When I Told Them The Mosque Wasn’t Facing Mecca

The three friends met as they headed to the local mosque, it is their daily meeting point at dawn. The encounter may happen without even greetings, the same way winds cross. Their old friendship reduces the need for idle chit chat, save for bitter sarcastic exchanges, they know that misery is the common denominator of their long-standing friendship.

Although Abu Rafeh is in his forties, he seems ten years older, the sun had formed deep wrinkles in his face, because of his work as a street vendor. Abu Jihad, who can no longer walk after being crippled in an accident in one of the local factories. As for Abu Jaber, he both talks a great deal and has a great deal of hair both on his head and body, he devotes a lot of attention to the neatness of his moustache. He never leaves home without making sure he has a moustache comb in his pocket, he will even sometimes be late for prayers due to something errant about his moustache which he will strive to correct.

On their way to the mosque, they take turns pushing Abu Jihad’s wheelchair which was made by the neighbourhood's blacksmith and when the path is straight or when his buddies are busy talking, he wheels it himself. Sometimes Abou Jaber and About Rafeh deliberately push the wheelchair into potholes as a joke, causing him back pain. Often their walk to the mosque ends with them cussing each other sarcastically, tired of the same old lives they lead.

Abu Rafeh spoke boldly: "Mawlana, the direction of the mosque is not correct, it must shift slightly to the left in order to face Mecca. The elderly Sheikh, the imam of the neighbourhood mosque looked astonished. He spluttered: "How can it be wrong?

Inside the mosque, in an uncalulated way, Abu Rafeh took out the compass and placed it in front of him, he then noticed that the direction of the mosque was not in the direction of Mecca.

The three leave the mosque and disperse to go earn a living. They all head to work or what we can call work. Abu Rafeh pulls out his cart which is parked by the mosque after he piles homemade sweets on it which he usually brings out of a cloth bag that he places in Abu Jihad’s wheelchair. Abu Jaber heads to his usual corner in the street in front of the mosque, he found a bit of clean pavement which he places his wares on. Old shoes and used clothes that he sells. Abu Jihad begins his work on the sidewalk opposite to Abu Jaber. He managed to buy a coffee machine with the compensation money he got after the accident at the laboratory.

At noon, when Abu Rafeh was wandering around with his cart he saw something shining two meters away, he walked towards it, picked it up and wiped it with his shirt - it was in the shape of a watch with one strange-looking hand, the way it shone seemed to indicate that it was made of silver, he didn’t think too much about it. He put it in his pocket and continued pushing the cart.

Just before sunset, he went to the corner of the street where Abu Jihad and Abu Jaber stood and sat with them and told them about the antique that he found and how this silver watch needed some repairs before selling it. He said this as he turned it in his hands and looked at it. Abu Jaber laughed at him and mocked his words, he extended his hand and took the watch and told him “How is it possible that you don’t know the difference between a compass and a watch? Have you lost your mind?” Abu Jihad concurred: “This is a compass, not a watch Abu Rafeh and it’s not broken, look it’s constantly pointing North”. Abu Rafeh realised his friends were right, it was a compass that determined directions- it was intact and not a broken watch. They laughed at Abu Rafeh’s naivety for some time, which was cut off by the passing of the mayor’s car in the neighbourhood, it stopped for a bit, then the window rolled down without any sound of movement except the voices of the friends and the motion of their hands waving to the mayor. The car then went its way.

At dawn, the three friends met again as usual on their way to the mosque, the naivety of Abu Rafeh and his inability to tell the difference between a watch and a compass was the conversation during their walk.

Inside the mosque, in an uncalulated way, Abu Rafeh took out the compass and placed it in front of him, he then noticed that the direction of the mosque was not in the direction of Mecca. Surprised he checked in different corners of the place, but the result did not differ so he rushed to Abu Jihad to tell him and whispered his discovery and then he went to Abu Jaber and whispered to him that the direction of the mosque needs to be adjusted, he discovered a mistake using the compass. Everyone saw that three friends were muttering together and moving their hands about quickly. The Imam then came in, Abu Rafeh took up the compass and told him about what he had discovered with his friends.

Abu Rafeh spoke boldly: "Mawlana, the direction of the mosque is not correct, it must shift slightly to the left in order to face Mecca.

The elderly Sheikh, the imam of the neighbourhood mosque looked astonished. He spluttered: "How can it be wrong? This mosque is decades old and all of the neighbourhood residents have never mentioned such a thing.

Abu Jaber pushed Abu Jihad's wheelchair towards the Imam in solidarity with Abu Rafeh, who said, "You mentioned, Mawlana, that the mosque was built long ago and perhaps in a primitive way, so it is not strange that there is a mistake in the direction it faces”.

The Sheikh was at a loss for words, soon rest of the worshippers realised what is going on and gathered around them to hear the conversation; Abu Rafeh continued: "Mawlana we aren’t making this up, look at the compass which flatters no-one, it just determines directions”.

Abu Jaber continued: "We have to adjust the direction of the mosque depending on the directions determined by the compass and I suggest that we do that secretly.”

The imam noted the expressions of suspicion and surprise that were on the faces of the worshippers and he didn’t know how to deal with the situation other than by denying it.

“Brothers, couldn’t it be that the compass is broken and our direction is correct?”

The three men exclaimed together: “No, Mawlana, we tested it with the sunset yesterday and it is functional."

This talk paved the way for others to share their opinion, but things became complicated, some thought the three men were being ridiculous, others opposed them vehemently and accused them of doubting the founders of the neighbourhood, some agreed with them and others did not know what a compass was and why it had caused this problem, while others accused Abu Rafeh and his friends of being charlatans sowing seeds of doubt. Voices were raised, from deniers and supporters, the accused and the sceptical, things did not quiet down until the Imam went up on the pulpit and began to lead the prayer.

In the meantime, the municipality officer was patrolling the neighbourhood and seized Abu Rafeh’s cart from behind the mosque, Abu Jihad’s wares which were left behind in bags and tied to a column on the pavement and Abu Jaber’s coffee machine. She collected a large number of goods and carts that had lined the pavements and alleys of the municipality and made an announcement demanding that the owners of the goods head to the municipality to pay the fines and collect their items.