The Cap-Seller and the Monkeys

Following the Sunnah vs Following the Fashion By Haqqseeker

The Cap-Seller and the Monkeys.

Given below is a children’s story that has a vital lesson for all Muslims.

Once, in a small town there was a cap-seller. On one fine day, he came out to sell caps.

After he made a few sales of the caps, he became very tired. He decided to sit under a large tree to take some rest for a while. Soon, he went to a deep sleep.

There was a crowd of monkeys sitting on the tree. They saw the cap-seller sleeping under the tree with a cap on his head. The monkeys came down, and each one took a cap from the cap-seller’s bag and wore it.  Then they all climbed back to the tree.

When the cap seller woke up, he was shocked to see his basket empty. He searched for his caps but did not find any. After searching for a while he looked up and was shocked to see a group of monkeys wearing his caps. He tried his best to get his caps back but all his efforts were in vain.

However, he soon realised that the monkeys were imitating him. He hit upon a plan and threw his cap from his head to the ground. On seeing the cap-seller throwing his cap one monkey instantly threw the cap down. He was followed by another monkey and then another. This action went on till all the monkeys followed the crowd and they threw the caps down. The cap-seller quickly collected all the caps, put them back in his basket and went away happily.

The lesson that we learn from this story is that the monkeys have the nature of imitating others. In other words they have the habit of ‘following the crowd’.

Following the Fashion

Unfortunately in today’s times we, human beings (including many of Muslim Brothers and Sisters), have also established this custom in our lifestyle. We have initiated it in the form of ‘following the fashion’. Yes, we tend to follow the fashions going around us.

What is fashion?

Fashion is to do what most people do. It is a distinctive and often habitual trend in the style a person dresses up, or the way the women leave their hair exposed and also apply makeup, or the manner in which a person behaves with other people, or the way he walks or talks, etc. In short we can say that he follows the crowd!

Modern fashion has stood as a challenge to some Muslim youth because most of the Western fashion styles do not support Islamic teachings, practices and beliefs at all, especially in the way people dress up. We can term them as totally un-Islamic!

In spite of this fact many Muslim youth are still developing the tendency to follow these fashions. Some of the fashions adopted by Muslim youth are:

• Many boys and even men are now in the habit of putting on shorts that expose their knees, and at times, even their thighs. In our Sharia the thigh (and also knees according to some opinions) are parts of our ‘awrah (the intimate parts [satr] of the human body) and we are not allowed to expose them even to the males.
• Some have also developed the custom of shaving / trimming their beards which is against the Sunnah of Allah’s Messenger Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam.
• Then there are some Muslim women who have the practice of putting on sarees and blouses. A sari, which is a part of Hindu culture, often reveals the navel as it can be worn below it, and often the fabric covering it is transparent.
• A trend has also caught up with many Muslim men and women to attend nixed gatherings. This is prohibited in Islam. However, many of us ignore such commands just to be in connection with various un-Islamic cultures.
• Many Muslims do not follow the Sunnah of entering / leaving homes, going to bed, eating food, going to the washrooms, etc.

We are the Best of Creations

Allah Subhanahu Wata’ala has created us as the Best of Creations. In Qur’an Kareem He has stated: Undoubtedly, We created man in the best form.

Surah 95 Teen (the Fig) Verse 4

Not only Allah has created us as the best creation, He has chosen the Perfect Deen of Islam for us, Muslims. He has stated in the Holy Qur’an: “…Today I have perfected your Deen for you, completed My bounty upon you and chosen Islam as your Deen…”

Surah 5 Al-Ma’idah Verse 3

Besides these two gifts He has also bestowed upon us a third vital gift: He made us amongst the best of Ummah, In Holy Qur’an He has stated:

“You are the best nation raised up for mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and you believe in Allah. 

