Participants of the Diocesan Inspire Course at Portsmouth Cathedral recently visited Al Mahdi Centre. The Co-ordinator Marion Syms has penned the following report of this visit:
To quote from Canon Max Warren, “Our first task when approaching another people, another culture, another religion, is to take off our shoes – for the place we are approaching is Holy Ground.”
That was certainly the experience of members of the Diocesan Inspire Course during their recent visit to the new and beautiful Al Mahdi Mosque in Fareham, an eco-friendly centre for spirituality, reflection, peace, harmony and community. An evening of round-table conversation held earlier this year, at the Cathedral, on the experience of personal prayer within our two faiths had left both Inspire and Al Mahdi people wanting to continue the sharing. Inspire members gladly responded to the invitation from the Imam, Sheikh Fazle Abbas, for a follow-up visit to the Al Mahdi Centre.
What a privilege it was to be invited to be present for their time of Mid-day Prayer. A young persons’ leaflet ‘Keep Calm and Pray On’ helped us understand the time of formal prayer and the recitations which accompanied the various bodily prayer positions. Lunch followed together with the opportunity for more conversation in both small and larger groups.
We were given a wonderful insight into the spiritual practice of our Muslim friends and were struck by the openness and gentleness, warmth and hospitality of the people at Wessex Shia Ithna Asheri Community, and by the charm, grace and faith commitment of the young people present. We were reminded that the intention for prayer should be simply to ‘seek closeness to the Almighty’ and that the Quran repeatedly encourages stillness and contemplation. Ramadan was approaching and we learned more of the spiritual significance and challenge of the month of fasting. Stereotypical views with regard to the place of women were shattered. 
It was good to share our experience of what it means to encounter God, to rejoice in the similarities as well as the differences and to journey together to a better understanding of each other. We were left with the question ‘what now?’ Could there be a continuing dialogue to enable the much-needed general widening of understanding between our two faith traditions.
Article by Marion Syms
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