Shoes and Shoe Racks!

It was sudden. There was no escape! In a masjid, I found shoes strewn on the steps. I picked up my shoes and had no option but to step over the shoes. I failed to notice a buckled one with the sharp prong facing upwards. I stepped on it. I almost screamed with pain. In Pakistan, it is common to carelessly leave shoes at the entrance creating inconvenience for people, which could escalate to anguish and, in my case, pure physical pain. I once saw an older person almost fall trying to walk over the shoes. Causing pain and anguish to people is a Ghunah-e-Kabira (a major sin in Islam). Imagine coming to the masjid to gain Allah (SWT)’s pleasure but starting with doing precisely the opposite.

Here are two Ahadith:
It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “The Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hand the people are safe, and the believer is the one from whom the people’s lives and wealth are safe.” (Sunan an-Nasa‘i 4995)
It was narrated from Abu Sirmah that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Whoever harms others, Allah (SWT) will harm him; and whoever causes hardship to others, Allah will cause hardship to him.” (Sunan Ibn Majah 2342)

Why do we exhibit this behavior across Pakistan? In my humble opinion, the reasons for this sorry state are flaws in our tarbiyah (nurturing and upbringing of our children and the nation) in our homes, schools, madaris, and masajid; otherwise, the people of Pakistan are wonderful! It is this contradiction that makes the situation so painful. In Pakistan, people are passionate about Islam. The love they carry for Allah (SWT) and the Prophet ﷺ is amazing, alhamdulillah.

I have traveled to over 30 countries, worked in six war zones, and trained people from 75 nationalities. I have found Pakistanis among the most empathetic and caring people globally. This observation is supported by empirical research, including a 2018 study by the Stanford Social Innovation Review which states: “When it comes to charitable giving, Pakistan is a generous country. It contributes more than one percent of its GDP to charity, which pushes it into the ranks of far wealthier countries like the United Kingdom (1.3 percent GDP to charity) and Canada (1.2 percent of GDP), and around twice what India gives relative to GDP. A study conducted by Pakistan Centre for Philanthropy shows that Pakistanis give around PKR 240 billion (more than $2 billion) annually to charity. The same report indicates that about 98 percent of people in the country give in one form or another—if not with cash, then with in-kind donations or by volunteering for needy causes.”

Despite facing a severe political crisis; economic devaluation; spiraling inflation; devastating floods last year with estimated damages and economic losses of $30.1 billion, Pakistanis refuse to back down, sending billions worth of aid to Turkish and Syrian earthquake victims and continuing to send humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. We have sadly failed to turn this fountainhead of empathy, kindness, and passion for Islam towards creating discipline and integrity in our lives, as reflected by scattered shoes in the mosques.

Collins Dictionary defines discipline as the ability to behave and work in a controlled manner. Wikipedia defines integrity as the practice of being honest and showing a consistent and uncompromising adherence to strong moral and ethical principles and values. To me, a person of integrity is a person who follows principles, rules, and policies. If a person or people’s integrity is damaged, they will break principles and regulations in all areas of life, whether at school, at home, under government rules, or in relation to Allah (SWT). Character traits such as discipline and integrity, and their associated behaviors, go hand in hand because character traits—enduring patterns of thought, feeling, and behavior—tend to manifest consistently through a person’s actions. Practicing associated behaviors can help strengthen the corresponding character trait over time. This is because the more we engage in certain behaviors, the more they become habits, and ultimately, these habits become ingrained in our personality and character.

For example, suppose someone wants to develop the character trait of kindness. In that case, he can engage in behaviors that reflect this trait, such as doing small acts of kindness for others, expressing gratitude and appreciation, and being compassionate and empathetic in his interactions. Over time, these behaviors can become habitual and strengthen the character trait of kindness.

Placing shoes on the racks in masajid is one powerful way of developing discipline and integrity in the people of Pakistan. Coming back to the shoes, we need to educate ourselves on three levels:

1. Teach ourselves and others that not placing the shoes correctly may hurt others. Connect the act to a person’s innate sense of empathy and kindness.
2. Teach ourselves and others that scattering shoes is a major sin in Islam and it is not wise to displease Allah (SWT), whom we love so much.
3. Teach ourselves and others that placing the shoes correctly will develop a person’s and society’s character traits of discipline and integrity (ناہو ستپر ؽصوا). which are crucially needed in all spheres of life in Pakistan. Since most people in our society are connected to the masajid in varying degrees, implementing them will have a national effect.

Here are some practical steps that we can take:

1. Let us pledge that we will not make this mistake and, Inshallah, make the extra effort to place our shoes on the racks when we visit a masjid.
2. If there are insufficient racks, then we shall either donate the money ourselves or raise funds from our friends to make good-quality shoe racks in the masjid. Make sure that they are durable to last longer and give us more rewards in Akhira. This would be a great source of Sadaqa-e-Jaria (continuous charity) for us.
3. If you are an imam, please have a Khutba discussing this matter. If not, share this post with the imam and have him give the Khutba. Have the imam periodically remind people to organize the shoes and congratulate them when results appear.
4. If you have a position of influence in an institution of learning, a business, or an organization, guide and condition people accordingly.
5. Share your experiences with me so I can learn and further share them with others. Many battles in history have been fought one step at a time: let the shoes and the shoe racks be one such step in our struggle to bring dignity and honor to the Ummah!