Friday

Today I was running to the bank around the time of Jummah, and I'm never outside then so this was the first time I saw all of the Muslims in my community come out. It was really amazing to see the Bangladeshis, Pakistanis, Blacks, and Hispanics walking together to the masjid. It reminded me of how I felt when I went to my first lecture at a masjid in Queens with my friend, Sanam, so I thought I'd just write about that.

This was about a month ago- a few older African men in their long dresses and beards were standing in front, and we stepped in through the women's entrance and removed our shoes. A Middle Eastern woman blocked the entry with her baby stroller and apologized. We walked over it and up the stairs, and I felt a bit nervous. An African woman stood at the top, showing everyone in. 'Assalamualaikum," said Sanam, and I repeated. The woman wore a bright yellow jilbab (long dress) and an orange hijab. She smiled at me and replied- "Walaikumsalam. Come in, my sister."

There couldn't have been a more cinematic entrance. That was the first time a stranger, or Muslim woman, had referred to me as her sister. I felt my anxiety fade and I suddenly felt like I was part of a family, and this sisterhood. As a kid, I had attended Eid prayers outdoors at Astoria Park in Queens, and I had only been to masjids a handful of times. The last masjid I'd been to was in Wayland, MA where honestly, I didn't feel that comfortable. Maybe it was because that masjid was huge and predominantly attended by Pakistanis of a certain social class, and so I felt out of place as no one made an effort to talk to anyone else. My Palestinian friend who also attends that masjid agrees that even she feels a bit out of place there. But something about the people at this masjid really made me proud to be a Muslim and to have this connection with them- and I really could sense that they felt the same way. Perhaps it's just an effect of the amount of cultural diversity and people of all backgrounds that we're exposed to in New York City every day. In between the speaker's lecture, Sanam and I were able to talk to many of the other sisters and play with their children, which they let us hold :)

I brought back a lot from that lecture- the most important lesson being, "Poverty is not a deficiency- it actually brings you closer to Allah." The speaker touched a lot on how the Prophet (peace be upon him) went hungry quite often, and that the majority of his companions were poor and "it was better for them, that they were poor." It reminded me of my grandfather, and my father, and I was happy about the hidden blessing in the simple lives they chose.

I also find myself reciting dhikr more if I'm stressed, upset, or sense myself becoming impatient at any moment.