10 replies to this topic

[mollythedolly]

I used to go with my mother-in-law in the states on Eid.  It was nice.   They had food, gifts for the children, a big market place outside and a carnival for the kids.  Its too bad we don't live there now because that mosque had a lot of programs for people interested in Islam and if they didn't have the program you were looking for there was another just down the road in Paterson.

The mosque here doesn't want women in the building if they can help it.  The mosque is built in a large old house and they have been renovating it for over 17 years.  Before I moved to the states we went there once (my husband made a half hearted attempt to interest me in his religion just after we were married, it fizzled out since he wasn't really  interested in following his religion).  When I tried to go inside the Imam nearly had a fit wondering what to do with me.  He said there was no womens area so I couldn't come in.  He finally settled on taking me to his wife next door and bless her she tried to show me what to do in a prayer but she had no english only Urdu.  When my husband started to practice again he wanted the kids to go to Islamic classes at that same mosque but they would only allow my 5 year old daughter but not my 15 year old citing the same problem (After 17 years) no space for older girls and women no teacher for them either.  The 5 year old was too frightened to stay by herself because the teachers were hitting the boys  and she was scared they would hit her.  I talked to them about it and they told me they didn't hit little girls... only the boys???  Must be a cultural thing but I have to say they are skating on thin ice in a western country.  Anyway that was the end of that.  I've recently heard there is another mosque that is more welcoming to women in the next town but I'm not sure of where exactly it is.  I'm going to check at my next Arabic class to see if someone knows the address its pretty new from what I gather.

[dodi]

asalamalaykum sisters
this is my first post so i am very nervous.
my first experence of the mosque was before i revert to islam.I wanted to learn more about islam before i revert to be sure i was doing to right thing. i was married at this stage to my muslim husband 9yrs. he didnt tell me what i should wear but i was modestly dress, i took one of my daughters with me as a crouch, when i arrived i went to the womens area and ask were the quran lessons where held, there were 2 arab women there who proceded to tell me this was a holy place and i was haram. i was very upset and took my child and cried all the way home. i told my dh and he told me they were wrong to say that but it has put me off going there alone. i go with my husband and children, and wait in the car while they pray. alhamdullah i had taken my shahada and am trying to improve my deen at home with the guidance of Allah(swt) and this website has incourage me to try harder inshallah.


dodi

[jaolep]

Bismillah,

Assalamu aleikum sisters,

W  

Hope you will enjoy your stay here. Masha'Allah Allah, SWT guidance is so Great. You had that bad first experience when visiting the Mosque, and here you are!
I hope soon to read more of your posts.

Wasalam Maryam

[sarah_anisah]

Assalamu Alaikum
Just sneaked on here quickly as we have guests over  :wink:  just wanted to welcome you to the forum Dodi  :wink:

No need to be nervous or shy... just jump right in and get posting   :mrgreen:

Sarah

[Ummy]

Asalaam Aleykum Sisters. I just wanted to say salaams to you all my sisters in Islam. To the two sisters who had negative experiences when they attended the masjid for the 1st time: I'm sorry to hear that. I was born a muslim, alhamdulillah and I always like meeting new sisters or even women who are interested in islam. I remember when I moved down here after my marriage, I went to my local masjid for the first time. The sisters that I found there were very nice. One sister who was revert told me of her first experience and it saddened me. She said the sisters she encountered there at that time were so cold and some did not even make the effort to talk to her. She is one of my friends alhamdulillah. Do not think that everyone is like such sisters and do not let them chase you from finding out about islam.
As for the sister who talked about the masjid not having aplace for women, that is so sad. These muslim women are the ones who raise the kids , if they are not educated about their religion, how will they educate the kids. Our own Prophet used to make time to talk to women about deen and said that if a woman asks to go to the masjid, her spouse should not refuse her. Indeed this is sad, to have such a masjid within a community.Again, welcome to islamway, and its nice to have another sister among us.Ummy

[Niqabi_za]

Assalamu alaykum

I will never forget my first time.

It was easter weekend almost 3 years ago. I was visiting a muslim friend and her family in another city. My friend does not attend Jumuah often, but her mother never misses it.

I had bought an abaya about 2 months before to use when making salaah and was wearing this.

We got to the masjid and I didn't know what to expect. It was sooo busy. This city is known for its Islamic activities and the whole family attends Jumuah. Everyone was friendly, especially when they heard I was a revert.

What was great was that I already knew how to make salaah!!! The whole time I was looking at everything, the people, the mimbar, the Qurans (didn't have one yet). It was amazing.

After that, when I returned to my own city, it wasn't the same. Here women don't go to mosque, people don't even greet.

Honestly speaking, if my first time to a masjid was not so nice, I don't know if I would ever have gone again.

[mollythedolly]

This happened a few years ago on a friday just after my father-in-law passed away.  It wasn't my first time in a mosque I had been to one many times at this point down in the states with my in-laws.  I would attend anytime they would... follow along like they did... I didn't know the words used at this point but I knew the positions of prayer and could politely fake Islamic prayer while just making prayers of my own in each position.  Well, when I got back to canada after attending the funeral week in NJ I was feeling a bit sorry for myself and missing my father-in-law so I decided to go find a mosque. (not sure why I felt I wanted to be in a mosque when you can pray for someone anywhere but I thought I would feel closer to my father-in -law there)   I drove to toronto (The big Scarborough mosque hadn't been built yet)  and asked around to see if I could find a mosque anywhere.  Someone finally pointed me to where there was a mosque and so I went.

I got there and joined in the prayer but something wasn't quite right.  I tried to follow along but they weren't doing things quite the same.  When I thought it was time to stand up they were doing something else everytime it started to get familiar and would follow along they would surprise me and do something else.  It wasn't different enough to make me think I was in the wrong place but it was different enough to make me think I was nuts.  When I thought they were done they all got up and got little pieces of wood and put them on the carpets in front of them.... Well Now I was sure I wasn't nuts and I wasn't in the same type of mosque that I'd been used to going too.  It was my first and only interaction with Shia Muslims.  They were nice and all that but I preferred what I knew to what I didn't.

Anyway thats my funniest story of a visit to a mosque.