Old Mosque

The Muslim creed, the foremost tenet of Islam, is the acceptance and declaration that “There is no god but God, and Muhammad is his messenger.” God is always present in the Muslim world, and constantly beseeched on matters great and small. Every meeting and event begins “In the name of God, the compassionate, the merciful, . . . ,” as does every chapter of the Qur’an but one. The same invocation often appears at the top of stationery, contracts, and even personal notes. When something is uncertain, or hoped for, or even feared, people say “insh’allah” — “God willing.” If God wants something to happen, it will. If something is verified as real or true, it’s sworn to “w’allah” — “by God”. And if anything good occurs, or not as bad as it might have been, or even something terrible, you will hear “Al hamdulillah!” — “Praise God!”

The Muslim prayer ritual is certainly the most outwardly obvious aspect of Islam noted by a visitor. Five times a day — at dawn, mid-day, late afternoon, sunset, and in the

This daily communion between man and God is a duty, and involves specific ablutions to make sure one is clean in mind and body when addressing God. The person preparing to pray must wash his hands, mouth, nostrils, face, arms, neck, and feet. For the dawn prayer at least, he must gargle and brush his teeth. Prayer itself involves bowing, prostrating oneself, sitting, and standing in turn while facing Mecca, trying to realize the presence of God and the exclusion of all else. Historical documents and traditions indicate that the Old Testament prophets prayed in the same way.

Muslims can pray alone, in groups, or en masse in a mosque, though it is always meritorious to pray with others and thereby reflect the community of Islam. On every Friday — the Muslim holy day — the faithful all gather in mosques to do their mid-day prayers, which are preceded by a sermon.

Mosque At City Souk