I had a new and amusing experience today. I was passing the local mosque just as the men were coming out after midday prayers. For a long time, I’d wanted to pray in a mosque so I took my courage in both hands and asked whether I could go in. Several men, including the Sheikh who is in charge of the mosque, welcomed me warmly. I went in and knelt on the floor and began to pray. I felt very much at peace.
After a few minutes a man (named Ahmed) came and sat beside me and spoke to me.
“It’s not allowed to pray in here except in the proper moslem way,” he said. “You asked whether you could come into the mosque and the sheikh said that you could, but that was only to have a look around. You cannot pray in here in the way of any other religion. It is forbidden by Allah.” All this was said in a very friendly, but emphatic manner. The Sheikh came and sat with me as well. I said that I understood and I was very sorry. Ahmed said that I could ask the sheikh any questions that I liked about Islam and he would be able to help me.
“But I am praying to the same God,” I said. “Yes,” replied the man. “But the Koran is God’s final word. The other books that came before like the Torah and your Injil, are wrong. Allah has given us the correct way to pray and no other way is allowed in the mosque.” He then went on “I hope that in the future you will find out about our religion and become a moslem yourself. Then you will be happy in this life and afterwards you will go to Paradise.”
I thanked him and repeated that I was sorry. They offered to show me around the mosque, which is very simple with almost no ornamentation. At the back there is a balcony which is screend off with some lattice work. “That is for the women,” Ahmed explaioned, “so that they cannot be seen.” They showed me up to the balcony where there were some chairs. “The women can come here and learn about Islam,” he said. “They have a “Sheikha” to teach them,” and he laughed. I gathered that “Sheikha” is not a real word but is a sort of made-up, feminine version of Sheikh.
Then they unlocked a special room and showed me their collection of holy books.
Ahmed walked me home and we talked in a very friendly manner. His parting shot was, “You don’t want to go to the fire, do you?” I agreed that I did not!
I found the whole experience really heartwarming. They were lovely people, very warm and welcoming, but anxious to share the truth with me. It was a deeply human experience.