I'm Going To A Mosque For The First Time, Any Advice ?

I feel the more we understand other people's religions the better we understand the world around us. I believe that knowledge is power, even though I'm not looking to be converted.

I've found a Muslim man that attends Friday prayer, and have asked if I could attend.
He's said that it would be no problem if I attend the service with him, but I'm unsure if there is anything I need to do in order to respect their religion.
I really don't want to offend anyone, and yet I'm curious about their beliefs.

Any advice on how I approach this would be greatly appreciated, and I know we have more than a few Muslim members here on ATS.



Thanx
anx........

Wear an iron collar? I guess make sure to read up on all the rules they have there and make sure to follow them, like removing shoes before entering?

reply to post by Lecter



I'm not sure what the iron collar means, but I'll make sure to wear clean socks with no holes in them if removing your shoes is required.

the only thing i can think of is being polite and not talking about eating pork....
but mainly the politeness thing

IF YOU'RE A WOMAN: Wear a headscarf that covers the vast majority of your hair, a couple of front strands is ok. Do not wear clothes that show your arms, legs, or are tight. wear kinda loose clothing.

If you're a man: just look decent (no major requirement)

As I have stated before, do your research, but I will bet anything that when an "outsider" arrives they will think you are a government spy.

I would bring one of these:

I'm going with respect and politeness above all else. You're entering their house of worship, so treat it like it was yours.

And kudos to you for taking that step!!

As for the clothing (scarves, long sleeves, bomb suits, et cetera), that seems over-the-top, and might offend. (Sorry, but I wouldn't want to be seen as affiliating myself with the fundamentalists...)

In the end, it depends on the people in that particular mosque. The Muslims that I've met were very open-minded and very understanding. So long as you are respectful and polite, methinks you should be fine.

Thanks to some of you, I'll let you know how it goes after Friday.

I think I'll leave the bomb disposal suit at home and dress neat but casual with dress pants and a white shirt. I don't think there's any danger in attending my neighborhood Mosque here in Canada.
I really doubt I'll be pegged as some sort of spy or government agent there to spy on them.

I know several Muslims, and they are some of the kindest and hardest working people I know. With the current political situation in the world I think it's important to understand their beliefs.
I'm going to try to read the entire Koran over the next week or so to help better understand their belief system.

The motto here at ATS is to "Deny Ignorance", and in learning more about this faith can only help me in that mission. And who knows, I might just learn something that changes the one sided opinion that western media espouses.

Any other pointers will be greatly appreciated.

I am sure from your OP that you are going to get an understanding of their faith first hand, and that is commendable.

I agree politeness and respect are the only requirements,

You could also ask your friend to give you some advice on the way their worship goes.

I hope your visit is a pleasant one.

AD, I think it's awesome that you want to do this. Curiosity and respect on your part show your make up. I tip my hat to you.
The only advice I can give you is to perhaps ask your Muslim friend. If anyone can give you good advice, it would have to be him.
Stay cool AD, and enjoy the experience. Keep us posted as to how it went.

ah salam a laikum my friends, I just returned from the Mosque.

It was Friday Prayer at 1:30 and there had to be over a 1,000 men and boys there. The Mosque had three floors with large rooms for the men to pray, and every room was filled to capacity. Apparently the women have a separate section, but I didn't see that.

I was fortunate to be able to sit near the Imam for the service, so I got to see everything that went on.

My friend told me to make sure I bathed before the service, and when you enter the doors you remove your shoes and socks. I then went to a room to perform ablution. You basically sit on a marble seat in front of a trough that has a tap in front of each seat. First you wash your hands, face, and ears, then run a wet hand over your hair. Then you wash your fore arms, and lastly your feet and ankles.

Once your cleansed you can enter the rest of the building and you stow your shoes and socks on long rows of shelves. I tell ya, there were more shoes than a shoe store has, so I made sure to remember where I put them.

There were no pews like in a Christian Church, everyone lines up on carpeting and sits on the floor. Which was kinda handy because you have to bow and touch your head to the floor about half a dozen times.

The Imam was a pretty good speaker and the service was about the destructiveness of gossip and slander. He spoke of how you were given two ears and one mouth, and the reason for that was so you would listen twice as much a you speak. He stressed how spreading rumors can rip a community or family apart, and how important it is to consider your words before you speak.

It was actually very inspirational.

I think I was the only white person there, but I was welcomed with open arms. I must have shaken hands with over 200 people, and I made a point of thanking the Imam for the service. He was very nice, and he gave me an English translation of the Quran and a book on understanding Islam.
It looks like I've got some reading to do.

