To Be A Welcoming Mosque

I saw his face day after day, week after week in Isha and Friday prayers, but never introduced myself to him or asked him who he was, or if he needed any help.

It was after two years of his frequenting our mosque that I got to know him, and to my embarrassment, he told me that in the first two years since he moved to this area and began coming to our beloved mosque, few people bothered to greet him, or ask him about his family or needs, or tried to know him beyond the usual formal pleasantries.

It turns out that he was a Muslim leader from a different state who moved to Chicago for the wonderful things he had heard about the Muslim community here, only to find disappointment from the cold reception he received upon arriving.

A convert sister who recently moved to our community with her children, wept as she told me of her experience with a few sisters in our mosque who did not even return her salam when she greeted them.

Of course, these are isolated incidents that probably do not reflect the attitude of most Mosque Foundation congregants when we see new faces among us, but even isolated incidents reflect a problem that should be addressed.

I wonder how many people might come to our mosque without finding a brother or a sister eager to befriend them or make them feel that they are welcomed in our community as members of our mosque family?

I wonder how many new Muslims attended prayer services to declare their Shahada, followed by shouts of Takbeer and hugs and congratulations, only to end up disappearing unnoticed after a few weeks or a few months due to the lack of interaction with other congregants?

Dr. Ihsan Bagby, a professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Kentucky, and the author of "A Portrait of Detroit Mosques," said that a successful Mosque in the U.S. must have three essential qualities: to be a residential mosque, to have a high rate of charity, and to offer a welcoming atmosphere to new members. Our mosque is definitely a leader in the first two, but I believe that we can improve on the third criterion.

Improvement doesn't come without effort, and a proactive approach by our staff and volunteers. They must set the example for other members to follow.

Some mosques are establishing "Welcoming Committees" to specifically greet newcomers to make them feel welcome, perhaps even offering a gift package, or having the Imam to personally greet them, as well as introducing mosque services and programs to them, or assigning a brother or sister to be their mentor or supporter (Ansar).

Of course the simple solution should be the standard, which is to follow the steps of our beloved Prophet (PBUH) and just be kind, respectful, hospitable, generous, and patient to the stranger, treating others as we wish to be treated, and keep smiling; for even your smile is a charity.

Dr. Mohammed Sahloul