Preparation for Christian to pray with a Muslim

[Veritas]

I will be meeting up with my brother scimitar next year, and in our mutual showing of respect to one another anand to understand each other's faith a little better, we will each attend church / mosque with the other and pray together.

I would like to know what I should do to prepare to pray in a mosque, to not only show the requisite respect to God, but also to my brother, Scimitar.

[Signor]

Dos and don’ts When Visiting a Mosque

• Don’t enter a mosque during prayer times.(As you have a Muslim friend,so you don't need to worry about this)
  
• Dress modestly. Shoulders and knees should be covered. If this is not the case, larger mosques may loan you special attire free of charge to cover them. Make sure to bring your own if you plan to visit mosques that aren’t on the typical tourist routes.
  
• Women should cover their hair. Again, in bigger mosques you may borrow a headscarf to cover it, free of charge.
  
• Remove your shoes before entering a mosque. You either leave them outside or carry them in a bag. Alternatively, in some places they may provide you with plastic covers to slip over your footwear.
• Don’t eat inside a mosque. Even outside prayer times, don’t disturb worshipers who may be praying. Don’t stand close to them or walk in front of them.
• Make as little noise as possible, and preferably switch off your mobile phones.
• Taking pictures or shooting video footage inside a mosque is allowed, but don’t point your camera at people praying or at believers in their ablution process outside a mosque.
• The entrance to mosques is free, but donations are highly appreciated.

[MartyrX]

That's excellent. If you are going to pray along with him and want to know what to do, you can read through this website. I used it when I first reverted.

http://islam1.org/how_to_pray/salah.htm

I would recommend showering before you go as well.

[Scimitar]

I will be meeting up with my brother scimitar next year, and in our mutual showing of respect to one another anand to understand each other's faith a little better, we will each attend church / mosque with the other and pray together.

I would like to know what I should do to prepare to pray in a mosque, to not only show the requisite respect to God, but also to my brother, Scimitar.

Peace to you bro Veritas :)

I am looking forward to this a lot. ON a side note, I found this video and thought it would be worth a look here:

Part of the "Muhammed: Master of Change" campaign with Habib Ali Al-Jifri. Inspired by the teachings and life of the Prophet Issa/Jesus (PBUH).

This took place in a church, very interesting lecture with questions from both Muslims and Christian guests - an exercise in the common ground initiative.

Titled: Lessons we can learn from Issa / Jesus pbuh



I look forward to working on the BIG common ground project with you next year bro Veritas.

PS: I engineered my ban from VC so I'm no longer there anymore :D

God bless,

Scimi

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[Insaanah]

Greetings and a belated welcome to the forum Veritas.

I will be meeting up with my brother scimitar next year, and in our mutual showing of respect to one another anand to understand each other's faith a little better, we will each attend church / mosque with the other and pray together.

I believe respect for the other doesn't and shouldn't have to be demonstrated by going to their place of worship and worshipping with them. It is about you and your relationship with God and your beliefs about Him. It shouldn't be for anyone else. When you pray in a certain place or in a certain way for someone else, to demonstrate your respect for that person, then your prayer is no longer solely for God's sake. It also suggests that if one doesn't go to the others place of worship and worship with them then they perhaps haven't reached a certain level of respect. For a Muslim, we have set ways we have been instructed to worship, and we must stick to those.

It doesn't mean that there is no common ground, but in eagerness to share common ground, we, as Muslims, must not cross the boundaries of our faith.

I would like to know what I should do to prepare to pray in a mosque, to not only show the requisite respect to God, but also to my brother, Scimitar.

For salaat to be accepted, one must have taken the shahaadah (i.e.become a Muslim) and have taken a full bath or at least wudhu.

However, you're welcome to enter the mosque, and see what it's like, see what happens, speak to some of the brothers there, and if you want to try the prayer movements/words etc, though ideally this shouldn't be during the time for the congregation of the compulsory prayer.

Will you be using Islamic movements and words in the mosque, and brother Scimitar praying using Christian words and rituals in the church? That being the case, for a Muslim, we'll not be doing any favours to ourselves before God, nor to others. It is in fact forbidden for a Muslim to do that.

I don't know how much you know about the concept of God in Islam, but will mention some things here. These are the most important things for you to understand:

There is only One God. He alone should be worshipped. He is our Creator, Sustainer, Cherisher, and Lord. No being, no object, nothing other than Him, is worthy of prayer/worship.

He does not beget, nor is He begotten. He has no sons, daughters, siblings, parents, cousins, or relatives of any sort.

He is eternal and does not die.

