More and more masaajid are seeking advice on how to organise engaging activities for non-Muslim guests to appreciate Islam.
- Remember, it’s all about interaction so try to have enough volunteers at hand who are able to have conversations with every attendee. Everyone appreciates attention and a listening ear. Don’t worry about the types of questions you may be asked – no-one expects you to know everything so don’t worry about saying you don’t know if you reach the limit of your knowledge, and refer them to someone else who can help.
- Try to involve female and youth in welcoming, presenting and facilitating activities at the mosque so the guests get a holistic reflection of the Muslim community
In order to facilitate interaction, here are a list of activities with resources for free download and use:
Masjid tour
Print out these colourful resources and place them at key locations around the masjid which your guide can talk through as part of a walking tour of the masjid.
Some masaajid also have printed guidance on arrival which outlines dress (removing shoes, covering the body – with hijab and shawls for women), handshaking and other etiquettes of the masjid.
As part of the tour and general experience, purchase some gift bags so guests can pick up leaflets and materials of their choice to take away for further reading and learning.
Introduction to Islam presentation
This tends to be an interactive presentation to introduce the Islamic belief and encourage dialog and questions about the faith. Discover Islam have delivered this for a number of years in partnership with masaajid nationally and have had an excellent responses when structuring this around the opening Surah of the Qur’an – Al Faatihah – as Allah(SWT) introduces Islam in this quintessential and oft-repeated summary of the Qur’an. They have made this freely available for download on Slideshare.
Qur’an listening pods
Listening to the Quran has proven to captivate the hearts, even of non-Muslims, so have some Qur’an videos/audio capture. Some available recitation which you may wish to use:
- Al Fatiha Summary of the Qur’anic message
- Surah Al Ikhlas Description of Allah(SWT)
- Messengers sent to every nation Surah Ghafir
- Our many blessings Surah Ar-Rahman
- Day of Judgement
Virtual Reality experiences
Although a relatively recent activity, some masaajid have purchased a Google cardboard headset (only £6 on Amazon) which you can slot any smartphone into and use a VR app to present an experience at Hajj or other Islamic video such as Wahi.
Selfie board
In our increasingly social-media-savvy culture, one of the local masaajid did develop a selfie board to encourage photographs and sharing via online social media channels.
You can download the full-size selfie board by clicking on the image below:
Calligraphy table – get your name transcribed in Arabic
Ask a local calligrapher or someone who can write Arabic text clearly to write guests’ names in Arabic. This has proven to be a great gift which is very popular at open day events. There are online services (such as Firdaous) which you may wish to set up on a laptop and then print if this is quicker.
For younger attendees, you may wish to include henna, face-painting and colouring-in sheets.
Chaplaincy services
Most communities have Muslim chaplains who work at hospitals or prisons. They can share their experiences offering counselling, religious services or spiritual support.
Try it on stall – Ihraam and hijab
Manned by Scouts or local volunteers, offer the opportunity to try on a hijab (and perhaps offer as a gift) or the simple white cloth of Ihram, relating a story about these garments.
Preservation of the Qur’an
Many people do not know that the Qur’an is the actual Word of Allah(SWT), assuming it was compiled at a later stage, by ardent followers similar to other religions. This image summarises how the Qur’an was compiled during the life of the Prophet (SAW) and in the following generations. Click on the image to get the full size image.
