First masjid visit guide

Before you go

Check the masjid website, or phone ahead if you can. Prayer times, which door to use, women's spaces, accessibility, parking, and support for new Muslims all differ from one masjid to the next.

• Find the prayer time and plan to arrive 10 to 20 minutes early.
• Bring socks if you would rather not be barefoot once your shoes are off.
• Silence your phone before you step into the prayer area.
• If you are nervous, ask whether someone can meet you at the door.

What to wear

Wear clean, modest clothes you can bow and prostrate in. Cultural clothing is not required. If you are unsure, go loose with good coverage, and skip slogans or large images that might distract people who are praying.

When you walk in

Most masjids have a shoe rack near the door. Some have separate prayer spaces or separate entrances for men and women. If you cannot tell which is which, stop near the entrance and ask.

• Say it is your first visit and that you are new to Islam or still learning.
• Ask where the shoes go and where you should sit.
• Ask where people make wudu if you need to.
• During prayer, line up with the rows and follow what the group does.

Small courtesies

A few habits make a masjid easier for everyone. People often do not mention them until you get one wrong, so here they are with their sources. If someone corrects you, say "Thank you, I'm new," and ask your teacher later whether the point was a rule or a local habit.

• Do not walk directly in front of someone who is praying. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said that a person who knew the sin of passing in front of someone praying would rather wait forty (days, months or years) than do it (Sahih al-Bukhari 510). Pass behind them, or beyond the object they have placed in front of them, which is called a barrier (sutrah).
• When you pray on your own, pray facing a wall, a pillar or an object, and stay close to it (Sunan Abi Dawud 698, graded hasan sahih). People can then pass beyond it without disturbing you (Sahih Muslim 499a).
• As you enter, you can say "Allahumma iftah li abwaba rahmatik" (O Allah, open for me the doors of Your mercy), and as you leave, "Allahumma inni as'aluka min fadlik" (O Allah, I ask You of Your grace) (Sahih Muslim 713a). These are recommended, not required.
• If you can, pray two short units of prayer (rak'ahs) when you arrive, before you sit down (Sahih al-Bukhari 444). If you are unsure whether now is a good time, just sit, and ask your teacher later.
• If you arrive during the Friday sermon (khutbah): the Prophet told a man who came in during the sermon to stand and pray two rak'ahs (Sahih Muslim 875c). Scholars differ on whether to do this while the sermon is going on, so ask your teacher what your masjid follows, and do not argue about it in the row.
• During the sermon, listen and stay quiet, and keep your phone away. The Prophet said that even telling the person next to you to be quiet during the sermon is wrong (Sahih al-Bukhari 934).
• Do not step over people to reach the front. A man who did that during the Friday sermon was told, "Sit down, you have annoyed people" (Sunan Abi Dawud 1118, graded sahih). Sit where there is space, even at the back.
• Try not to come straight after eating onion, garlic or leek. The Prophet told people who had eaten onions or leek not to come near the masjid (Sahih Muslim 564a), and another narration names garlic and onion (Sahih al-Bukhari 855).
• Women may attend the masjid. The Prophet said, "Do not stop Allah's women-slaves from going to Allah's mosques" (Sahih al-Bukhari 900). Scholars discuss the conditions and where it is better for a woman to pray, so ask your teacher about your situation. If the women's space is closed or too small, see the section on women's space below.
• Children are welcome at many masjids. The Prophet shortened a prayer when he heard a child crying, so the mother would not be troubled (Sahih al-Bukhari 707). Keep young children near you and check the masjid's own rules.
• Copies of the Quran on the shelves are there to read inside the masjid. Put them back when you finish. If you are on your period or need the full-body wash (ghusl), the menstruation and worship topic explains where scholars differ on touching the Quran.
• After a talk, wait for question time or go up to the speaker afterwards. It helps to write your question down first. A private question can go to the masjid office by email.

Friday prayer basics

Jumu'ah is the Friday congregational prayer. There is a sermon first, then the prayer, and the room is usually full. If your first visit lands on a Friday, come early and expect the parking, the doors, and the seating to be crowded.

Women's space, accessibility, and support

Women's spaces are not the same everywhere. Some are large and busy, some are small, and some open only for certain prayers. Accessibility and parking vary too. Asking before you visit is completely normal.

• Is the women's prayer area open for this prayer?
• Is there an accessible entrance or an elevator?
• Where should a first-time visitor park?
• Is there a class for new Muslims, a mentor, or someone I could talk to?

If you are Deaf, blind, autistic or have other access needs

Masjids are for everyone, and asking for access is normal. Email or call the office before your visit and say what would help.

Deaf Muslims of Canada works with organisers to book ASL interpreters for events and trains interpreters in Islamic signs. ISDHH in the United States runs ASL classes and interprets the Friday khutbah in ASL. If you are blind or have low vision, audio Quran apps let you listen and follow along, and our resources page lists some.

If noise and crowds are hard for you, visit at a quieter prayer time, bring ear defenders, and let the imam or a volunteer know you may need to step out. Allah does not ask a soul for more than it can bear (Quran 2:286).

• Can you arrange an ASL interpreter for the khutbah or a class?
• Is there a ramp, a lift and an accessible washroom?
• Is there a quieter time or space I could use?
• Can I reserve a chair or a seat near the front?

Things you can say

Common situations

Where to go next