the mosque closest to my house

was open today!

parking was a bit of a challenge, but there was a man unlocking the front door as i pulled up, so the suspense was over by the time i hit the door. rookie flubs this time included not figuring out where the women's entrance was before depositing my shoes, which meant i sort of stood around on one foot and another after prayers waiting for the men to thin out before collecting my (very feminine-looking) shoes from their jumble. luckily, a nice man noticed my confused wandering and guided me to the sisters' entrance before i had the chance to blunder into the wrong side.

there was nice calligraphy on the wall, including the 99 names of God (SWT). i skimmed it looking for one to roll around in my head for a few days and picked The Subtle (SWT), which is a fun one to contemplate. the room was comfortable, tastefully decorated, and plain. the men's side slowly filled while our side held a smattering of women. there was a good mix of ages and cultures, with a two year old who tottered around adorably and a gentle old woman who shooed us closer together for prayer.

the kutb was in English and the speaker translated the Arabic he used line by line. the talk was simple and centered on being faithful and observant (can't really go wrong with a topic like that, i suppose.)

distraction during prayer is a big problem for me. my mind wanders off and i pull it back (and it wanders off again, and i pull it back...) and i hope that the struggle itself is pleasing to Allah(SWT). today, gazing obediently on the ground where i would prostrate, i saw a little movement-- a tiny bug of some kind wandering through the carpet. i smiled inside at Allah the Subtle (SWT) as i carefully placed my hands and face on the floor, studiously avoiding my new friend, and saw up close how intricate, how delicate, how beautiful he/she was.