This is long. Forgive me, I just have a lot to say.
I was on vacation for a week and realized there was an Islamic Center less than a kilometer from where I was staying. Last time I went, I hadn't a clue about Islam so I wasn't looking. This time, as a fresh convert of only about 4 months I would guess, I noticed a lot of Muslims in town, so I looked up where the nearest mosque was and to my surprise is was practically next door.
I walked over just out of curiosity. I have never been to a mosque of any type before and really had no idea what to expect. It was inconspicuous. It looked like any other normal church I had been too before (except a steeple, of course). I'm not sure if mosque is the proper name for it since it wasn't a standalone building. It is called Masjid Ibrahim and has a small school/daycare center. I wouldn't have known it was there if I hadn't been looking.
I decided to just go ahead and go, what is the worst that could happen? Of course I felt a bit out of place. I'm a white guy wearing shorts and tee-shirt, sunglasses and baseball cap, walking up to a place full of Arab and African American folks dressed a lot nicer than I am. There are kids outside playing basketball and running around, sisters dressed in hijab and a few niqab, and one brother maybe around my age or a bit younger looking like he just got out of a wedding. Yeah, I'm definitely feeling out of place just by my attire.
The brother greets me, he's sitting next to the building listening to iPod with one earbud in. I say hello and walk toward the front door. I decide I would look foolish now if I just walked away, so I open the door and go in.
Peace
That's what I felt as soon as I went in, but I could still hear my heart pounding out of my chest. Remember, this is my first time ever being inside anything Islamic, but I do know a thing or two (I think) about proper protocol. I take my shoes off (a sign reminded me to, but I knew this anyway), and placed my hat and sunglasses on top of them. I look around and it's just a small area with a few closed and locked doors, a restroom, and a washroom. At the end of a very short hallway is the prayer room.
I calm myself a little (I don't know why my nerves are as high as they are. Maybe because I have never been to a place like this and I don't want to do something wrong) and walk toward the doors to the prayer room. I look in. There is no one there, but wow, it's so beautiful inside. By this point, I'm already committed to my visit, so I go to put my shoes on and step back outside.
The brother that greeted me was still there and as I walked toward him, he asked if I needed help. Yes, lots, I think, but instead I introduced myself as a new convert, visiting the area, and that if possible, I'd like to just get a quick tour of the grounds. I don't live there, so it wouldn't be my home masjid, but being that I didn't know anything about a masjid at all, I thought I would take the time to get a walk around.
Obviously, he wasn't as "important" (not saying this maliciously, I just assumed by how he dressed maybe he was part of the fold as far as organization goes. I don't know the term. Like a deacon or someone in a Christian Church) as he looked because he directed me to one of the sisters and introduced me to her as a convert looking to talk to someone. She knew a bit more, but I think she just ran the school or daycare or whatever because she said the Sheik had left, but he'd be back for asr prayer in a little over an hour, and she'd introduce me to him when he got there. She told me I was free to sit outside, or to go in and wait in the mosque if I preferred.
I went back inside and waited in the entryway for a while, reading some of the literature and getting an idea of what the center did for the community and whatnot. One guy came in with his kids and greeted me, then went in to pray, and left again. I took this time to do wudu and get somewhat of the full experience. My first time doing wudu in a mosque! Big news for me! But it was hot, and I was feeling really gross, not to mention probably under dressed and I just felt overall that my first time praying in a mosque I should do more than simple wudu. Some scholars say new converts should do ghusl upon becoming a Muslim, and I feel like my first time praying in a mosque I should do the same, even though I consider myself to be a Muslim regardless. Personally, I feel it would be symbolic and something I should do. I noticed I could've done it there, but it would be pointless without anything clean to change into, so I didn't. I just finished wudu.
I still hadn't gone into the prayer room. Somehow I felt wrong being there alone (I know, ridiculous, but I didn't know). So I went back to the entryway and read a bit more until another guy came in and was excited to see me. He introduced himself, and I did back and told him I'm a newish convert and he got the biggest smile on his face and asked me a bunch of questions I don't remember. He was very friendly and told me he was glad that I was there. Then he went in to pray, as well.
I decided this was the time, if any, to finally go into the prayer room. I went in and stood in the back until he done, and then I went and walked around. I picked up a Quran and read a few verses (I don't own a Quran, just a few digital ones, but not a physical copy) and everything inside was so warm and peaceful. I really was just overcome with a sense of belonging.
I didn't pray, keeping with my desire to be fully cleansed symbolically, but I did recite fatiha quietly to myself before leaving. I couldn't stay for asr because I was keeping people waiting, but I wish I could've gone back later on and I wish that could be my home masjid because I felt an instant connection with the few people I had met there. They were so warm and welcoming and it just felt like a place I should be.
I'm back home now and I am hoping tomorrow that I can get to my local Islamic Center for Friday prayer. I've been putting it off because it's (what I assume) all Somalian Muslims and I felt like maybe I'd be looked at as an outsider, but I don't care at this point. I just want to go and experience it and feel that feeling that I felt yesterday again.
Tl;Dr I went to a masjid near where I was staying on vacation. My first time ever going to one. I felt like I belonged and I wish I could go back to it. I'm going to try to go to my local one tomorrow.
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