A niece of mine has good contacts because of her work on a school with the Imam of the mosque on the Wagenstraat in The Hague. We were welcome for a prayer service.
The mosque is located in a former synagogue, which was
used by the Jewish community in The Hague. Until 1975 it was still used as a
synagogue, but because the community had been decimated by the war, it had to
be closed. In 1981 it was used as a mosque by the Turkish community.
Upon arrival we are immediately welcomed by believers who did not know that we would come, the Imam is not there yet. They offer us tea or water. Everybody is so friendly and welcoming, we feel welcome and are greeted by everyone even though we are clearly two strangers in their midst. The Imam also welcomes us nicely and my niece can sit next to me in the mosque, although the stay for women is upstairs. So you can see everything, said the imam. That was a nice gesture for her.
We enter and I am immediately touched by the incredible silence and power that prevails there. I know that's because people have been praying there since 1842. The silence, the peace, the refined energy of devotion, literally I feel that here is a gateway to heaven. From the blogs I know that here too there is a temple of energy and a transformation house of energy at the service of many people. It is very nice to be there, and even though we know nothing about the rituals of the Muslims, we sit quietly on a bench in the back and let everything come up as it goes. It's a grace to sit there.
The service starts with a number of Surahs from Ali-Imran, one of the chapters of the Qur'an, we later understand from the Imam, who answers our questions after the "service". Furthermore, the imam also reads some verses and I found them later on in my Dutch Qur'an, and it reads: "Only in Your hand is the good. And Thou hast power over all things. " (End of verse 27).
I personally find the singing of the Surahs in that typical Arabic timbre overwhelming. It feels so primal, ancient, eternal almost, so magical, so relaxing and what I experienced the most was an all-intoxicating energy that came to me and said: "There is only one God and that is Allah. Only one God, nothing else, the rest is superstition, is secondary, does not matter. Turn only to God, there is nothing else to wish for, to feel, to experience."
I was completely captivated by it. Especially because
it was a beautiful male voice and the beautiful atmosphere in this
centuries-old house of prayer, the devotion, the silence of the people present,
all this made me think at a certain moment:
"I could be a Muslim" ,
Now the first part of my God's answer, when I asked: will You comment on this, please?
I like to do so. Now it has come about, after the visits to Protestant services and a Hindu temple.
You felt welcome, even though you were clearly strange. You have experienced the hospitality of the "eastern" world, in this case the Turkish one, and it is true, sincere and fully expressed. This is what one wants and this is what one can do. Wonderful feature of these peoples. And know that one could never, never, never forget the inner civilization not to act on this.
This House of Prayer has indeed been in function as a place of devotion for longer than the mosque when it was still a synagogue. And the spiritual temple has only grown since then, because the devotion, the love for YHWH/God, the humility, the setting aside of the ego, the prayer, the willingness to let go of everything and to focus on God/YHWH/Allah have continued. From synagogue to mosque. Is that ecumenical or what? After all, God does not practice religion. This is what you have felt and experienced, my son, and it is still truthfully a house of God and a gateway to heaven. How could one not feel this if one is receptive? One is automatically taken into the spiritual energy of heaven.
Singing the Surahs touched you and so you have experienced an energy of centuries and a power and impact of 1500 years of devotion and surrender within Islam. Of course, you were immediately and completely touched by it. Do this more often my son because the power of the sung Surah's and the healing effect of this on your body and mind are available.
But also for the mosques applies, empty mosques and full shopping
streets. What a waste of the grace of God and the spiritual world available to
the people and ignored by the people except those who come.
And know that these energies also reach out beyond the mosque itself.
The neighbourhood around it, the city of The Hague, even an entire region
benefit from the spread of this mercy of Allah/God for the people.
My blessings to you all
No 535
