Western Site Visit and Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Western Site Visit and Paper - Essay Example My visit to this mosque was on a Friday. I prepared myself and arrived at about 11.00 a.m. Since I was new, I sorted to get some directions on what is required of me while in the mosque. So I went straight to the offices and I was welcomed warmly by the occupants who were in the office. Mr. Abdul, who introduced himself as a teacher for weekend Islam classes took the pleasure to show me around the mosque and to teach me the basic about Islam. Below is the conversation that followed between me and Mr. Abdul. Abdul: I am very pleased to have you here today. First and foremost, I will start with the basic things that you need to know about this religion. Islam is built on five pillars. The first one is Shahadah, where a believer expresses his commitment and acceptance of Islam. The shahadah is "There is no God but God and Muhammad is the Messenger of God." Abdul: And Prophet Muhammad is his Messenger. And you also go by the next pillars. The second pillar is prayer, commonly known as Salah in Islam. In prayer, a person communicates directly with God. A person is supposed to pray five times in a day and the prayers must be conducted while you are facing Mecca. Abdul: Because is the holiest city in Islam and also God instructed the Prophet Muhammad to pray while facing Qibla which is in Mecca. All Muslims in the world prays while facing Qibla. The third pillar is Zakat which means alms-giving or offering Muslims give to the needy. The fourth pillar is to fast during the holy month of  Ramadan, known as Sawm in Islam. The fifth pillar is visiting Mecca for pilgrimage. In Islam it is called Hajj. Abdul: Okay, the mosque or Masjid is the prayer house. It is a holy place and before entering, one must remove his or her shoes, clean him or herself with water. This act of cleaning is called tawadhah. The mosque is divided into two parts from