Shown here is the Istiqlal mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia, the largest Mosque in Southeast Asia. Ten thousand men can fit on the ground floor shown. The women worship in a separate part of the temple where the men cannot see them (Perlez).
Ever since I visited a mosque in Salt Lake last semester, I have been fascinated with the Muslim method of worship. When I visited the mosque, I wore a scarf over my hair to be respectful; Muslims view hair as the most sexy part of the body, which is why their women cover their heads. I also took off my shoes as another sign of respect. I went with the other women to a balcony-type floor above the main floor of the mosque. There, the women could worship privately but still hear the Imam on the ground floor.
Before going to the mosque, I thought the separation of women and men in this way was sexist and out of date. After watching the women pray however, I realized that it the separation of the women and men is actually a show of reverence towards the women; The Muslim mode of prayer is very active--worshippers will kneel and stand sometimes many times--and it might not be completely appropriate if a man was standing watching behind a women in prayer. The women and men, by being separated, can focus solely on their communion with Allah instead of worrying about who is watching you.
I am also extremely impressed by the commitment to prayer that Muslims have. While I believe that I should pray as often as possible, and always have a prayer in my heart, Muslims exhibit a level of physical dedication that isn't often seen in other religions. Muslim prayer, called Salah, is one of the five pillars of Islam, and is practiced five times a day at specific times. Muslims have to set apart that time, whether at work, home, or elsewhere, for prayer every day. Muslim dedication to communicating with God inspires me to be more diligent in my own prayers.
So much can be gained from learning more about the world around you. Whether it's understanding or experiencing someone else's belief system, like I did, or learning about the hardships that people all around the world face, like I've been writing about all semester, being aware of other peoples and cultures can greatly enrich your life--I know because my own life has been enriched and changed this semester.
Works Cited
Salgado, Sebastião. Migrations. New York: Aperture. 396-7. Print.
This is so interesting! I love the perspective you portrayed here. This post reminds me a bit of Nathan's essay, of his experiences living abroad. It's wonderful to see this kind of respect for other cultures and religions. I would never have thought that the reason for the separation could be due to physical distractions; I, too, thought it was for specific gender-role reasons. It's funny how much ignorance does not facilitate respect. In situations such as this, it strikes me how much I do not understand and do not make an effort to understand, and how regretable this is. I need to change this. Thank you for sharing!
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