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Originally posted by Pollina:
Dear all,

if I (female, christian) wanted to attend the Friday prayer in a mosque, what would I have to do?
For example, what to wear? The veil for sure, but for the rest of the clothes?
And then, just go in there and stand in the back or how can I go there without disturbing the praying people?

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Why would you want to attend this, what are you hoping to get out of the experience? Personally I find it impertinent.

quote:

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Originally posted by Pollina:
Dear all,

if I (female, christian) wanted to attend the Friday prayer in a mosque, what would I have to do?
For example, what to wear?

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Just curious ... why do you want to attend the Friday prayer?

Also this is not some sightseeing trip, here lets look at the natives at prayer. The only time you should even think about it if you were invited.

why should it be offensive?

i think by all means u shud go to the mosque.
but maybe not on firdays as it is very busy, and u may feel awakard.
so for ur own sake, u can go at more quiter.

if u want to go at fridays praer, as women pray in rows, and follow the leader, and if u r in the middle just standing, people near u may be distubed, so best thing for u is to stand on the side..

but stilll people will be rushing around, ann if dey c a women in the side not praying it guna make them think and distub them again in prayer...

but wateve u decide i hope u do learn alot, and stay open minded...[unlike narrow minded women like Ann]

thank u

I know a Muslim lady who visits churches sometimes and lights candles there. I know an atheist who visits churches to meditate. I've been offered to come along to attend the prayer by Muslim girlfriends. I can't see anything wrong with any of those things

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Originally posted by ExptinCAI:
people still pray at mosques that are visited by tourists - there's just a sectioned off area. people still pray at churches that are vistied by tourists - even when there's rude ones ignoring the no-photos-during services-please notices and talking too loudly over the sermon.

why should it be offensive?

prayer is televised from the holiest of sites all over the world and that's not offensive or seen as a "show", is it?

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quote:

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Originally posted by Pollina:
Dear all,

if I (female, christian) wanted to attend the Friday prayer in a mosque, what would I have to do?
For example, what to wear? The veil for sure, but for the rest of the clothes?
And then, just go in there and stand in the back or how can I go there without disturbing the praying people?

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Pollina,
don't worry about the defensive remarks to your innocent and thoughtful question.

Cover yourself well, and go. Definitely cover your head, all of your hair, your neck & shoulders. If you wear pants make sure they are loose and don't show your shape too much. Long sleeves, nothing tight.

Dress should be floor length, sleeves to your hands, loose. Don't worry about anything else. If you don't want to pray, just sit in the back, quietly and do not talk please.
If you want to talk to some afterwards, they are usually more than excited to speak with you. It might help you to know what they are saying when they pray, but if you just want to see it for yourself it doesn't matter at this point.

I say good for you for being interested in seeing things for yourself. The first time I went to the Mosque I was scared to death, but it really is not a big deal. Being an ex-Christian as well I can tell you it is nothing like the churhes or the integration you might be used to. But it is not THAT different either. People are people remember that.

The women and men are separate so be aware of this, and also take your shoes off please. Try not to speak with the men if you are interested to unless you have some religious based questions, in which case the women can usually help you.

The first time I went, I went with a Muslim friend, and she helped me a lot. If you plan to go alone, I am surprised you are so brave. Then again, perhaps you are interested in Islam. Either way, good luck & take take.

And no matter if you wear right !
If you wear wrong, then you will find many sisters come to you and try to speak with you and will be grazy to tell you everything about Islam. And for sure you will find also a sister comes along with a cover for you
It is one of the 'biggest' doing for a moslem to try to make someone convert.
You will find all sisters kind and helpful.
Don't be afraid..never..to go there.
Do it at Fridayprayers, BECAUSE there are many sisters !
Go early to listen to the lesson. Inschaallah you will like it very much !

Where do you live in Cairo ? If you live in the near of Maadi, then I could go with you !
Usually I nevr go because of the kids (tooo noisy ), but for I would do it
Let me know !

I too would encourage you to go to see a prayer at a mosque. I remember being profoundly affected the first time I watched some Muslims pray. It was two mildly retarded young men who I was working with who let me watch them praying, and I felt very honored that they had shared that with me. It felt like a a big sign of trust that they were letting me in on that part of their world, particularly as I came from a "Christian world" where prayers are seen as a personal private thing. (My mother even now will not stay in a room with me when I am praying, since I accepted Islam, as she feels it is intruding!)

I would like to suggest that it would be better if you went with another woman who could explain what was going to happen before you went to the mosque, and who would be there to support you and answer your questions afterwards. It might also be better if you could find an area to sit in just outside the prayer area where you could still see everything. There are two reasons that I am suggesting this. One is that during the whole of the prayer, and on Friday that includes the khutbah (speech/sermon) too, a praying Muslim is not allowed to talk as this would nullify their prayer, so no one could explain to you what was going on during the prayer anyway. Secondly, as you may know, Muslim women do not pray when they are having their periods, and they can only pass through the mosque at that time, they are not permitted to stay there. They have to take a full ablution before they can stay in the mosque and pray. So as you are not a Muslim (yet, but who knows what Allah has in store for you) it would perhaps be respectful not to sit in the prayer area as you won't be praying either. This way you wouldn't have to worry about wearing prayer clothes, just about dressing respectfully and it may not be seen as too strange as non-praying Muslim women sometimes do that if they go to the mosque with someone else.

As to whether you should go to Friday prayer or not that would perhaps depend on the mosque you wanted to go to, what facilities there were available for women particularly if you wanted to sit just outside the prayer area, and how much Arabic you can understand as to whether you would understand the khutbah or not. But either way, I would say that you will have to prepare yourself for a moving experience.

