Experiencing the Muslim Religion

Mr. and Mrs. Ahmed employ me as a housekeeper. I have worked for them, in their home, for more than two years. They are an extended Muslim family, with many members throughout the city I live in. Their parents brought the family here from India. Contrary to any stereotypes regarding housekeepers being "foreigners" and working for "whites", I am the opposite. I am a single working mother, white, and protestant, who is lucky enough to get a glimpse into the lives of people in a foreign culture.

Mr. Ahmed invited me to attend evening prayers at the Islamic mosque near their home. I was looking forward to attending. After being in their home and observing their culture firsthand, I have always had so many questions to ask them.

My first impression of the mosque was that it is a peaceful place. I brought my daughter, and we sat together in the main entrance while we waited for Mr. Ahmed, our guide for the prayers. I felt very welcome there because each and every person that walked in for the service nodded and smiled at us.

We entered the women's' prayer area above the main room where the men would pray. We removed our shoes and sat toward the back. The Muslim women stood in a line, barefoot, and their hair covered, when the call to prayer began. The women prayed quietly, kneeling and pressing their faces to the ground, their bodies positioned toward Mecca. Prayers were called out, by a man down below, followed by several minutes of quiet prayer. I noticed the Arabic writing on the walls around the dome, and the niche in the wall where everyone faced.

Afterwards I had a question and answer session with Mr. Ahmed. I learned so much at this session. I was stunned to discover the many similarities between Islam and the Western religions of which I am most familiar. I have seen the news, and have avoided stereotyping as much as possible, so I had already understood that terrorists are not representative of Islam, that they are a small percentage of extremists. However, the fact that the Islamic concepts of charity, Day of Judgment, salvation, and the equality of peoples, are so similar to Western religions' concepts surprised me. Their creationism beliefs also point to Adam and Eve, and that humans were instructed then to live in peace and harmony with others, as I learned from my religious teachings.

Islam teaches that we are born free of sin. When we are capable of sin, forgiveness is there if we truly repent. In addition, Islam also believes that God sent prophets like Abraham and Moses, with Jesus included in this group.

A difference in belief with the Christian religions, however, occurs here. I learned that in Islam, Jesus is not the son of God, but instead he is a messenger. They do not think there is a trinity like in Western religions. In addition, the expectations of women in this religion seem very different. Initially, I felt that the way women are separated during prayer, and expected to behave and dress a certain way to be very outdated. However, I learned that Muslim women actually have a voice in family matters, they work outside the home and pursue higher education.

Mr. Ahmed's role at the mosque is very important, and it interested me greatly. It is his "job" to teach others about the Islamic faith and to spread understanding about Muslims and their culture. He had recently been to Kansas City to speak to their police force regarding the Islamic faith. As an example, he taught the officers that a Muslim woman would react differently to being searched by, or in the presence of, men. He teaches them why this is and offers them alternative ways to proceed. Mr. Ahmed does this because it is in the teachings of Islam. It is important for Muslims to spread knowledge and understanding between different faiths and cultures. He told me that the wake of 9/11, and the misunderstandings it has created about the Islamic faith, it is even more imperative that Muslims do this.

I felt my visit to the mosque was very informative, and has created a greater understanding, not only about the individual family I work for, but a deeper understanding of all Muslims. It seems to me that we are not so far apart in our respective goals, and that by taking the time to learn about a culture or religion, it can create an atmosphere of tolerance.