Lessons in a Mosque

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    On our first day in Morocco, we had the opportunity to tour the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca. This
was my first real interaction with the Islamic faith in my life. Before this program, my knowledge on Islam
was very limited, but even just in our visit to the mosque, I learned many new and interesting things about
the faith. One of these is that there is a thorough washing process that is completed before prayer to purify
oneself. Another is that there are separate prayer areas for men and women inside the mosque.

    I felt very thankful for the opportunity to tour the inside of the mosque, as it is the only mosque in the
country that allows non-muslims to go inside. Additionally, it is considered the highest religious building
in the world (Mosquèe Hassan 2). Before visiting this mosque, I had never seen a building so
beautiful. I was in awe as we learned how much detail had gone into the handcrafting of every piece of
the mosque. Looking over each detail, I could feel how much the artists cared about what they were
making, and that they were creating something for a purpose bigger than themselves. Another detail that I
found so intriguing was when we were shown the three balls outside the washrooms which represented
Islam, Judaism and Christianity. This display, as well as multiple designs that contained the Star of David
throughout the mosque, is a sign of how accepting Morocco is, and that they do not force religion on
anyone. I feel that there is a misconception about this that because they are an Islamic country, you must
adhere to the ways of the faith, but in reality, no one in the country will ever force someone to act or
believe one way or another.

                                                                References
Mosquée Hassan 2. La Fondation de la Mosquée Hassan II de Casablanca. (n.d.)
    https://www.fmh2.ma/en




 

Comments

  1. Taylor MurrayJune 2, 2024 at 5:30 PM

    Thank you for sharing! I really enjoyed reading your post especially since I missed the mosque on the first day. Reading your post gives me an idea of what the inside of a mosque is like. I think it is really interesting that there are two separate rooms for men and women to pray in. I noticed they usually had prayer rooms in the bathrooms here, but did not realize that they would also have separate prayer rooms inside a mosque. I like that you mentioned that they had representation of Judaism, Islam and Christianity displayed inside the mosque to show that they respect the others. While being in Morocco, I have began to realize some of the misconceptions that I had about Islam, and I agree that this country does not seem to force religion on anyone.

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