I was sent by my company to take a short course for two weeks in Houston, TX, USA at the end of July 2011 to the first week of August 2011. As my habit when traveling is to find masjid nearby the place where I staying. I found that there are two masjid which are not far from hotel. First is Makkah Masjid which is laid on 3505 South Dairy Ashford Road. The masjid is in a commercial building, it’s interior is a spacious hall which can be divided into two temporary rooms for gentleman’s hall and ladies’ hall. I conduct my magrib prayer there. Some Pakistani have a chat in the corner. Many books laid on it shelf, are quranic books
The second masjid is Masjid Muhammadi which is laid on 11830 Corona Lane. The masjid is a big house with many function rooms. The prayer hall is also spacious too, divided into two hall, each for women and men. Compare to Makkah Masjid, Masjid Muhammadi is more simple with less ornament (or calligraphy). The library is set in the room next to prayer hall. I conduct my isya prayer there, and later for juma’a prayer and tarawih. A Bengali man recognise my face as a malay ethnic, as he was ever stayed for about 2 year in Malaysia. I went for tarawih at this masjid, because they conduct the prayer in sunnah way. In this masjid where I first became acquainted to my new friends, Yunus brothers.
There is the third masjid, Makki Masjid which is laid on 9651 Bissonnet St. Suite 306. I found this masjid when I met my relatives who went there looked for muslimah clothings. This masjid is simply a spacious prayer hall with the neighborhood of an arabic tailor store, a jerusalem art and book store, a tattooing store, and a not anymore active halal restaurant.
I was told that in America, muslim can only build their community and the worship place in the greater area out of the city central. And this policy applied also to the other communities, so that’s explain why the store next door to the islamic bookstore is a tattooing store.
[muslim in america, 05Aug2011]
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