Mosque services

[Badlittlepup]

The prayers are in Arabic. That's a given.

 

The sermon (Khutbah) depending on the mosque, can be delivered in Arabic, Urdu, English (and, depending on the country the mosque is in), it can often be delivered in the official language of the specific country,

 

Are the prayers from the koran or another text?

 

What kind of things are discussed in the sermon?

[Plain Talker]

Can you just go to a service at a mosque though? If you are female is there a place you can sit?

 

Yes there is often an area set aside for the women. Some mosques don't have a ladies' area. It's not a massive problem in sheffield as women who can't go to the mosque without a ladies area, can find, very nearby, an alternative mosque where ladies can pray.

it's not a biggie, in many ways as it's mandatory for the men to attend friday prayers at the mosque, but as women often have family/ home responsibilities, they aren't obligated to attend.

 

For modesty's sake, the women usually sit behind the men, or to the side (Some mosques have a separate room for the women)

It can be distracting to the men to have a lady's bottom bobbing up and down in front of them whilst trying to concentrate on their prayer, which is why the women don't stand in front of the men.

[Badlittlepup]

For example, just as a random sample, I know you are a practising Muslim PT so what was your sermon about today?

 

---------- Post added 16-08-2013 at 22:29 ----------

 

Or anybody else? I'm genuinely asking this out of pure curiosity and there is no agenda at all. I swear.

[Plain Talker]

Are the prayers from the koran or another text?

 

What kind of things are discussed in the sermon?

 

the prayers include verses from the Qur'an, such as the Surah (chapter) called Surah Al Fatiha, or "the opening surah". It's the first chapter in the Qur'an. it's recited twice within each circuit of prayers. If your prayer (as laid out in islam) does not contain a recitation of the Fatihah, it's considered that your prayer is in-valid.

The fatihah is laid out very much like the Paternoster/ lord's prayer. You give praises, and glory to God, and then you ask him to provide your daily needs.

 

You bow before God, in your prayer, acknowledging him as the Almighty, and you ask for blessings and peace for your brothers and sisters in faith. You acknowledge the role of the Prophets in bringing God's word to humankind, and give thanks for them.

 

It has a set structure, like the mass of the Catholic Church and the Church of England. As you follow the Prayer (salah) you pray "this" prayer, then you pray "that" set prayer, just as you do in church prayer.

 

You go through a number of "circuits" of prayer, the number according to which of the five set prayers you are doing.

The five prayers are:-

"Fajr" the Dawn prayer, prayed just before sunrise

Dhuhur, the Noonday prayer

Asr, the Afternoon prayer

Mahgreb, the nightfall prayer (prayed at dusk) and

Isha the night prayer, prayed a couple of hours after nightfall.

 

The prayers consist of varying numbers of rak'aa (circuits)

Fajr is 2 rak'aa

Dhuhur is 4 aaka'a

Asr is also 4 raka'a

Mahgreb is 3 raka'a and

Isha is 4 raka'a.

 

The khutbah or sermon is similar to a church sermon, in that it usually refers to scripture, and often has a moral to impart, about good behaviour or doing good deeds. It may be a discussion about the history of a saint, it may be a lecture about a chapter in the Qur'an or a section of one of the chapters.

As I said, it's very similar to a sermon in a church.

[Plain Talker]

For example, just as a random sample, I know you are a practising Muslim PT so what was your sermon about today?

 

---------- Post added 16-08-2013 at 22:29 ----------

 

Or anybody else? I'm genuinely asking this out of pure curiosity and there is no agenda at all. I swear.

 

I didn't attend prayers today, (as a woman, I'm not obligated to attend) and it's not always easy for me as the mosque gets very full, and I can't get up the stairs to the room where the ladies sit.

 

However the sermon the other week was about "the will of Allah" and trusting in him and having patience when going through trials.

 

---------- Post added 16-08-2013 at 22:47 ----------

 

How do you ladies manage not to get distracted by all those hot guys booties bobbing up and down in front of you? Are men really that much less able to focus on the task at hand than the ladies?

 

It's about propriety, Andy. (dignified behaviour) If some lady was wriggling about at you, across your sit-and-go lawnmower, whilst you were trying to cut your customer's leylandii back, wouldn't you find it distracting?

[Badlittlepup]

the prayers include verses from the Qur'an, such as the Surah (chapter) called Surah Al Fatiha, or "the opening surah". It's the first chapter in the Qur'an. it's recited twice within each circuit of prayers. If your prayer (as laid out in islam) does not contain a recitation of the Fatihah, it's considered that your prayer is in-valid.

The fatihah is laid out very much like the Paternoster/ lord's prayer. You give praises, and glory to God, and then you ask him to provide your daily needs.

 

You bow before God, in your prayer, acknowledging him as the Almighty, and you ask for blessings and peace for your brothers and sisters in faith. You acknowledge the role of the Prophets in bringing God's word to humankind, and give thanks for them.

