Empty.
Sayeda Khadija Centre‘s outside parking lot was empty.
In all Houses of Worship in The Province of Ontario, capacity is limited to 15%.
Inside Sayeda Khadija Centre in Mississauga,
It too was empty.
15% Capacity allowed even shoes on the shelves to be physically distanced.
This is the Airport Like Gateway worshippers walk through after our QR Codes are scanned to confirm Pre-Registration for Jumah Prayers.
Inside the twin arches, you face a screen that checks your facial temperature.
Normal temperature the computer voice says, allows you to step forward into a brief mist of disinfectant.
Like many Airport Terminals nowadays,
This all is still empty.
Entering the Main Prayer Hall,
Sayeda Khadija Centre is finally, visually, less empty.
All but the first row of the regular blue carpet which adorns the Prayer Hall floor has been rolled up since shortly after the Pandemic began.
” B Y O P M T J P ” : Bring Your Own Prayer Mat To Jumah Prayer.
Each worshipper is seated atop their own prayer mat which itself sits atop taped position marker squares on the Turkish Tiled Prayer Hall Floor.
We sit in a zig-zag pattern rather than a grid.
Zig-Zag is still a grid but turned 45 Degrees.
This allows for more Physically Distanced prayer lines between the Imam and the back wall of the Prayer Hall.
It also echoes something of the Islamic Geometry inherent within the Turkish Tiles adorning the floor and walls of the Prayer Hall.
Jumah Qhutbah, Friday Sermon is good, filled with Ramadan reminders and paradigm shifting thoughts about the ROI, The Rate of Return, on good deeds done during Ramadan rather than outside this Holy Month.
Still, something was missing.
This 15% Capacity felt empty, sterile.
Perhaps that’s how it is supposed to be.
In-Between each scheduled Jumah Prayer, Sayeda Khadija Centre disinfects the Prayer Hall.
Having returned home from Friday Prayers,
We learn beginning Monday April 19 2021,
Masjid Capacity in Ontario would be capped at 10 People, inside or outside.
This First Friday of Ramadan 2021 would now become our ONLY Jumah Prayer performed inside any Ontario Masjid for remainder of Ramadan 2021.
