What can be learned from praying in a mosque?
The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat, Oman is a landmark and, surprisingly in a land ruled by sharia, opens for visits by Christians and other non-Muslims. I visited on a Wednesday morning and was inspired by the grandeur. Completed in 2001, the Grand Mosque can accommodate 20,000 worshippers and features marble paneling, a Svarovski crystal chandelier that spans a length of 14 meters, and a hand-made Persian carpet consisting of 1,700 million knots, made in a single piece measuring 70 x 60 meters, woven over the course of 4 years by 600 female weavers.
After I walked around the perimeter of the main hall, I realized that, most of all, I was in a place of prayer. Muslims gather for prayer at the mosque five times each day. They assemble in rows, stand and kneel, touching their foreheads to the ground in an act of submission and devotion.
As a Christian in a mosque, I wondered how Muslims would be treated in a church. Are churches open for visits by Muslims? Would a Muslim be permitted to enter a church, walk around the perimeter of the sanctuary, gaze at the architecture, and ponder the meaning of the pulpit, table, and font?
What about prayer? If an Omani man visited a North American church prior to a worship service, wearing his traditional dishdasha, what would happen if he knelt for prayer? How would people react if he took off his shoes at the sanctuary entrance as an expression of humility, walked barefoot to the chancel, and repeatedly knelt and stood as he prayed?
Would observers be supportive of his simple act of prayer? Or territorial about Christian space? Would church members be troubled that he prayed to Allah or pleased that he followed his conscience? Would they be afraid of what could come next?
Back in the Grand Mosque, I realized that I wanted to pray. Wearing a longsleeve button-down shirt, blue jeans and flip-flop sandals, I knelt on the plush carpet and closed my eyes. There were less than 10 people in the main prayer hall at the time. But before my knees became stiff, I was nudged by a guard. He wore a military-brown dishdasha, with a pistol and club on his belt, and asked what I was doing. After my answer, the guard explained that prayer in the Grand Mosque is for Muslims only. He correctly presumed that I am a Christian. With a red face, I apologized.
When I was alone in my car, the questions came. Why was my prayer stopped? Did the guard act unilaterally or on the grounds of established policy? Was my Christian prayer offensive to him or only out-of-place in a mosque? Was the guard motivated more by politics than religion--did he see an opportunity to trump an American who was far from home? Was it a matter of power and control? There are times when Christians oppress Muslims but at that moment the guard had power and control over me. Was he concerned that I would proselytize curious Muslims? Was I considered to be a bad influence?
I am grateful that the Grand Mosque opens for visitors. I hope that churches are open, too. And I pray that both Christians and Muslims can discuss the questions that arise from visits to one another's places of worship with open minds to where the best answers lead us.
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Comments (17)
We talked about it for a bit and concluded that the best course would be to attend, observe all the customs (including prayer) but to know that when doing so, his prayers would be toward the Christian God.
When he asked about bowing to Allah, I was a bit stumped and still am, but what we decided was that he could best represent God in that arena by showing true respect and love for others beliefs and if bowing was the custom, then when it was time to bow, he would do so with Jesus as the person he was bowing before, not Allah.
He hasn't been presented with the chance yet but I find it timely that you would write about this not 24 hours after my son and I discussed it ourselves. I particularly appreciate your questions on whether or not Christians would be welcoming to Muslims. I think it's one that needs honest reflection and I'm thankful you brought this to the table for discussion.
I am not surprised that Mr. Schreur was discouraged from praying in a mosque. He was an outsider. Cultural conformity in dress, appearance and language is highly valued in Islam. Burqaas, head scarves and baggy men’s pants are often enforced by law in Muslim countries. In most of the evangelical churches I know, muslim visitors would be an exciting and welcome event. In reality, many people would be secretly praying that God would open their eyes and bring them to salvation. People would bend over backwards to make them feel at home. I know we would. Appearance or dress is rarely an issue in Christianity. People attend services in hawaiian shirts, shorts, suits, cowboy boots, saris, sarongs or any type of garment one can imagine. Christians happen to believe that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
I also think it's important to acknowledge that Christians converted by conquest and high birth rates in our history as well before we sound too superior.
I am only speaking out of what I know. All my experience has been in Oregon, Washington and California. I KNOW this about our church because I have gone there 30 years, know all the pastors, my brother has served on the Church council, my father is a greeter and leader. This is a 5000 member Foursquare Church that is very evangelistic and confident in the power of the Holy Spirit. And I honestly feel like most or all of the evangelical churches I have attended in the past would also be excited about having him. The church I attended in my 20s was a black charismatic church who welcomed everybody (I'm white) and he would have fit right in. To tell you the truth, he might even be invisible because we have a multitude of races and cultures meeting here. I know as a house group leader in the past of 30-50 members I would welcome him. Maybe this is a west coast phenomenom or the result of going to very evangelistic and sometimes unconventional churches. I have the feeling that in a traditional, mainline protestant church with organ, steeple, choir, men in suits and ties, perfumed women dressed up, hymnals etc, in the midwest the poor guy would stand out more and create more fear. But maybe I am wrong.