 

It has a set structure, like the mass of the Catholic Church and the Church of England. As you follow the Prayer (salah) you pray "this" prayer, then you pray "that" set prayer, just as you do in church prayer.

 

You go through a number of "circuits" of prayer, the number according to which of the five set prayers you are doing.

The five prayers are:-

"Fajr" the Dawn prayer, prayed just before sunrise

Dhuhur, the Noonday prayer

Asr, the Afternoon prayer

Mahgreb, the nightfall prayer (prayed at dusk) and

Isha the night prayer, prayed a couple of hours after nightfall.

 

The prayers consist of varying numbers of rak'aa (circuits)

Fajr is 2 rak'aa

Dhuhur is 4 aaka'a

Asr is also 4 raka'a

Mahgreb is 3 raka'a and

Isha is 4 raka'a.

 

The khutbah or sermon is similar to a church sermon, in that it usually refers to scripture, and often has a moral to impart, about good behaviour or doing good deeds. It may be a discussion about the history of a saint, it may be a lecture about a chapter in the Qur'an or a section of one of the chapters.

As I said, it's very similar to a sermon in a church.

 

Yes, so I understand that. It's like the rosary and would be comprehensible to most followers in arabic as it would be in their own language. Just as the rosary in latin (or the order of most masses) would be comprehensible to those who spoke English or Spanish when it was spoken in latin because they are familiar with the text.

 

---------- Post added 16-08-2013 at 22:50 ----------

 

How do you ladies manage not to get distracted by all those hot guys booties bobbing up and down in front of you? Are men really that much less able to focus on the task at hand than the ladies?

 

I am honestly trying to be dead serious Andy. Stoppit.

 

---------- Post added 16-08-2013 at 22:53 ----------

 

I didn't attend prayers today, (as a woman, I'm not obligated to attend) and it's not always easy for me as the mosque gets very full, and I can't get up the stairs to the room where the ladies sit.

 

However the sermon the other week was about "the will of Allah"

 

So essentially like the Catholics were it is all God's will like if you get broken into and all your stuff gets nicked then it's God's will and part of his plan?

 

Interesting. So far this is almost the same as being Catholic.

 

Can you reference which reading this came from? Also can you think of any more examples of sermons? Or can anyone else reading?

 

---------- Post added 16-08-2013 at 22:57 ----------

 

Also I didn't know Islam had saints. Who are they?

[natjack]

It can be distracting to the men to have a lady's bottom bobbing up and down in front of them whilst trying to concentrate on their prayer, which is why the women don't stand in front of the men.

I think it'd be distracting for anyone, man or woman, having someones' backside in your face. Wouldn't a better answer for the 21st century be to stop the practice of sticking your bum in the air, rather than gender segregation?

 

Do you know about the Muslims in long established European enclaves like Kosovo and Albania, they don't have to learn Arabic and Urdu, for their services, do they?

[Badlittlepup]

PT, if some customer was wriggling about as you put it on my kit I'd request they cease and desist as it could damage the kit. However that would be someone doing something innapropriate. As an example I have a customer who is a naturist and she explained this when she retained my services and I am perfectly capable of doing my job if she happens to be around and naked without getting distracted. It's not a big ask. So even more so in the context of a mosque when everyone is praying and should be focused on their prayer to expect.

 

Using your language surely if you ladies would be "wriggling about at the men" if you were up front, the men are doing the exact same to you when you have to sit at the back.

 

So the question stands how can you concentrate when these fine examples of manhood are wriggling about at you without shame?

 

Andy, seriously. You know me, I'm not some kind of politically correct automaton.

 

But it just so happens tonight a big wave of curiousity has come over me so pleeeeease don't derail my thread.

 

I'm dead serious.

[Plain Talker]

Badlittlepup, hmm... it's not as nihilistic/ fatalistic as you perhaps think. We Muslims believe that what happens, is written for you, but the decisions and choices are yours to make.

It's not that one has no choice in the matter. We should see what lessons, perhaps are to be learned from whatever it is. Perhaps a burglary tells you that "stuff" is only "stuff" and that it's not the end of the world that your flat-screen telly has been tea-leaved. possessions can usually be replaced. Maybe some tribulation or stress is telling you to lean on God, or to have patience...

[Badlittlepup]

I think it'd be distracting for anyone, man or woman, having someones' backside in your face. Wouldn't a better answer for the 21st century be to stop the practice of sticking your bum in the air, rather than gender segregation?

 

Do you know about the Muslims in long established European enclaves like Kosovo and Albania, they don't have to learn Arabic and Urdu, for their services, do they?

 

I think if you read PTs earlier thread they do. Their services will be in arabic too.

 

---------- Post added 16-08-2013 at 23:03 ----------

 

So are there mosques in Sheffield which have sermons in English?