Muslim Day of Prayer on Capitol Hill

WASHINGTON -- In what is being hailed as an historical, never-done-before event, a New Jersey mosque is organizing a Muslim Day of Prayer on Capitol Hill on Friday, September 25, to pray for the soul of America and showcase Muslims' spiritual unity.

"The situation of Muslims and how they are perceived by the society at large is still not very good, and what better way to show what we’re about than by gathering together to peacefully pray?" Hassan Abdullah Esq, the head of the Dar-ul-Salaam mosque, told IslamOnline.net.

He expects people from across the country to show up in droves just for the chance to pray together in the nation’s capital, anticipating a crowd of nearly 50,000 people.

"The most powerful thing people can do for each other is pray," asserts Abdullah.

"It’s the most powerful weapon in the country."

The focus of the day will be on prayer and spirituality, with no big personalities, no speeches by popular imams or Muslim figureheads, no signs, and no placards to push any sort of agenda.

"We are not dealing with any personalities. We wanted the personality to be Prophet Muhammad the objective to be the worship of Allah."

Along with uniting for Jummah (Friday) prayers, the organizers have invited Sheikh Ahmed Dewidar, the imam of Islamic Society of Mid-Manhattan, and Sheikh Mohamed Jebril, two prominent Qaaris, to recite the Qur’an.

"We’re not going to talk about politics. We’re just concentrating on the Almighty God," Sheikh Dewidar, who stood with President George W. Bush and UN chief Kofi Anan on Ground Zero to condemn the 9/11 attacks, told IOL.

"Jummah itself remains key and the main drive behind what we do. There is no place for big figures on that day. The main figure is Jummah prayers, which should attract people more than anyone else. And the idea is also to make about the beauty of the Qur’an, which is why I’ll be reciting," he explained.

"Everyone just wants the same thing--a good relationship with God. We need such peaceful activity like this, and we recommend anyone to watch it, to recognize what Muslims are doing."

* Diversity

Abdullah conceived the idea for the event in June after watching President Barack Obama’s historical speech to Muslims in Cairo.

Afterwards, when discussing the speech and the current state of Muslims with friend Imam Mohammad Abdul Malik, the two were moved to do something on a big scale.

"We wanted to get together on the concept of bringing Muslims together for spiritual change, for Tawheed," said Abdullah.

"The majority of Muslims in this country are struggling, paying bills, raising their kids and practicing their religion the best way possible, and that’s the part of Islam that should be explored," he explained.

"We wanted to do something to show our diversity and our spirituality."

But as the event draws near, the buzz is growing about its large scale, location and timing across the blogosphere.

Certain websites have been created just for people to post their fears and concerns, including calls to disrupt the prayer and the recitation of the adhan with cow bells, or by bringing dogs, donkeys, and pigs to create a commotion.

One group, called the "Stop the Islamization of the America," equates the Day of Prayer with a call for Shari`ah law in the US, claiming the event is political, not religious.

But other bloggers and religious and political pundits are praising the Muslim efforts.

"This sounds like a wonderful idea in our scarred and fraught world—religious people coming together to the nation’s capital in a spirit of unity, praying for their well-being and for that of the country and the world. What’s not to support about this?" Michael Kessler, a columnist for the Washington Post’s On Faith section, writes.

Abdullah, the event's organizer, expects a fallout and opposition, but that would not deter him.

"I want [all Americans] to see a beautiful diversity of Islam, and see the most important part of Islam deals with the spirituality and the Tawheed," he says enthusiastically.

"I want them to see the diversity of Muslims and the equality of Islam."

Source: IslamOnline

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