Hi everyone,
I'm an college student from America who is studying abroad for the year in Turkey. (And maybe if God wills it, I will end up moving there.) I was born Christian and I still hold a lot of affection in my heart for Jesus/Christianity, but I have become really interested in Islam since arriving in Istanbul. I have made lots of great Turkish friends who have taught me a lot about Islam, how to pray salah, etc. I am currently learning more, you can read this thread of mine about it in the "Discover Islam" forum if you want.
I'm visiting my family in America for two weeks and I really want to attend an English-language Friday sermon while I still have the chance. I am in Houston for one week visiting family, and I found a brother who was gonna drive me to a Turkish mosque here, but unfortunately the roads iced over and the highways were shut down Friday morning.
I will be in DC next week to see college friends, and I will try to go to the Friday sermon at the Islamic Center of Washington there. However, I have heard varying things about it, so if there are any Muslims in the DC area I was wondering if you could please give me reccomendations, or talk about and describe the different masjids in the area so I can decide which one to go to.
Obviously I would like one with an English-language sermon, but I also have another minor, shallow request: it would be nice to feel like I fit in when I visit an American mosque.
Ironically, in Turkey most everyone thinks I am Turkish (a pale Turk from the northern region near Georgia) and thus I feel totally comfortable. But in America this is much less likely to happen....and I am guessing there are no Turkish mosques in the DC area. =) My worst fear is some innocent young boy staring at me with his mouth open during a sermon, haha.
At the very least, I would like to find a DC mosque that is welcoming/maybe just a little diverse where you do not think I will be stared at.
(Or at least one where they can think I am Bosnian/Turk/Russian lol!) Anyway, I think one of the things I have felt drawn to Islam is the feeling of brotherhood or community, but this is also why I hope I feel like I fit in when I visit a mosque in America, even though I feel a bit shallow for saying so. Please pray that I won't feel uncomfortable with this shallow problem next week, inshallah.
Also I can probably get there all on my own, but if there are any members here who would maybe like to accompany me, it would make me a bit less nervous. I have prayed salat with my Turkish friends before and it so incredibly fulfilling.
Anyway thanks to anyone who might be able to help me!
I'm an college student from America who is studying abroad for the year in Turkey. (And maybe if God wills it, I will end up moving there.) I was born Christian and I still hold a lot of affection in my heart for Jesus/Christianity, but I have become really interested in Islam since arriving in Istanbul. I have made lots of great Turkish friends who have taught me a lot about Islam, how to pray salah, etc. I am currently learning more, you can read this thread of mine about it in the "Discover Islam" forum if you want.
I'm visiting my family in America for two weeks and I really want to attend an English-language Friday sermon while I still have the chance. I am in Houston for one week visiting family, and I found a brother who was gonna drive me to a Turkish mosque here, but unfortunately the roads iced over and the highways were shut down Friday morning.
I will be in DC next week to see college friends, and I will try to go to the Friday sermon at the Islamic Center of Washington there. However, I have heard varying things about it, so if there are any Muslims in the DC area I was wondering if you could please give me reccomendations, or talk about and describe the different masjids in the area so I can decide which one to go to.
Obviously I would like one with an English-language sermon, but I also have another minor, shallow request: it would be nice to feel like I fit in when I visit an American mosque.
Ironically, in Turkey most everyone thinks I am Turkish (a pale Turk from the northern region near Georgia) and thus I feel totally comfortable. But in America this is much less likely to happen....and I am guessing there are no Turkish mosques in the DC area. =) My worst fear is some innocent young boy staring at me with his mouth open during a sermon, haha.
At the very least, I would like to find a DC mosque that is welcoming/maybe just a little diverse where you do not think I will be stared at.
(Or at least one where they can think I am Bosnian/Turk/Russian lol!) Anyway, I think one of the things I have felt drawn to Islam is the feeling of brotherhood or community, but this is also why I hope I feel like I fit in when I visit a mosque in America, even though I feel a bit shallow for saying so. Please pray that I won't feel uncomfortable with this shallow problem next week, inshallah. Also I can probably get there all on my own, but if there are any members here who would maybe like to accompany me, it would make me a bit less nervous. I have prayed salat with my Turkish friends before and it so incredibly fulfilling.
Anyway thanks to anyone who might be able to help me!