The imam was calling everyone for prayers by reciting the Iqama (which is basically a shorter form of the azaan). An azaan is a call for prayers. People started gathering around in the prayer hall. As a mark of respect I walked towards the courtyard so I could get a better view and not interfere in the prayers. The imam asked all the worshippers to switch off their cellular phones. I guess it's considered rude for the prayers to be interrupted by the ringing of the phone. I could see all the men lining up in formation. They all stood in a straight line and made sure that there was no gap in between. I could see that there was a lot of unity amongst everyone as they made sure that all the gaps were filled up. A lot of these worshippers had covered their heads with a skull cap. I later found out that it is a mark of respect to cover the head while praying to Allah. A noticed several things while observing the prayers. The worshippers followed the Imam in every way. They put their hands in the prostate position while praying. I found out that this form of prayer is called the rakat. This is a form of prayer which involves a Muslim to stand, bow, sit and hold his hands in the prostrate position.

They would bend while praying and then they would go down to the floor. Then all the worshippers put their faces on the floor twice. Then they got up and repeated the cycle. However during the second time they remained on the floor while on their knees. Then after they finished reciting their Kalmas (or prayers) they tilted their faces towards the right and then the left. Then there was a short pause while the imam got ready to prepare the people for the Dua. Dua is a prayer of thanks to Allah. Then they all raised their hands up in the air while the Imam read out a Dua. After that was over, I could see people...

They were completing the rest of their prayers. I could also see that people would not walk in front of the others while they were praying. It is considered to be a sin to walk in front of someone while he is praying. They would rather wait for the person to finish his prayers and then cross his path.
A also noticed that no one talked during the prayers. No one is allowed to talk during prayers as they are supposed to be facing God and praying to Him. No one made any prayer movements before the Imam finished his. My guide told me later that it is also considered very rude to break wind as it creates an unpleasant feeling and breaks the wudu.

A walked down towards the grounds of the Faisal Mosque. I discovered that it houses the mausoleum of Zia-ul-Haq, the former president of Pakistan. The mausoleum was on an elevated ground. I could see people stopping there to offer fateha. (fateha means prayers for the deceased). There were a lot of people around in the grounds. This is because Shah Faisal Mosque is a landmark and is admired by people around the world.

Conclusion

This was a very pleasant experience for me. I learnt a lot about Islam. It cleared a lot of misconceptions I had earlier. The experience in the mosque was very peaceful. I felt very blissful and relaxed inside. It was like as if I had no more worries in the world. Everything was very clean and in an organized manner. There was a lot of purity in the air. It was a very interesting experience for me as I got to see how everything goes along.

Bibliography

Islam World

http://www.islamworld.net

Mosques

http://www.tpub.com/content/religion/14228/css/14228_42.htm

Muslim Gateway and Rituals www.muslimgateway.com/r/l/rituals