I woke this morning an hour before I had to reach the Mosque (Muslim Temple), and that meant I had to leave within 5 minutes of waking up. So, I get up, get dressed, not able to freshen up any more than just brush my teeth.
I then leave the house, rushing to get to the Mosque. On my way there, I get slowed by traffic, and end up getting there just in time. It’s honestly an amazing feeling to get to the Mosque and spend some time there. The Friday prayer is like my weekly rehab session. I go to the Mosque on other days, but every Friday just comes with this incredible feeling of, “You can start fresh again starting today!”
The people sit silently, listening to the lesson, which is compulsory before every Friday prayer. They listen intently, in hopes of hearing that one thing, if not more, that will inspire them until the next week. Beginning with the words of peace, “Assalaamu alaikum” (May the peace and blessings of Allah [God] be upon you), the lecturer delivers a speech leaving us all speechless and smiling, to know that we are not alone in facing the day-to-day struggles we face as individuals.
After the speech, the prayer begins, as the call to prayer is made, praising Allah, and reminding us to, “Come to prayer, come to success!” We begin, and the meditative closeness to our souls comes to life. We all recognize the presence of our souls, but this feeling of just being completely connected to your center is incredible. It’s what keeps me balanced throughout the day.
We finished the prayer, and I walked outside to talk to my brothers. These people are not related to me by blood, but they are as close to me as my own blood. We discussed holding a BBQ for a youth group I work with, and to include a lesson at the same time. We think it should work out really well, and I’m hoping for it’s success, Insha Allah (God-willing).
Time to get back to work now. See y’all soon.
