Change in Life

                                                                            Change In Life
            Most people around the world want to visit United States or they want to live here.  There is never a doubt that The United States is advanced in many ways, but still I miss Pakistan.  I miss a lot of Pakistani things, and I can feel those things have changed.  When I was in Pakistan, I used to go to mosque for prayers, I am not saying that I’m religious but I believe in my religion.  When I came to America, I tried to continue my prayers, and I still pray but not like I used to back home.  When I was in Pakistan, a mosque was few steps away from my home, so I never had any problem walking there.  Especially on Friday, because Friday is the holy day in Islam.  I miss Friday prayers in Chicago, and I don’t get that feeling praying on Friday as I did in my new city.  Friday prayers are important, but I can’t even manage my time for daily prayers.  Prayer is the first thing I miss, and I can’t find that environment I have prayed in, I know I can’t.
          

In Pakistan, I was more religious than I am now.  I didn’t used to pray five times a day, but I used to

pray maybe three times a day.  In Islam, praying is the first priority for every Muslim.  The first

question will be about prayers on the day of judgement, so as a Muslim, I have to pray.  Prayers are

 necessary in every religion just not in Islam, everyone have to ask our God for something we need or

 for something we want to be good for us.  In the United States, I can’t manage my time for prayers,

 and I feel so ashamed of it.  Prayer is what Muslims should start their day with, Muslims are

 supposed pray five times a day.  Muslims start their day with prayer and end with prayer.  When I’m

not doing anything, I pray and ask my God for his forgiveness.  I have to work it out at any cost and I

 have to take my time out for prayers.  Prayer is the key to success this is what my parents taught me,

 and I believe in it.  Living busy life in the U.S. has changed everything for me.  Now I can’t even

 take out time for Friday prayer which is the most important prayer.  Prayers and my culture is what I

can’t never forget even If I want to, I have to remember who I am and who I will be till the end of my

 life.

          In addition, Friday prayers is the most important prayer of the week.  Friday is a blessed day in

Islam, and Muslims make this day blessing for themselves by gathering all together in Mosque

and pray at the same time.  Yes, all 5 times prayers are offered together but they are not as filled with

people as they are on Friday.  This is the reason Friday prayer is mentioned in Islam as most

 important prayer,and every Muslim have to pray it unless you have some valid reason to skip it. If

any Muslim skipped Friday prayers 3 times in a row then that person have to recite Kalma again(First

Kalma i what Muslim recite and this is what make us Muslim or someone is converting to Islam

 he/she has to recite Kalma).  This the importance of Friday prayers in Islam and this the reason I feel

 ashamed that  I have skipped it a lot of times and I always ask my God for his mercy. In Pakistan,

 after Friday prayers I used to go out with my friends for playing snooker and video games. However,

In the U.S.  I don’t even know what people do after prayers. Some people told me that money is the

only religion in U.S. if someone wants to survive here they have to work really hard, but I don’t skip

my Eid prayers, and I never will

 

          

          Eid is special day for every Muslim, Eid is where all Muslims gather in a very big group to

 pray and celebrate it with family and even strangers are our friends that day.  Eid prayers are the

 most important prayers, and no Muslim should skip them.  I miss celebrating Eid in Pakistan where I

 was with my friends every time and all day.  It is also one of the busiest days in Pakistan, and I used

 to go out with my friends for food and enjoying all day.  Schools and colleges and work are off that

 day and everyone prays and celebrates. Eid occurs twice a year and it really feels different that day,

 but I don’t even enjoy Eid in U.S. it feels like a normal day to me where I have to wake up early in

 morning to take normal shower, and go for prayers then come home and go to work.  I don’t even get

 off on my Eid day. It was different and here I even get stressed every time because I don’t have time

 for myself.  Back home all I had to do is going to college and college to home.  I do have friends

 here, but they are busy like I am.  When I’m busy, they are free, and when they are busy, I am free.

  So American life has changed everything, and prayers are the important thing. 

         There are a lot of chances life gives us in every step of life, it’s up to us how we use it.  I have

 to manage my time for prayers if I want to live my whole life here, being busy is not an excuse

where I can ask my God for his forgiveness.  I do believe that prayers can change everything and can

 give me anything I want If I deserve it.  Prayers are the key to success this is what my parents taught

 me, and this is what I believe in.  As I am here now, I haven’t seen my cultural things for a long time

 and sometimes I can’t even remember that what I have to do in this event.  This is why I have

decided and told my parents that at least once in a year, we have to go to Pakistan, so we won’t

forget who we are.