He does not depend on anyone/anything yet we all depend on Him. He is free of all want and need.

There is nothing like Him. He is all Hearing, all Seeing, all Knowing, all Powerful, the Creator of the Universe.

He did not and does not, dwell in human or animal bodies, nor are there any incarnations of Him. He is not mixed up in His creation in any way.

He is not composed of persons, nor a trinity. There are no secondary, lesser, greater, equal, or multiple gods, no intermediaries, and no denying of God's existence either.

There are no sharers or associates or parts whatsoever in His exclusive Divinity. Simply, He is One, in every sense.

You may also find this link useful: http://www.islamicboard.com/discover...ml#post1557675

Peace.

[Veritas]

Dos and don’ts When Visiting a Mosque

• Don’t enter a mosque during prayer times.(As you have a Muslim friend,so you don't need to worry about this)
  
• Dress modestly. Shoulders and knees should be covered. If this is not the case, larger mosques may loan you special attire free of charge to cover them. Make sure to bring your own if you plan to visit mosques that aren’t on the typical tourist routes.
  
• Women should cover their hair. Again, in bigger mosques you may borrow a headscarf to cover it, free of charge.
  
• Remove your shoes before entering a mosque. You either leave them outside or carry them in a bag. Alternatively, in some places they may provide you with plastic covers to slip over your footwear.
• Don’t eat inside a mosque. Even outside prayer times, don’t disturb worshipers who may be praying. Don’t stand close to them or walk in front of them.
• Make as little noise as possible, and preferably switch off your mobile phones.
• Taking pictures or shooting video footage inside a mosque is allowed, but don’t point your camera at people praying or at believers in their ablution process outside a mosque.
• The entrance to mosques is free, but donations are highly appreciated.

Thank you for the post Sane Fellow. Those points make perfect sense. I would advise exactly the same to anyone coming to pray in a Catholic Church ... though tbh, dress standards in some places have slipped.

At St Peters, of course one would cover. It is a real sight seeing men take shorts off to don trousers in the middle of St Peters Square ... dress standards are strict ... whereas where I live you could literally see people leave the beach in board shorts and flip flops and go and pray.

I wouldn't advise that though ... it's very disrespectful to God. But the catholic church doesn't turn away anyone ... it welcomes everyone without judgement.

I will pray with brother Scimitar at his local presumably ... I would like to see him in his community.

The only real difference between your points and a catholic church is that Christians don't have an ablutions process before prayer.

[Veritas]

That's excellent. If you are going to pray along with him and want to know what to do, you can read through this website. I used it when I first reverted.

I would recommend showering before you go as well.

Thank you for the tips ... and as a matter of personal hygiene I always shower before I go anywhere.

Brother Scimitar though has told me of the Muslim practices.

[Veritas]

Peace to you bro Veritas :)

I am looking forward to this a lot. ON a side note, I found this video and thought it would be worth a look here:

Part of the "Muhammed: Master of Change" campaign with Habib Ali Al-Jifri. Inspired by the teachings and life of the Prophet Issa/Jesus (PBUH).

This took place in a church, very interesting lecture with questions from both Muslims and Christian guests - an exercise in the common ground initiative.

Titled: Lessons we can learn from Issa / Jesus pbuh

I look forward to working on the BIG common ground project with you next year bro Veritas.

PS: I engineered my ban from VC so I'm no longer there anymore :D

God bless,

Scimi

Understood Brother Scimitar.

I also will think of a good interfaith experience for you when we meet. I look forward to helping you in your project in the New Year.

God bless

[Veritas]

Thank you for your comments Insaanah. I understand from where you are coming. For scimitar and I it is more a case of learning for the purpose of interfaith brotherhood. We are learning.

My comments of respect should be seen as "I want to do what I need to do so as not to cast any negativity on brother Scimitar" ... I have blonde hair and blue eyes, I will stand out anyway.

[Scimitar]

:D we'll look like chalk and cheese :D but that's where it get's interesting bro - kidding.

In masjids, it is not uncommon to find blonde haired blue eyed brothers, heck, I see Asian bros with blonde *uber spikey gel* hair and blue contact lenses in their eyes these days :D

I'm still awaiting the day I find mr blobby in the congregation though :D not likely.

For sure, this will be an interesting inter-faith learning experience which I am really looking forward to experiencing with you. I believe it will allow us to see each others persepctives with a little more clarity and that has to be a good thing :)

Scimi

[Veritas]

Indeed it will be bro Scimitar.

I think it be hard for Mr Blobby to pray. He couldn't get up and down ... and heck, he wouldn't even fit in the pews in a Christian Church!