I respect you and enjoy your blogs but I would have to take offense at this statement: "given how easily people who read this blog justified the torture of some (we think now) innocent muslim men because of the way christians are allegedly treated overseas." Nobody here believes in torture because Christians were persecuted overseas. That equation doesn't exist. That is a very low, demeaning opinion of the readers of TC.
I don't mean to incriminate you personally, I believe that you and your church would be welcoming to muslim visitors if you say they would. But I still believe mainstream american culture has made americans very suspicious of muslim men especially. I hope, for the sake of the gospel, that I am wrong about this one.
It's funny to observe that you took offense easily but you didn't care about offending others with your expressions. I quote you " I have the feeling that in a traditional, mainline protestant church with organ, steeple, choir, men in suits and ties, perfumed women dressed up, hymnals etc, in the midwest the poor guy would stand out more and create more fear."
I don't think I'm wrong seeing in your words a clear disdain for "traditional protestant churches" and their customs. I would like you to explain me why praising the Lord with organs, hymnal and wearing formal clothing is so disgusting for you.
Are you trying to say that a place with a band of christian rock performing for a group of women without perfume, dressed in unordered clothes and men dressed as to attend to a football match it is a better scenary to praise the worship the Lord than a traditional church with a group of 'traditional' Christians dressed in the best possible way, to present themselves before God and singing solemn music to adore him?
It seemed that, for you, formal suits with ties, that most men would use for an interview with the President of USA, and nice garments and perfumes, organs, choirs are inappropriate to be used at a place as solemn as a church in a moment far more important than an interview with a high human authority.
If you prefer going to church with broken and wrinkled jeans and a shirt without ironing you are in your right, but do not try to sell the idea that the respect, the order and the reverence are old fashion items that shouldn't be used any longer. There is no possible comparison between christian music played in an organ and sung for a reverent congregation and the noise of the so called "christian" rock music indistinguishable of plain worldly dancing music.
My point was that when there is cultural uniformity in dress, ritualized clothing (whether ties, wing tips and hats or Burquas and beards), ritualized temples (steeples, domes) that outsiders stand out like a sore thumb. I love praising the Lord with a hymnal, I grew up that way though haven't used a hymnal for a while, but I know every hymn of the church by heart. I wore a choir robe too and can sing the harmony part to "When the roll is called up yonder". Steeples are nice, but I'm glad we gave up the antiquated 30s and 40s organ music (as Paul said, "I say, not the Lord"). These are just cultural issues, not right or wrong. The first century church put up no such barriers to the uninitiated, they met in houses and wore no special clothing, had no choirs or specialized musical instruments. I apologize if I offended, but realize I paid my dues by sitting through long years of traditional American Church.
I would hope that if a moslem man came to our congregation he would pay no attention to the furniture or clothing and that what he would remember is the love and genuine acceptance he felt and the contagious joy he experienced in worship.
To tell you the truth, I can kind of see Mek's point. Although Ed Schreur went to a Muslim temple, he conformed to all their religious customs. So if he is asking why a Muslim can't come to a Christian Church, spread out a prayer rug, take off his shoes and begin kneeling and chanting, that is not a fair comparison. That would be disrespectful. It would be like Ed going to a mosque, putting on a choir robe, standing up and singing a few choruses of "when the role is called up yonder".
To Mek's point though, I feel that I could go into a Hindu temple and speak to my Father in Jesus name because as Paul says, their idols are nothing, I am protected by the blood of Jesus and Jesus is Lord over all. I'm not sure why I would want to, but I could. Remember Samson praying in the idol temple?
I apologize for my mistake addressing my previous comment to Bethany.
Rick:
You say "I paid my dues by sitting through long years of traditional American Church". Strange concept. A christian go to church to enjoy communion with brethren worshiping God in one mind and spirit and to be fulfilled of blessings after learning more about the Bible and singing praises to the Lord. If you were there just keeping your seat warm you didn't understand the meaning of church attending. I imagine your suffering being among happy persons without understanding why they were so in peace.
If a muslim came to my church it would mean he has interest in GOD, the only real one. It would be a shame not to take the chance to show him our love teaching him the only way of salvation and how Christ died for his sin at the cross and how He is calling to be released of his debts with God, accepting Christ as his personal savior. To lead to Christ all people who are in the wrong way is a must for a christian and to look a person walking to a sure eternal condemn without advising them of their condition is falling short of the main duty God gave us. Maybe when a person like that be in the last judgment he could say " Lord, once I was in Rick church looking for answers to my need, but he only talked very nicely to me about love and mutual acceptance and not that I was going to hell"
Today the church I go to has people from every race and culture. Born again Koreans, born again Africans, born again Hispanics, born again arabs. You would not feel out of place if you weren't wearing a tie. The preacher never wears a tie. The music if focused on worshipping Jesus and the instruments are contemporary and pleasant to listen to. And thousands of people have been saved in the last few years. They have repented of sin, received the grace of God afforded through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, and are going to Heaven instead of Hell. Yay God!