Samia posted her message while I was writing this!! If you can't find a mosque here in Egypt for Friday prayer, either try outside, find another prayertime, or ask some Muslim women if you can watch them pray.

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Originally posted by EFLVirgo:
Well said, newcomer. Are you a teacher. If not, I'm sure you'd make a great one.

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if I (female, christian) wanted to attend the Friday prayer in a mosque, what would I have to do?
For example, what to wear? The veil for sure, but for the rest of the clothes?
And then, just go in there and stand in the back or how can I go there without disturbing the praying people?

The mosque is like the church a house of God.You will be very welcomed at any mosque Pollina. Just remember to remove your shoes and cover your hair.
Go the women section and sit at the back, so other women could see the Emam.

I am assuming you are somewhere in the west.Choose a western woman who converted and ask her whatever you feel like.
Western converts are of your culture and had the experience of converting to Islam so they will understand you better.

I often go to the church, not to pray but to watch and learn.
Anybody is welcome at any of God's houses.

quote:

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Originally posted by ExptinCAI:
people still pray at mosques that are visited by tourists - there's just a sectioned off area. people still pray at churches that are vistied by tourists - even when there's rude ones ignoring the no-photos-during services-please notices and talking too loudly over the sermon.

why should it be offensive?

prayer is televised from the holiest of sites all over the world and that's not offensive or seen as a "show", is it?

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I don’t think it is offensive in any way if you want to attend such a thing, unless you are planning to make allot of noise and push people while they are praying !!
or show up naked and shout out loud declaring you worship the deviled.

Pollina , if you want to attend the Friday prays, make sure you go to a mosque where there is a section for women, and be dressed modestly. this is all what you have to do
you don’t have to know how to pray , and you don’t need to pretend you are praying ,
you can go in, sit and observe the prayer , and no one would be offended if you are not trying to offend anyone,
and if you don’t want other females to get distracted by you standing amongst then not praying, just go to the back rows, so no one will see you

a year ago in the Ann Arbor mosque, I was asked by a non Muslim if he can come into the mosque , and explain to me that he is running for election and wanted to talk to the Muslim community , he was afraid if he went in all the Muslims will be offended, because he believes Muslims conceder non Muslims infidels who are not allowed to enter holly sites,
he wanted to stay outside the mosque till the prayer is over and start talking to people leaving the mosque, , it was snowing , and I told him he should wait inside, and once he got inside the prayer started , and he once again got scared because he doesn’t know how to pray, I tried to explain to him that he doesn’t need to pretend he is praying, but he insisted to stand next to us in line and follow our moves,
I still believe , it wasn’t necessary, and even with him pretending to be praying or not , was not offensive to any one
Pollina , go and do whatever you want,
mosques, Churches, and singings are supposed to be house of god, and it belongs to EVERYONE , just respect other's beliefs.

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Originally posted by nooralhaq:

Pollina,
don't worry about the defensive remarks to your innocent and thoughtful question.

Cover yourself well, and go. Definitely cover your head, all of your hair, your neck & shoulders. If you wear pants make sure they are loose and don't show your shape too much. Long sleeves, nothing tight.

Dress should be floor length, sleeves to your hands, loose. Don't worry about anything else. If you don't want to pray, just sit in the back, quietly and do not talk please.
If you want to talk to some afterwards, they are usually more than excited to speak with you. It might help you to know what they are saying when they pray, but if you just want to see it for yourself it doesn't matter at this point.

I say good for you for being interested in seeing things for yourself. The first time I went to the Mosque I was scared to death, but it really is not a big deal. Being an ex-Christian as well I can tell you it is nothing like the churhes or the integration you might be used to. But it is not THAT different either. People are people remember that.

The women and men are separate so be aware of this, and also take your shoes off please. Try not to speak with the men if you are interested to unless you have some religious based questions, in which case the women can usually help you.

The first time I went, I went with a Muslim friend, and she helped me a lot. If you plan to go alone, I am surprised you are so brave. Then again, perhaps you are interested in Islam. Either way, good luck & take take.

[This message has been edited by nooralhaq (edited 06 April 2005).]

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quote:

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Originally posted by Pollina:
Dear all,

if I (female, christian) wanted to attend the Friday prayer in a mosque, what would I have to do?
For example, what to wear? The veil for sure, but for the rest of the clothes?
And then, just go in there and stand in the back or how can I go there without disturbing the praying people?

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Dear Pollina
I guess your problem is not with the clothes or anything else but the problem is with language u speak English and the language in any mosque is Arabic so u will not understand anything of what he saying. i think u just want to see how we meet in this day in mosque and how we act and how we do our prayer.Anyway it is new experment u will like it. and if u want to know more about islam i would like to help u

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Originally posted by kidmetal:
As a muslim i know that women are not supposed to pray in mosques it is prefered that women pray in their own houses unlike men.

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It is actually a fact:

It was narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “A woman’s prayer in her room is better than her prayer in her courtyard, and her prayer in her closet is better than her prayer in her room.” (Narrated by Abu Dawood, 570; al-Tirmidhi, 1173. This hadeeth was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb wa’l-Tarheeb, 1/136).

Women are encouraged to pray at home in their rooms or in a small area like a dressing room, but if they want to go to the mosque their husbands have been ordered not to stop them. Although they should of course meet all the proprieties for doing so like being properly covered and not having her period. And all women are infact enouraged to go to the Eid prayers whether or not they can pray, with those not praying due to menstruation sitting outside the prayer area if they are praying indoors.