Asslamo Allaikum,
Detailed report has been lost so this will be from memory. We (5 of us) went to the Balkans during Ramadhan 1433 and travelled through various countries and here are some observations.
Asslamo Allaikum,
Detailed report has been lost so this will be from memory. We (5 of us) went to the Balkans during Ramadhan 1433 and travelled through various countries and here are some observations.
Preamble:
Point 2 is why we went into European (Ex-Ottoman) heartlands and you really need to observe it to believe it.
If I was into sarcasm I would say that the Ottomans deliberately wanted to SHOW OFF to the Christian Europe and this is precisely what the BBC documentary (on Ottomans) concludes...Everything Islamic is Grand and Gigantic!
...حقیر, فقیر, پر تقصیر , ہیچ مندان , بندہ نادان
This:
individual went himself.
P.S: Practising Tassawuff ... :p
There were five (5) of us and between us we covered the following languages, some with fluency and others with working knowledge.
This trip was meticulously planned as we knew the trouble in the Balkans. We also knew that there aren’t too many Muslims who go to these regions so information was hard to come by. We also knew at some point we will get arrested or thrown in Jail or whatever.
There are several flights to the area but the best option for us was to fly into Republic of Macedonia and fly out from Croatia.
Republic of Macedonia has the most established Islam out of the entire region so we flew into Skopje. Little trouble at the Airport which didn't have many people so we got out fairly quickly.
We were fasting and the fast was opened during the flight but observing sunset with chocolates as we couldn't take anything else on the trip. Cheap flights and not much luggage is allowed, we also knew Halal food will be a problem so filled our bags with chocolates and glucose tablets (standard backpacking gear for calories to keep you going without food for days).
The Americans and their missionary churches have been making massive monetary investment into these “Muslim” lands to try to change the complexion and architecture of the land and return it back to its Christian roots. The first thing you notice on the streets is the Millennium Cross, visibly from everywhere across the city.
We found our hostel, put our bags and went for a walk to the Old Bazaar section of the town thinking that its too late and we won't find any Mosques or Muslims.
Mustafa Pasha Mosque built in 1492 (like typical Ottoman era Mosque) stands tall and visible so it is easy to get to the Masjid. The second typical feature of the Ottoman style Mosques in Wudhu facilities; fresh water from the mountains comes with a lot of pressure and you can really sit there and do Wudhu for the rest of your life (its so enjoyable)!
You also have Isa Bey Mosque
and Ishaq Bey Mosque [1439]
We got to the Bazaar and since it was Ramadhan and after Taraweeh, the markets were full of people having tea and snacks. The five (5) of us were clearly visible so we sat down at various palces and started chit-chatting with drinking tea with the locals. We ordered rounds of tea and snacks and tucked in with the locals. Even with multiple languages communication was diificult but tea speaks no language so we drank loads of tea or Turkish coffee or whatever the stuff was :p
A brother explained that he slaughters chicken himself at the Resturant and he had Sunnah so we bought some Chicken Kebabs and ate to our fill (Alhumdolillah). It was getting late so we asked for the Masjid and he said all of them will be open and busy. This was really puzzling as to why the Mosques will be busy so late at night? Don't worry, you will know why...soon : - )
By the time we got to Ishaq Bey Mosque it was late and we were thinking about praying Isha. We went for Wudhu and all of a sudden youngsters came and segregated the women area and hunderds of youngs girls and boys started coming to the Masjid. Tahajjud Jamaat is very popular in Skopje and I have NEVER SEEN so many youngsters praying Tahajjud in my life!
The typical cultural (Hanafi-Turkish) Muslims do their Taraweeh at 100 miles an hour and leave! Youngsters come in and worship all night and all Masjids in Skopje are like that during Ramadhan. Young boys and girls reading Qur'aan and praying Tahajjud.
One of the brothers with us with Jamaican and these Macedonians had never seen a Black Muslim before. So he instantly became a hit...they kept inviting him to different corners of the Masjid to sit with him saying, “Jamaican man...You sit with us...” “Jamaican man...you eat with us...”
Second interest was us Asians because again they had never interacted with Asian Muslims.
The white brother was left alone and not paid any attention.
After Tahajjud we had long conversations with the leaders of the young boys who were basically Hizbut-Tahrir folks. Youngsters said our forefathers were Hanafees and they follow Turkish Ramadhan and Eid (Turks don’t sight the moon) and we want to follow the Sunnah so we discussed Wifaqul-Ulamah and pointed them to their website. This made them supremely happy that there are Muslims in UK who are working on reviving the Sunnah.
Peace TV does regular 2 hour program dubbed in local languages so everybody knew Dr Zakir Naik.
The conversation kept revolving around the fact that the Hanafi Madhab was the old Ottoman stuff and youngsters need to progress to Qur'aan and Sunnah and political Islam and be abreast of world affairs. There are a very clear Ikhwani and HT influence upon the youngsters.
When we leaving a poor perfume seller took us by the hand and said “Jamaican man! Take anything from my shop...anything...you are my brother”
The shopkeeper was very poor but he would have none of it so brother was forced to pick a perfume and he also asked me. For some reason I got known as some kind of hardcore Jihadi so they loved me as well.
We made sure that we paid a lot more then the gifts to the shopkeeper and left back to the Hotel. Almost the entire town walked us out of the Masjid. They insisted on us to stay until Suhoor but we politely declined and then asked us to come again the next day.
It was unbelievable to see this many youngsters so late in the night in the Masjid during a weekday in any western city! While walking we just pondered as to what we had just witnessed.
This cannot be undone and I am sure it will be greatly appreciated.
Please wait...