
Although I had Previous-Reservations concerning personally attending the “Times Square Tarawīh”…the planned/organized Nite-Prayer commencing the 1st-Day of Ramadhān (the 9th-Month of the Islāmic-Calendar designated for as-Siyām/Fasting): I had largely kept my Opinion to myself…that is until I’d learned of so much Criticism against it. After getting Word that so many Muslims, not even from the US, are against it…this was extremely ridiculous to me. I’m especially referring to Muslims from the Arab-World (where I heard the Majority of This-Noise actually coming from via Social-Media) whom actually think/feel that anything/everything Islāmically-Motivated must/should be approved by Muslim-Arabs and/or Muslim-Arab Religio-Academics/Scholars in order for anything to be Islāmically-Valid. Nah, my Nigga…No Muslim Ethno-Cultural Demographic ever has, nor ever will have, any Sort of Religio-Monopoly over al-Islām for the Following-Reasons:
a. al-Islām predates 7th-Century, C.E. Arabia.
b. al-Islām predates the Revelation of The Qur’ān.
c. The 1st Muslim-Human was Ādam/Adam: the Patriarch-Of-Humanity (Peace be upon them).
d. The Jinn/Fire-Beings had al-Islām prior to the Creation-Of-Adam, proven by the Fact that ash-Shaytān/Satan is a Murtad (Apostate/Ex-Muslim).
(at-Tabarī, as-Suyūtī, ibn-Kathīr)
#FunFact Arab-World: The Qur’ān was revealed to you firstly, not for you exclusively…
…learn/know the Difference.
As well though, there were Several-Muslims via the United States whom also took Issue with Muslims organizing/planning at-Tarāwīh (Ramadhān Nite-Prayer) via Times Square. I personally have never spoken against it, simply because I literally saw nothing Mahrūm/Islāmically-Prohibited concerning having any Salāh/Mechanical-Prayer done external of a Masjid/Mosque. In fact, as per al-Fiqh/Religio-Legal Analysis, there’s Specific-Spaces where as-Salāh is Holistically-Mahrūm:
a. Bathrooms/Outhouses
b. Slaughterhouses
c. Highly-Traveled Roads/Streets (like literally on the Roads/in the Streets where Vehicular-Traffic flows)
d. Graveyards/Cemeteries (directly facing Graves, Graveyards, etc.)
e. Camel-Dens
(al-Bukhārī, Muslim, at-Tirmidhī, an-Nasā’ī, ibn-Mājah, Ahmad)
Even someone whom I personally know: Badees Nouiouat stated that they got Social-Media Dragged, for criticizing the Times Square Tarāwīh. Them & I actually discussed their Cobcerns in detail:
BN: They cooking me on IG for roasting the Times Square taraweeh 💀
GB: Seriously tho…why would you rag-on the Times Square Tarāwīh?!!!
BN: I shared some valid criticisms. That area is the dirtiest part of the city, khushoo/focus is almost impossible with all the billboards, and there’s hella ignorant tourists crowding the area. I get the feeling it’s done for the social media posts because Times Square is iconic but real New Yorkers never go there. Washington square park or another city park would be better.
BN: For me…personally that’s just not my Thing. Yet, being as though I’ve personally done Da`wah-Activities via the Times Square District & made Salāh in That-Area before: I’m really not Islāmically-Entitled/Justified to speak against it. Also, think of this: prior to the Conquest-Of-Makkah, as per the Treaty of al-Hudaybiyyah…the Muslims had been prevented from Entrance into Makkah to make Hajj (Pilgrimage)/`Umrah (Mini-Hajj) for a 10-Year Period according to the Treaty (which ironically the Pagan-Arabs ended-up breaching anyway). Keep in Mind, that Makkah (prior to the Conquest-Of-Makkah) was Shirkcentric & Shirk-Dominated: the Pagan-Arabs literally housed their Pagan-Pantheon inside al-Ka`bah (the Cube)/the Harām (Sanctuary). But, in spite of all that the Muslims still would’ve made Hajj&`Umrah had they not been prevented & Allah would’ve still accepted their Hajj/`Umrah.
So, in spite of the Fact that I never attended the Times Square Tarāwīh: principally there’s 0 Islāmic-Justification which I had to stand against it, boycott it, etc. The Muslims whom I actually know that’re Muslim-Americans, whom took Issue with it, I spoke to them indepthly. Some of them argued that it wasn’t “Islāmically-Sanctioned”. Well…”Islāmically-Sanctioned by whom exactly?!!! Principally, if something is already established via at-Tanzīl, that it’s Mahlūl/Islāmically-Allowable, then as long as it’s done correctly no one has any Islāmic-Justification to have any Opinion about it and/or Opposition to it. And, without any Doubt, this “Times Square Tarāwīh” Event most definitely is Islāmically-Compliant. Now, I’ll explain how/why I decided not to go & participate.
I personally despise making as-Salāh publicly, unless it’s via Situations which I’ve 0-Control over: it’s a Mandatory-Salāh which I’m fearful of missing it’s Designated-Duration, or whether I’m at a Social/Public-Function/Event which requires as-Salāh (like Salāt-il-`Īd/Festival-Prayer for example), etc. I felt as though had I gone to the “Times Square Tarāwīh” Event that I’d be making a Spectacle of myself & participating in a Publicity-Stunt. It’s clear that the Organizers knew fully well that the “Times Square Tarāwīh” would get Significant-Publicity via Media. And, as I always tell People: Controversy is the Best-Publicity. Plus, at-Tarāwīh isn’t a Mandatory-Salāh anyway. So, I honestly would rather make it via Masājid/Mosques.
I’m particularly/especially pissed-off at Commentators from KSA/Saudi Arabia & UAE, albeit whom pontificate that Times Square is the Center of Corruption&Lewdness, when some of the Most-Corrupt/Lewd Places I’ve ever been in my Entire-Life have been via the Middle-East ironically. In fact, KSA is literally the Only-Place I’ve ever been to my Entire-Life where I was personally approached by Male&Female-Prostitutes…in al-Makkah…during al-Hajj/Pilgrimage. Yeah…that’s rite: Niggas b sellin they Whole-Asses rite outside of Masjid-il-Harām/the Sacred-Mosque. The Irony is that literally everything external of the Haram/Sanctuary of al-Makkah is just like Times Square was during the 1980’s, C.E.: it’s a Debaucherous Redlight-District. And People from these Gulf-State Countries (KSA, UAE, etc.) ironically invest in the United States via Places like Times Square & even come to NYC & other Major-Cities via the US to Party&Bullshit.
Moreover, both KSA & UAE have been colluding with Non-Muslim Countries/Governments against Fellow-Muslims, akong with various other Muslim-Arab States since World-War I & mightily contributed to the Disbanding/Destruction of al-Khilāfah/Islāmic-Governance via the Ottoman-Empire. So, really, honestly: Muslims from That-Portion of the Muslim-World just needs to mind their own Business, when it comes to the Religio-Affairs of Other-Portions of the Muslim-World.
Gareth Bryant
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