Wednesday, November 29th, 2006
A Lesson in Islam
Greetings! This is my debut contribution to our blog. Excuse my silence thus far, but now that training is coming to an end I have more to say. –Miranda
Kenya is a little more than 30% Muslim—almost entirely Sunni. The majority of the nation’s Muslims live on the coast, but even here in the Eastern province (home of our Peace Corps training site—cannot mention name), there are two mosques and plenty of Muslims to fill them up to five times a day. Also in our training town is a small, but well-stocked “supermarket” that is heavily frequented by generations of Peace Corps trainees. The family that owns this supermarket is Muslim and very warm and welcoming to trainees. We always enjoy visiting this particular supermarket, not only for the case of ice cream treats, but also the kind greetings that always come from the owner, Hassan and his wife, Nuru, who does the bookkeeping and inventory. One day, Hassan mentioned that Nuru had ordered cheese and Mars bars for the shop since they knew that these were among the foods that we Americans were likely to be missing—the items appeared shortly thereafter.
Last week, Sam and I had the opportunity to visit mosque with Nuru and Hassan and learn first-hand of the Islam experience here in Kenya. We were somewhat shocked to realize that while we have spent a fair amount of time in Africa, we have not yet attended mosque, though we have visited plenty of Christian churches of all kinds—this was a glaring gap in our experience of Africa. Visiting mosque with Nuru and Hassan was a very pleasant and educational experience and we are grateful to them for sharing their faith and culture so openly with us.
As is the practice in Islam, Sam and I accompanied our respective gendered hosts to the mosque. Please note that the information I present is not meant to account for all Muslim experiences everywhere, but only my experience here in Kenya with one Muslim family.
Mosque for Women
Before leaving the supermarket (our designated meeting place), Nuru helped me put on a head covering. Women are not supposed to show their hair or neck when in public—especially at mosque—so I had asked her to wrap me properly so I would not stick out (as much). As we walked to the mosque with the Arabic call to prayer resonating through the speaker on top, she explained that we would go to the mosque closest to their home because it would be conveniently located for lunch afterwards. We could have visited either mosque since Muslims do not hold particular loyalty to one place of worship. Upon reaching the mosque, Nuru demonstrated for me the ritual cleansing of hands, wrists, face, hair, and feet (in that order). The cleansing is done with splashing cool water on the various body parts and is meant to remove the dirt from the outside world (symbolically and literally) before facing Allah in prayer.
Next, we removed our shoes and entered the room of prayers. At this point, it was women only, as the men enter and pray in a different annex of the mosque. The sermon was already being channeled from the men’s mosque over to us when we arrived. We entered silently and found a place on the rug. I waited quietly, my feet covered by my leso (a large piece of cloth, often worn as a skirt—same as a Malawian chitenge). Feet are seen as unclean and are strictly covered while in prayer. Many women wear socks, others cover them with long skirts or lesos. Also, the wrists are covered during prayer. The sermon—delivered in both Arabic and Kiswahili—was not accessible to me in either language, but afterwards Nuru explained to me that it was about the importance of making the study of Arabic and the Qur’aan a part of children’s daily activities. After the sermon, we spent a few moments greeting one another much like the Christian practice of sharing greetings and “peace be with you.”
Next, the Imaam recited the holy prayer in Arabic, during which the congregation bent and prostrated in a series of movements meant to show the humility of humanity in the presence of God. After two units of prostration and a closing prayer, the service was complete. All Muslims are supposed to attend this service (about 40 minutes total) as many as five times a day. It is not compulsory for women to attend the mosque for prayers, instead she can perform them at home. Also, women are not permitted enter the mosque while menstruating, perhaps the reason for the provision to perform prayers at home.
After the service, we exited the mosque and collected our shoes before walking to Hassan and Nuru’s home where lunch awaited. Though I was looking forward to the lunch and the conversation, I imagined the standard fare of ugali (maize meal patties like Malawi’s nsima) and kale or cabbage side dish—maybe some chaptis if we were lucky. Wow! A feast of fruit juice, fruit salad, vegetable salad, delicious chicken soup, spicy beef satay skewers, rice pilau, and….PIZZA…with real cheese. I ate a lot of everything—beef included 
. While we ate I asked Nuru lots of questions about Islam and she graciously answered all of them. As is the Muslim custom, she and I ate in a separate room from Sam and Hassan. I asked her about this practice of separating men and women so often. She explained that Islam acknowledges the natural and innate desires between men and women; separating men and women while in worship and otherwise helps to temper unclean desires between them. Also, she explained, the nature of the prostration during prayers creates the possibility of men catching lewd glances from behind—not cool while praising Allah. I have to admit that I admire the practice of women cloaking themselves as an expression of modesty and humbleness while in spiritual communication with God; it gave me a new view of a practice that is often viewed in the West as subordinating of women.
I truly could write another 1000 words on my visit to the mosque, but I will summarize by saying that was an important experience and pleasant introduction to Islam and will continue to accept opportunities to learn more during my two years in Kenya. It is unfortunate and problematic that the American media offers a limited viewpoint on Islam and often emphasizes the differences between Islam and Christianity; a convenient dichotomy during the “war on terror.” I would encourage others to also educate themselves on the true Islam. Commune with Muslims and learn what they truly believe about God and humanity; you may be surprised to discover that their beliefs are not so different from your own. Such moments of understanding are opportunities for peace.