PRAISE THE LORD = ALLAH HU AKBAR

Today, I woke up to two distinctive sounds. One was a usual sound you would hear on Sunday mornings while the other sound was not something I was accustomed to witnessing at that particular hour of this day.

It was the sound of praises coming from a church and the sound of worship from a nearby mosque. They began to clash and I couldn't help but shake my head.

Everyone wants to be heard. Religion has now become competition. Muslims never used to worship on Sunday mornings. I remember someone telling me that when Islamists realized that a large percentage of their worshipers were deflecting to Christianity, that was when they decided to worship on Sunday mornings to keep their faithfuls in check.

So it is not an unusual sight these days to see both Muslims and Christians rushing out on Sunday mornings to their various places of worship. However, I have always admired something about the Muslims. Their dedication to worship, it is unrivaled.

Those days when I would be coming back from the clubs on Saturday mornings dressed in handkerchiefs, I would meet many Muslims on the way to mosques by 5am. There would be no sign of sleep on their faces as they march on. Then there's the fasting period, they actually look forward to it unlike some of us Christians. These Muslims would fast from midnight to night and wake up at the wee hours of morning to cook before a particular time. If they dared to miss one day of fast, they would express infinite guilt and ensure that they make up for it. Some randy Muslim guys would even deprive themselves of the usual romp in the bed with ladies just to honour this fasting period. They would not even allow a woman touch them at this "delicate" time.

One of my friends back in school used to amaze me. The Muslim fasting period always came about when we were about to write exams. While all of us were rushing to the cafeteria to stuff our faces under the premise of needing food for the brain, she would stick staunchly to her fast. If I tried that, na F9 sure pass. I usually get fat during exams as reading too much (as an efiko) would sometimes give me headache so I had to eat more than normal and douse my head with water occasionally.

Something came up in my mind today when I heard both praises from the church and the call to worship from the mosque. So many evil things happen everyday, in Nigeria, there's always a death toll every time you read the news. I've stopped counting how many dead people are reported in the dailies because that's just sad. So it makes me wonder. People rush to mosque, people rush to church, churches and mosques are springing up everywhere you turn to, there's hardly a street without some place of worship in Lagos, if you go to a revival ground, there is a melee, if you go to the mosque, thousands of people are pushing their yansh up and bowing in worship. So who are the evil people?!!!

When we go to the church or the mosque, do we sit beside murderers, rapists, robbers and people of under- worldly acts? Surely, these evil people in the world have "something" they call religion. My belief has always been that going to the church or mosque does not make you righteous, what does is what lies in your heart.

I mean, there are serious human-demons in places of worship. Someone would always ask me every Sunday "Did you go to Church today?", I would answer affirmative even though I didn't step out of the house that day. The reason being that I would be seriously vilified if I had said I chose to stay home that Sunday. People believe good people are in the churches and mosques, are these people not the same neighbours who would curse you out in quarrels or park their cars in a selfish manner just to rile you up?

I live my life by trying not to step on toes, I read my bible everyday, I remind myself of the ten commandments and try to abide by them, I try to love my "troublesome" neighbours as myself, I do not covet people's properties. This and in many more ways is how I present myself to God. I believe my passport to heaven is between myself and God not validation by a congregation.

Sometimes, it is even when you go to the place of worship someone gets your hackles up and makes you commit the gravest sins. In the sanctity of your home, you can meditate in spirit without distraction from that guy is sitting at the next pew and won't stop staring at you or the usher who is wearing a sinfully expensive weave.

Muslim or christian, my belief is God is one. When his own calls him, he answers no matter the name tag put on the person's faith. May God help us all....Amen.

XOXO :) :)