
