Azaan.. Gaana?

Posted: April 24, 2020

Who am I to correct someone who is just figuring out the world and almost every day is coming across something new and amusing?

Today was a crazy busy day. How technology has made sure everyone stays connected, is amazing. The only relief in the lockdown work from home scenario is, I can work all day wearing my shorts. For an online workshop today, I got dressed in a shirt and shorts. How peaceful and comfortable that is!

Right after the evening session of the workshop got over, as I was sitting on my terrace, I heard the sound of azaan. Hearing the azaan so clearly, my two year old asked me : mumma, gaana? (Song?)

Sounds We Hear

I told her no, its azaan. She again asked : azaan gaana? Then again I told her no azaan. After the third time, I simply didn’t correct her again. Who am I to tell her what to make of the sounds that she hears? I love the pitter patter of the rain and to me, its music. I love the leaves of the trees ruffling and I feel that’s music too. The waves in the sea make their own music. Who am I to correct someone who is just figuring out the world and almost every day is coming across something new and amusing?

My daughter is just 2 and its too soon to explain to her the difference between music and songs (gaana) and she has no concept of religion or prayer since we are non believers and don’t pray at all.

Different Religions

I am looking forward to the day I would slowly introduce the different religions of the world to her. I try and remember how my parents did that. My earliest encounter with religion was not prayer or me being told there is a God. It was more on the lines of how a lot of people have different faiths and how the world functions.

I was never told what my religion is and I never saw my parents praying. For me, religion was more to do with the concepts, historical aspects and not superstitions and it definitely wasn’t something that I couldn’t question. The concept of God or Allah or Bhagwan was left on me to be understood. Whenever I asked my parents about God and its existence, they never gave me any answers as the final truth. They left that to me to figure out. By the time I was in 12th standard, i had read Quran, Bible and Geeta. I had zillions of questions and thats how my love for world history began.

Search For Answers

The quest to find answers led me to the two most interesting parts of my life: World History and the Mysteries of the Universe.

The world history made me sensitive, helped me in understanding my present and the mysteries of the universe taught me to look at the bigger picture and see beyond religions and Gods and basically, made me an atheist.

That was my journey. I am curious to see how the journey unfolds for my daughter. All I intend to do is, give her examples of logical thinking and logically seeing life and help her in becoming a rational human being. Rest, it’s her journey. For now, yeah, azaan.. gaana.