I went to a mosque for the first time today, courtesy of the Atlanta Preservation Center’s Sacred Spaces weekend. The mosque, Al-Farooq Masjid, is located near Georgia Tech and IKEA, and from its grounds you can see the skyscrapers of Midtown.
The day was not what I had expected (or, in some ways, hoped) in that I thought there might be more explanation about mosque’s architectural features and meaning. We did, however, get a 90-minute overview of Islam from one of the mosque’s leaders, and I found him to be an excellent spokesman and very effective speaker.
The Atlanta Preservation Center (quickly becoming my favorite thing about Atlanta) did its usual quality job in preparing participants for the event. Women were advised to wear long sleeves, to cover their heads with a scarf, and everyone was told that we would take our shoes off. We weren’t allowed to take photographs inside the masjid, but you can view some great shots on the mosque’s website.
Our tour group enjoyed the sunny morning in the courtyard as we awaited our host. Three fountains – one in a beautifully tiled wall, with small sinks at either side of the base – created a calm atmosphere.
Our shoes came off before we set foot inside the masjid, and we passed the imam’s office on our way to an area with cubby holes for our shoes. Nearby was the wudu, a bathroom-like tiled room, equipped with a walls of faucets, designed so that washing of the hands, face, arms and feet can be accomplished easily before prayer. (The women’s wudu is separate from the men’s.)
We entered the main room of prayer (like the sanctuary in a church), a large, carpeted space, with no furniture except for two small bookcases along two walls. There were a few chairs off to the side for those who are not physically able to sit on the ground. The eastern wall contained raised and indented areas for speakers, who stood under Arabic words for “Allah” and “the proclamation,” which affirms that there is only one God (Allah) and that Mohammed was his servant and messenger.
There was a also a small message board that, in a Christian church, might list the numbers of the readings or hymns for the service, but in this situation listed the times for the five prayers each day. Because they are based on sunrise and sunset, the times vary throughout the year.
Our group sat on the massive carpeted floor – with stripes to help congregants form rows for prayer – and took in the beauty of the open, airy space. Our host explained the seven tenets of Islam, and that the five pillars are practices that support the tenets. He also spoke at length about the common roots of Christianity, Judaism and Islam, which I found the most interesting.
Our host is involved in the Atlanta interfaith community, and pointed us toward the mosque’s website to view some videos of recent activities and dialogues. He directly addressed the public perception that mosques are hotbeds of anti-American sentiment, and said that this mosque is mainstream. With congregants from 39 countries, no politics are discussed by the imam.
This congregation’s main concern, he said, is building strong families and bringing up youngsters in the faith.
Most communities of faith share that goal. They probably don’t, however, have to build relationships with the FBI, as Al-Farooq’s leaders are doing. It can’t be easy – it’s hard enough to follow a religion when you’re in the majority and not held under suspicion.
I appreciated this open dialogue, the posture in which our host answered our group’s questions, even the one about the 72 virgins. (Too long and complicated to go into here.) But don’t look for me to convert. Our two traditions differ on some essential points, and despite our host’s explanations of the culture, I don’t care for how women are viewed or treated. By comparison, the Catholic Church looks like the National Organization for Women. (I did rock the head scarf, though …)
I gained a greater respect for the Muslim faith and its adherents. “We worship one God,” our host said. My fervent hope is that no one ever, especially in the name of our shared God, harms that lovely building or its inhabitants. And every time I pass it, I will be challenged about whether I can as eloquently explain and discuss the tenets of my faith as our host did today.
Georgia Confidential 