American Muslim

Masjid Tourism in NYC

Salaam Alaikum All,

As I write this, I am sitting on the floor near Gate C2 of Harstfield-Jackson airport, awaiting my 11 p.m. flight to Chicago. I have just spent an interesting three days in New York City. Since I was really there with no purpose in mind - well, I had a purpose originally but ahem, am now un-engaged - and decided that besides visiting a friend in the hospital, I would try and visit as many mosques as possible.

The week before I went, I used www.islamicfinder.org to look up masaajid in Manhattan. Some were big, some very small. But, alhamdulillah that the Mighty Allah (SWT) has provided Muslims in New York with so many places, sometimes in nooks and crannies, to pray. La illaha illallah .... I've also realized that one of the best ways to gauge the Islamic awareness of facilities of a city is to visit its mosques. This is a great way to see some beautiful architecture as well.

There is tremendous baraka with every step a Muslim takes walking towards the masjid and may Allah (SWT) reward me efforts to travel to seek an opportunity to worship him. There is nothing in this world like performing 'sajdah' when your forehead is firmly pressed on the ground and you are in total submission to your lord. As Sheikh Husain Abdul-Sattar says it is so GENEROUS of Allah (SWT) to even allow us, the unforgiving, the selfish, the opportunity to worship Him five times a day.

My Reviews and Prayer Schedule:

Saturday Duhr: My psychiatrist's office (77 5th Avenue)

Saturday Asr: Masjid Madina (401 E. 11th St.) - very clean Salafi masjid (not that it really matters - you pray wherever you can) - very clean, but almost not as welcoming as other masajid - got a few of the, "Who are you?" looks - nice wudu and bathroom area in the basement, both very clean - before praying 'asr' sat in on a small discussion with a sheikh about the lives of the sahabah. They truly were a blessed people who made many sacrifices.

Saturday Maghrib: Masjid Ar-Rehman (29 E. 29th St. - near Madison Ave.) - I almost didn't believe this was a masjid, but once I saw the kameezs I was in good company :). You have to walk down some steps and take off your shoes at the entrance. Like the last one and others I would see, the wudu area was below the main prayer area. So, I walked downstairs to make wudu in an interesting setup where the wudu taps were in teh middle of the bathroom and the line for the toilets circled around the wudu area. Needless to say with all the tattoos, I felt a little 'exposed' as everyone stared at me. The prayer area was clean and although I had missed the first major jamah, I joined a second. I was surprised after I finish praying that they had shuttered the entrance of the mosque and I guess were going to open it again for isha. I left through a side entrance and had dinner next door at Chandini - excellent cheap Pakistani food. Had Chicken Jalfraizi and two naans for 7 bucks!

Saturday Isha: My hostel :)

Sunday Fajr: Aun Nur Islamic Center (215 West 111th St.) - I walked here from my hostel at Amsterdam and 103rd in the cool early hours of Sunday (around 4:15 a.m.) and was really disappointed to find it locked. I mean no one was there. It was probably the smallest mosque I had ever seen and I almost didn't even see it - it was between two brownstones but below ground. I had to open a small gate, walk down some stairs past a series of trash cans and then saw the sign in Hindi/Arabic/English. And the door was locked. Bummed, I walked back and prayed in the hostel :(

Sunday Duhr: Masjid Manhattan (12 Warren St.) - This was my 2nd visit here and it's a beautiful majid that from the street, just looks a business with a giant "12" in blue outside. But, once you walk up the stairs you come on a large clean prayer room. Wudu area was clean and I was able to pray and just stay for a bit and make dua.

Sunday Asr: Islamic Society of Mid-Manhattan (154 E. 55th St.) - Another mosque I almost didn't find. I went up the steps from the storefront masjid and came to a large prayer room. I left my backpack and then found out that I had to exit out the back, put on 'najis' slippers and walk two floors to the basement to make wudu. Let's just say that although the actual wudu area was clean, the toilets were dirty and I felt a little disgusted even using them. The water handle was like the one you would find on a garden hose. But, after I washed my hands - with some bar soap - and made wudu, I went upstairs and prayed.

Sunday Maghrib: Waqas's apartment

Sunday Isha: Islamic Cultural Center of New York (96th and 3rd) - this is the biggest and most beautiful mosque in New York. I cam here two months ago with Rufiath and masha'allah, it is stunning. Some people complain that it is funded by "Saudi money" but whatever - go upstairs and see the main prayer area and you won't believe it. Must be the best place in NYC to have a nikkah.

Monday Fajr: My hostel :)

Monday Duhr: La Guardia Airport

Monday Asr: La Guardia Airport