Surah 3 Al-Imran Verse 110

Islam is the perfect way of life that we have to follow. Following Islam means obeying Allah’s’ commands as given in the Holy Qur’an together with following the Sunnahs that our Most Beloved Nabi, Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam has shown us in his most splendid way of life and to enjoin others to do the same.

For Muslims, Allah’s Messenger Muhammad (SallAllahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam) is the perfect example in the light of which they could lead and live their lives. He was the walking Qur’an, therefore, any action which He undertook in His life would be the reflection of Qur’an, and hence those Muslims who wish to grow closer to Allah Ta’ala should try to follow the Sunnah of our beloved Nabi SallAllahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam with profound love and sincerity.

When we have been presented with such superior bounties, then why are we disgracing and degrading ourselves by following the habits / cultures / fashions the Kuffar are following or why should we follow the crowd?

It is so depressing to note that instead of the Muslim youth becoming the role models for the non-Muslim youth, the vice-versa is taking place.

Some even go to the extent of considering the Sunnah of our Beloved Nabi Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam as old-fashioned and outdated, nauzubillah.

Muslims Discarding the Caps (Topi,Kofiya,Headgear)

Let us take the example of how today’s Muslims have started discarding their caps (topis, kufis, kofiyas, prayer hats, headgears, etc.).

There was a time when Muslim men were very particular about putting on these caps when coming out from their homes. If they went to an Islamic gathering like a wedding, funerals etc. they made sure they did not go there bareheaded. If by any chance they went there without a cap, they would cover their heads with a handkerchief or a piece of cloth.

Gradually they started abandoning this practice. They started putting on the caps only when performing Salah. In those times in some of the Masajid in India and Pakistan, boxes of caps were kept in the corners near the entrances of the Masjid so that whenever a Musalli entered a Masjid without covering his head, he could temporarily use one of the caps.

And now what is the modern-day scenario?

Today THE FASHION has taken full control of the Musallis. They do not only enter the House of Allah without a cap, they even perform their Salahs bareheaded.

They do not realise that praying Salah bare-headed is against Sunnah! It is a fact that the Prophet Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam was never seen without a head-covering!

The Hindu, an English-language, Indian daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, wrote an article in the month of Ramadhan with regards to this issue. An extract of that article is given below:

“A cap to cover the head is mandatory for a Muslim during prayer

It is the holy month of Ramadhan and even irregular worshippers hasten to mosques for prayers. But we need to pray right. Prayer without donning a cap is said to violate the traditions of the Prophet Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam. “It is reprehensible not to cover the head in prayer as it is part of the excellence of adornment which Allah ordered,” wrote Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani in his Encyclopaedia of Islamic Doctrine.”

When praying Muslims are required to cover their heads as they are in the presence of their Lord. Covering the head is a sign of showing respect to our Creator. The form of head covering is not prescribed so can range from caps and hats to turbans.

We have been commanded to pray bareheaded only when we are in the state of Ihram.

In the current times when a Muslim brother wearing a cap at the time of Salah sees other brothers praying bareheaded then he says to himself “If so and so, and so and so, and also so and so; they all are praying bareheaded then why should I wear the cap?” and he stops putting on the head cover.

There is one question that needs to be asked all those Muslims who claim to be loving our Most Beloved Prophet Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam but who have adopted the fashion of going to the Masajid bareheaded:

Did the Prophet Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam always enter the Masjid, the House of Allah, bareheaded, nauzubillah?

Of course, the Beloveds of the Beloved, Rasulullah sallallahu ‘Alayhi wasallam and his Sahabas always entered the Masjid clad in a turban; an amama or a cap.

Looking at current situations we can predict that a time will come, Allah forbid, when the future generations would never know what a cap is.

If you love our Nabi Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam then you will forward this very important message to all those who have stopped putting on their headgears.

Quran 7:31]:  O children of ‘Adam, take on your adornment at every mosque. Therefore, scholars view that covering the head in prayer is recommended. 

…and Allah Ta’ala Knows Best.