Most of the service was in English, but I got lost when he switched to Arabic.
I just watched what others did and tried to follow along. When they stood up, I stood up. When they bowed, I bowed. Etc......
I'm not sure why everyone touched their ears all at once, that one caught me off guard.

It was actually a great experience, and I'd recommend it to anyone who's curious about their faith.


One funny thing I noticed was the number of taxis in the parking lot. I guess a lot of Muslims drive cab because half the cabs in Hamilton seemed to be parked outside. Oh, and by the way, I took a cab to get there.


So that's the story of my little outing today, if anyone has any questions I'll try to answer them, but after I get back from Mecca.

I am glad you kept your head on But seriously I am glad you are exploring different things. What else have you learned or explored besides islam?

reply to post by Lecter



I consider myself to be agnostic, but I've probably been in more churches than most people.

I've studied Scientology for a few years, I've attended Mass more times than I could count and gone on Catholic retreats. I like the Anglican church a lot, it's less formal than the Catholics.

I had a great couple weeks at an Ashram near Vancouver, and even spent some time with the Hare Krishna's.

I met Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh when I was in Oregon, but that was before they started poisoning salad bars.

I think my favorite place to worship is with the Southern Black Baptists. Those folks really know how to rock the house down. It's worth going just to listen to the music.

I may not believe in God, but I sure love religion, and I'm never far from my Bible.


Edit: sp


[edit on 24/8/2007 by anxietydisorder]

AD - You just went up a notch in my book. Awesome!
I, like you, am fascinated by other religous beliefs. The most memorable in my limited history of other faith was a Baptist Church. I was in my early 20's. Trying to find myself (I was raised STRICT Catholic - but I had many questions) My best friend was/is a Baptist.

***NOTE*** No offense intended.

I was the only Caucasion there, and my best friend and his family sat right next to me - actually surrounded me - a couple on the left, a couple on the right. I was welcomed better than my own family welcomes me at Thanksgiving! The service was awesome! So much singing, and alot of other ancillery things I've never seen before. The service was almost 3 hours long. I've never felt more at ease, and at home. I made ALOT of friends that day.

I've been to several different types of services, including Temples, but never a Mosque. I'm jealous of you! You have a real 'humanity' about you AD.

AD I respect you doing what you've done. I tip my hat.

Nice post my friend.

Well thank-you lombozo, I truly enjoyed the experience.
I have a lot of questions, but I'll hold them until I've done some reading and gain a better understanding of the faith.

I know what you're saying about the Baptists, they put on a great service with so much energy and enthusiasm. When I lived in Los Angeles I would go to Watts County on Sunday just to go to all black Churches. I had some favorites, but sometimes I'd just pick one at random and go in.

And like you, I was usually the only white guy in the house, but I was welcomed like I was an old friend of everyone in the congregation. I would be pegged as a Canadian whenever I opened my mouth and I've had complete strangers invite me to their home for lunch after the service.

What a great bunch of people the Baptists are.

Great news!

I am happy to read that your first visit to the mosque went well and the experience a memorable one.

IMO - Faith, Religion, Spirituality, is for the most part about "harmony", and good will, with most of the teachings guiding you to be a positive influence, as you go down your path in life.

Some may try to pervert and twist this basic message of good will and turn it into a battle of faiths, but in my limited experience, the masses still recognize the right message.

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you"

A simple statement,

The one I follow each and every day.

Keep us informed on your new journey!!!

Jack

Originally posted by slackerwire
I would bring one of these:

That was hilarious man. Either that or just dont go!?

a couple questions, (and i'm not trying to be funny or mean, i know hard to believe)

1. i thought they didn't shake hands because they did not use toilet paper.

2. would you honestly report to us any anti american preaching if you heard it at the mosque?

3. youre a brave soul going there, i congratulate you.

reply to post by Sekhemet


Yeah, slackerwire is really funny.

But only a few Muslim extremists kill people, millions of them don't.
Most are peace loving people that don't bastardize the Quran for their own evil goals.
The same goes for Christianity, where you have a handful of the extreme, but millions of Christians go their entire lives without killing anyone.

All Catholics aren't diddling children.
The Jews don't all want your money.
All Irish aren't drunks.
All Americans aren't rude and demanding.
All the French aren't snobs.
Every black man won't mug you for your wallet.
Mexican woman don't spend their entire lives pregnant.
Etc, etc, etc............

Promoting a stereotype is just foolish.

I felt safe, secure, and welcome while I attended prayer service at the Mosque, and I noticed a prominent local politician was also attending. He didn't seem worried about his safety either.

I may even go back next Friday to get a better understanding of their faith, and I'd recommend to everyone to visit their local Churches, Mosques, and Synagogues.
You get to meet the people in your community and develop an understanding of each other.

(In my best Martha Stewart voice)
And that's a good thing.