My point was I love both traditions, but I prefer the more contemporary church. I really am not fond of a 1930's type hammond organ, choirs in medieval robes and 30s and 40s tunes (though I LOVE the lyrics). But there is nothing in the Bible about ties and choirs and organs...that's all cultural. Whew.
At the kind of church I fellowship at today, most of the inconsequentials like what you wear, the instrument played, the style of music, your race, are no longer cultural barriers that make them feel odd and keep people from coming to Christ. OF COURSE I would tell our Muslim friend that Jesus saves from hell. And he can keep wearing his baggy pants and scarves to church.
The greatest misconception is that Allah is a name of a god. A more accurate translation of the shahada, the Muslim profession of faith, is "There is no god but The God, and Muhammed is his prophet." Obviously, Jews and Christians do not accord Muhammed the same status as God's final prophet, which Muslims proclaim as fundamental to their faith. But Arabic language Jewish and Christian scriptures read al-Lah for "God" or "The Lord" because there is no other word in Arabic. Of course it appears in Arabic script, not Phoenician letters like we use in English.
While there are parts of the Holy Qu'ran which admonish to slay idol-worshippers until al-Lah's religion reigns supreme, there is also an injunction that there shall be no compulsion in religion. The early Muslim caliphate was financially dependent upon the jizya, a tax paid by non-Muslims, and did not welcome massive conversions. The second Caliph, Umar, declined an invitation to worship in a church in Jerusalem precisely because his followers might then appropriate it for Islam, and he wished to leave it for Christian use.
I have thought of asking a Muslim friend if non-Muslims would be welcome to visit the local Islamic Center. I generally favor praying standing, as Presbyterians and Lutherans do, rather than kneeling, as Roman Catholics, Anglicans, some Methodists, and some Pentecostals do, but if invited to join in prayer, I would probably follow the custom of those I am visiting, or, if not welcome to do so, I would refrain.
Does God want to live in a mosque? That is sort of like asking whether God has been banned from public schools. I thought God was omnipresent. God can be, and is, anywhere and everywhere. As Malcolm X said, on return from the Hajj to Mecca, where incidentally he learned that race is not so critical as he had previously thought, and came back reaching out both to "white" Americans and to African-American Christians, "We worship the God who created the universe. Isn't that the God you worship?"
However, my bigger concern is that everyone here seems to think there is some "special presence" of God inside a church building. When in fact, if you know your Bible you would realize that Jesus NEVER prayed with non-believers inside or outside a synagogue. He may have prayed FOR non-believers healing, but He never WORSHIPED God with them.
Jesus even commanded Judas to leave the room before He presented the most important change to the jewish passover ritual, allowing ONLY true believers to share in the final cup and breaking of bread that He explained represented His body and blood and was to be shared ONLY amongst believers. Jesus was making clear through that act and all the years of His teaching that there are many ways and times every believer is to witness, but a worship service should NEVER be used to "explain" Christianity or as a witnessing tool. It is the duty of every believer to share the Gospel and disciple new believers - teaching them basic doctrine, prayer styles, Biblical history, etc. That is NOT the sole responsiblity of a pastor.
And the fact that most Christian are not following as the Lord commanded by sharing the Gospel and discipling others "as you go" daily is the reason the Church is in such a sad sorry state where people have to ask ?s such as "would a muslim be welcome in a church setting".
Non-believers should be DRAWN to ask believers questions because of our lifestyle, especially how we love other believers and work together in outreach to those in need. If you are not "warm and welcoming" outside the church there is no way you can be TRULY warm and welcoming inside a church.
And there is also no way anyone can stop you from praying to the Lord in a mosque. I've done it in one of the largest mosques in Pakistan, as well as many other mosques here in the USA. But would I ever follow the prescribed islamic prayer ritual (salat) of bowing, standing, saying exact rote prayers - NEVER! You should simply sit and pray with your palms raised (muslims call this dua prayer - where they bring any request to the Lord). So sitting in this position NO ONE should question you. So you can be sitting there meditating on parts of the Bible from memory and no one would have a clue. We SHOULD be going inside masjids (in groups never alone, especially women in groups) to pray for the Lord to have mercy and send the Holy Spirit to answer all prayers made with sincerity. There are MANY MANY Muslims sincerely seeking the Lord. The way they will hear is if YOU pray "here I am, Lord; send me to share Your Gospel".
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