A Celebration of Hair

My friend Zechariah invited me to go to the Mosque with him last night (Saturday night) for a festival celebrating the finding of a "lock of the hair of prophet Muhammad."  I'm still putting together the back story on this, but the lock of hair had been housed there for many years before being lost in the Civil War in 1975.  The Sheikh of the Mosque found it (not sure of the details) and they held a parade commemorating the event.

We met at Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque nearby (where there was parking), and I rode in on the back of his moped.  Now, drivers of motor scooters in Beirut are famous for being crazy, and Zechariah was true to form.  I gripped the back support and held on for dear life as he charged the wrong way into oncoming traffic.  This was the first of many prayers I uttered this evening.  After a five minute ride on the motor scooter of death, we arrived at the Amir ManSour AlSaff Mosque.  It was renovated after the Civil War and is both modern and rustic at the same time.

There was a parade with people waving red and green flags, playing drums and cymbals, and singing.  One of the men (an assistant Sheikh) was carrying a small box on top of his head.  It turned out to be the box supposedly containing the aforementioned lock of hair.  My friend had joined in the parade, and grabbed my hand and pulled me into the throng.  This was my first time in a Muslim parade, so I played it cool and just walked along with a smile.  They were having a good time, so it was fun.

We made our way up the stairs and into the Mosque, where the man carried the box up some stairs to a platform where it was placed on a table and covered with gardenia blossoms.  The place was full, with maybe 200 men and a few boys.  There was a divider and curtain down the middle, and the women gathered on the other side.  From what I could tell they were watching the event on a video projector screen.  They were also peeking through the curtain some but everyone pretended not to notice.

When they began the formal prayers, I took this chance to pray for all the people around me.  The name of the event was Alistighfar AlKabir (The Great Forgiveness).  They want forgiveness, but cannot find it. One of my friends was telling me which sins would send you to hell, which led to a discussion.  He ended up admitting that there was no way for him to know his eternal fate.  These people know what they need, but are looking in the wrong place to find it.  If they can get this excited over a lock of hair, imagine the joy of having the burden of sin lifted from their shoulders by our Lord Jesus!

After the formal prayers, the event took an unexpected direction.  They had a quartet lead in singing songs.  The men wore matching shirt, ties, and vests and sang in four part harmony which reminded me very much of a Southern Gospel quartet.  The people sang along out of a book that was handed out to the crowd.  Unfortunately, Mosques don't have pews or chairs, so we sat cross-legged on the floor.  It didn't take long for my back and legs to start aching.  Nonetheless, the singing was very entertaining.

A lot of people were taking video, so I decided to capture a few minutes of it.  I noticed my friend passing a note to the assistant Sheikh, who spoke to him briefly, and I couldn't shake the idea that they were talking about me.  He grabbed my hand, which was on the video camera, and asked me to follow him.  Oh crap, I thought, twenty people are taking video and I'm getting busted for it.  He took me up front to where the serious Sheikhs were seated in chairs, the guys with the white hats with the red dome in the center.  I really didn't know what to expect at this point, but "uncomfortable" is a generous description of my feelings.

Zechariah introduced me to one of the Sheikhs, who shook my hand and invited me to sit down in front of him, which I guess is a place of honor.  It did seem to be where the prominent-looking people were seated.  So, in Church terms, this would be "bring our visitor down and let him sit on the front pew."  Of course, there was no pew, just another patch of floor.  Preachers, and Sheikhs, this is a bad idea no matter how well intentioned.  Not one to dwell too long on the awkward, I decided to enjoy the music and managed to get a little more video, which didn't seem to bother anyone.

After the music, the men lined up and started a sort of bowing dance, while the assistant sheikh carried the box with the lock of hair through the curtain to let the women have a closer look at it.  They had been peeking through the curtain some during the event, and were probably glad to get their chance.  Later they let everyone walk by the box and have a look inside.  I wasn't too keen on it because a) as a Baptist I don't really like veneration of icons, and b) it was a Muslim icon.  My friend insisted, so I walked by the box.  I just looked and smiled, there was no way I was going to bow and kiss the box.  I'm pretty sure I'm on solid theological ground on that one.

The veneration of icons is normally considered a bad things by Muslims, but in reality it creeps in sometimes in places like this.  Also, I think it would be fair to describe this veneration of Muhammad and his lock of hair as bordering on worship.

After the viewing there was a sermon by the head Sheikh.  He talked first about the Hadith (the sayings of Mumhammad) and how he was amazed to find an 8 year old boy in Saudi Arabia who knew a lot about them.  He then mentioned a Hadith about the hair of Muhammad and how people claimed to be cured by drinking water after the hair was dipped in it.  He then recounted how the hair had been at the Mosque since it was built (500 years or so) but was lost in the 1975 civil war.  He told how he personally had found the missing hair later.  Then he talked about how Adam named the gazelles, and I am at a loss as to how to tie that in to the first two subjects.

They did the formal prayers again, which gave me another opportunity to pray for the Mosque and all those around me.  We do not know the workings of the Holy Spirit, but  we are told to pray for them to happen.  Jesus said "If I be lifted up, I will draw all men to me. "  Friends we need to lift up Jesus in every corner of the Muslim world.  We need to lift him up in our preaching, our ministry, and in our prayers.  He has the power to break any stronghold, and any heart.

After the final prayers, they went outside for more flag-waving, music, and dancing.  It was getting late now, and we left about 11:30.  I had agreed to go to the Sheikh's house for dinner afterward, but my friend Zechariah needed to get home to go to sleep.  So, perhaps another time.

My takeaway from this is something that I need to remember, that I hope we can all remember.  These aren't people who hate God.  They don't even hate Jesus, they just don't understand him.  If they understood what he did for us all, dying for the forgiveness of our sins, they'd really love him.

Please pray for our ministry here among the Muslim people of Beirut.  When I say "among them" I mean it literally.  They are our neighbors and friends, people who are dear to us.  It breaks my heart to think of them being so close to the Gospel, and yet missing that essential part -claiming forgiveness of sin and eternal life through Christ Jesus.  Pray for a move of the Holy Spirit among them, among us.