Visiting the local mosque

It’s a nice day and therefore I’m going out to take a ride on my bike through the town. After a while, I pass by the local mosque, which I’ve already seen earlier this week when visiting an Iranian friend. I enter the building and I take of my shoes. Then I enter the “hall”, where there are carpets on the floor. An African guy greets me with a “Shalamaleikum” and we start a conversation. That is, he explains me, how Moses, Jesus and Muhammad are messengers of God, i.e. Allah.

He tells me, that I can return on Friday at one o’cock, when there will be a service. And if I wanted, he could show me how to pray. – Now, this sounds interesting, and he shows me how to wash myself before praying, which is quite a procedure, and happens in the basement, in a room for washing. Everything is washed three times, the mouth, nose, face, arms, and legs.

Up in the hall again, he shows me, how to worship.

During all his explanations he always stresses that this is written in the book: how it willl all finnish in the end, and what happens after death. That is, if you were on the right side, “you’ll have wine and there will be women” (sic!) and otherwise you’ll go to hell fire.

All in all it was a very interesting experience!