Recently, pictures of a handful of individuals praying on the KTM early in the morning have gone viral. These individuals were praying in the middle of the coach equipped with their prayer mats. The tweet accompanying the pictures stated that no matter how vital our worldly tasks are, we should never neglect our spiritual responsibilities.
Suasana Ummat Melayu-Islam yang keluar awal bekerja dan melakukan solat subuh terlebih dahulu.
Sekalipun pentingnya tugasan kau di dunya,jangan sesekali kau tinggalkan amalan peninggalan buat akhirat.
Ini-lah Negara Islam!#MalaysiaNegaraIslam pic.twitter.com/tvOrSTJCvH
— Mas Joko_ (@Jokoisme19) February 1, 2019
However, the pictures have sparked a mixed reaction from netizens.
Some showed their support towards the matter:
“This is my opinion. There must be a reason behind this. Everything has a reason. Negative comments will cause people to be ashamed to do good. This is something good; there’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
“Try using the northern commuter early in the morning. You will understand their situation. The frequency of the train is once every hour, and for long journeys, the nearest station will be within eight minutes.”
“When I was in Japan, I prayed in the train like this without disturbing anyone. But in Malaysia, why are we so bothered by this? They were not disturbing anyone. Can’t you tolerate this for five minutes?
Then there are those who voiced out their concerns regarding the viral pictures:
“I don’t want to be rude but our religion has taught us to respect the public and most importantly, how to pray while sitting down. There is no need to use the prayer mat at all in this situation.”
“There is a health and safety risk. Passengers should always be seated of a least hold on to support when the train is in motion.”
“When praying, let’s not cause pose unnecessary danger and discomfort towards others. If we manage our time well, there are so many places that are suitable for us to pray.”
At the end of the day, as stated by one of the tweets, praying while sitting down is allowed based on the situation that you are currently in, but we do not know what’s the reality behind those pictures. Hence we cannot assume anything, but what we can do is to keep this incident as a reminder to be more mindful of others.
Also read: Heartwarming Video Shows Muslim Man Being Welcomed to Pray in Sikh Temple in Ipoh
