There is a multi faith prayer room in my hospital. It is a small-ish room with two rows of chairs, a small stage, a wardrobe and an open bookcase. The book case houses Qurans, Bibles, the Jewish Taurats and also information leaflets about Buddhism and Hinduism. On the stage, there is a picture of a person, maybe its an angel or maybe its Jesus, I am not really sure - but it has hints of Christian influence. Curtains can be pulled to cover the paintings, but most of the time, it remains open. Also on the stage is a table with a wooden cross stood on it.
On my first visit, I never took any notice of the wooden cross. I was just overwhelmed with absolute relief that there was an exclusive room for prayer, at least I didn't have to find an empty cubicle or store room 5 times a day at work. But when I invited a Muslim colleague to visit the room, he said something peculiar.
"Here it is!" I said as we walked through the door.
His eyes were darting quickly to different corners of the room. There were women and men praying, mats on the floor. He looked anxious.
"This is it? But what is that?" he said, pointing at the cross, "They are praying towards that."
"That is just a cross. We can pray here."
He shakes his head, backs himself closer to the door and said, "It is ok. I can pray in my room at the accommodation."
I stared at the door as it opened and closed as he walked out, and wondered whether I am missing a trick? Objects are just objects unless we give it significance. For instance, my favourite shirt is not just any shirt, it is one that I inherited from my grandmother - that is why it is special. Similarly, that cross on the table is significant to members of staff of the Christian faith, but it shouldn't mean anything to us particularly, so why the odd reaction to it?
On another occasion, there were three brothers waiting to pray Maghrib. I walked in and noticed that a woman was seating on a chair in the back row reading a Bible. She walked out momentarily, and I overheard the conversation the brothers were having.
"Shall we put the cross down? Or at least cover it?"
"No, brother. You see, that woman is a colleague of mine and she is a Christian. She would be very upset if you did that."
"But..."
"Imagine if they put the Quran on the floor or even the most bottom shelf because they felt uncomfortable, wouldn't that anger you? This is not a masjid, we need to share this room with others."
The woman returned none the wiser. But I for one was still very confused on why the cross was such an issue. When Muslims pray, we pray to Allah swt, and not to an object. So even if the object was right in front of us, why would or should it matter? If it did matter, should the lower case letter "T" also bring about an awkward reaction every time it is typed, written or read? I might not be able to show enough empathy to those who do have a real problem with religious symbols of other faiths, but I do believe that we have to respect the things that others believe are significant. It may be to me just another cross, hat, book or shirt, but if they are special to someone else, who am I to disrespect those objects of worship just because it doesn't align with my own belief system. Its just not right.
Maybe the solution is not to correct the surrounding environment, but to introspectively ask oneself why this particular item caused so much anxiety. Is it that the item is the source of my grief or is it just plainly, myself? Is it me who is truly lacking in something? Maybe its the lack of peace and confidence? Or maybe its conviction? Allahualam. I still haven't worked it out fully, still generating more questions than answers. But I take solace in knowing that these are worthwhile points to ponder on. Let me get back to you when my thoughts are fully formed.
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