Al-hamdulillah for everything...another visit to the masjid

Hurghada Masjid, Red Sea, Egypt.

Countless wretched experiences at masjids have pretty much resulted in my virtual disappearance from them altogether, yet time and again I put myself out there, for what reason only Allâh subhanahu wa ta'ala knows.

Today I was patiently enduring the booming voice of the Imam beating down over my head from the loudspeaker system by reading Surah Al-Kahf via mobile.

The Imam brought his lecture to a close with at least ten minutes of dua in a voice double the loudness of his lecture. Through the bass enhanced speaker system it was more than I could bear (especially w/out understanding Arabic), and I made my way out of the prayer hall.

Outside I stepped around the corner to find a quiet spot to continue my intention to pray today at the masjid. (see photo)

I was standing waiting for the prayer to begin, having found a scrap of cardboard for a place to rest my forehead, when suddenly a woman with a crying child came up the step beside me moving to barge right between my feet and the cardboard.

Sadly, I just lost it. I was already feeling stressed before even arriving to the masjid, but pushed myself to go thinking it would somehow make me feel better. Instead, I found myself blurting out a string of angry Astifurgallah Al-Azeems while motioning for the woman to go around the pillar directly in front of me. She did.

The Imam finally began the prayer. Throughout the entire prayer the woman's child stood in front of her crying crockadile tears & repeating, "momma, momma, momma".

And I stood there crying a river of tears out of remorse for having had a short temper with the woman.

When the prayer finished, as we rose together to our feet, she spoke before I could, but we were saying, "sorry" at nearly the same time. Subhan'Allah.

Hurghada Marina, Red Sea, Egypt.

We rose to our feet simultaneously and without hesitation, embraced--for what was at least a full two minutes; both of us crying. Subhan'Allah.

I left the masjid and went to the Marina for a glass of fresh orange juice.

I can't say when the next time will be that I try to go to a masjid, but when I do, in the very least I will do my best, insha'Allah, to not lose patience.

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FYI, the doors seen in the photo are on the far side of the building (still under construction) and not used. Thus it was with realistic expectations that one could presume to be able to pray there unnoticed and undisturbed; but as evidenced by this story, you never know.