Requirement: Minimum 4 pages Art Museum Reflection Take a field trip one afternoon at your convenience to the Dayton Art Institute or an art museum in your city. Experience Eastern Religious art that relates to the material we've studied. After the art museum trip, you will write a response of your experience. You may focus on a couple of pieces that stood out to you or give an overall summary/theme of the art you experienced and how it relates to the course material. You can use the Example paper to rewrite the pager, but must be totally different. Example paper RELIGIOUS SERVICE REPORT My project entails a visit to the Ohio mosque on 20th February, 2015. I picked on two of my friends, who are Muslims to accompany me on this visit because I needed someone to guide me through the prayers and because I was a little nervous. This was my first trip to a mosque since I am from a Christian family background. Although I have Muslim friends, I have never attended their services or taken interest in their religious practices. Description of building and sacred space The architecture of the building was very plain and humble. From the outside, the building was dome shaped with towers called the minarets. On two of the four minarets, opposite each other, hang two large loudspeakers. The walls were painted white with a green strip across the lower part of the wall. The building had high arches and a washroom at the back. In the inside, the building constituted a very clean, spacious and large hall. At the front, located at the end of the hall, was a platform that was a bit raised, close to the wall and fully painted green. At this end, there were four seats and a public address system. The other walls were painted in white. On the green wall, there was a mosaic bearing the direction to Mecca. The other large part of the wall was to be occupied by the congregation, who faced the front end. On the floor, there were mats which were used for kneeling during prayers. The sitting arrangement in the mosque was divided by gender; with men and women having distinct areas. The service The Friday prayer service we attended was referred to as Salaat-ul-Jumma. The service was led by the Muslim leaders who I came to understand were referred to as “Imams”. Before attending this service, each and every member was expected to have taken a shower or bathed in accordance to the recommendations of Prophet Muhammad who advised the followers to always keep clean. Members were also expected to dress modestly and cleanly which for men meant that they were not to wear shorts and for the women meant covering the legs and arms and avoid revealing or tight clothing, and carry with them a headscarf. When entering the mosque and the prayer area, members removed their shoes. The entrance into the prayer areas was sequential; the right foot was to enter first. I did not participate in the service; I silently sat at the back keenly making observations and listening. On ...

1. Requirement:
Minimum 4 pages
Art Museum Reflection
Take a field trip one afternoon at your convenience to the
Dayton Art Institute or an art museum in your city. Experience
Eastern Religious art that relates to the material we've studied.
After the art museum trip, you will write a response of your
experience. You may focus on a couple of pieces that stood out
to you or give an overall summary/theme of the art you
experienced and how it relates to the course material.
You can use the Example paper to rewrite the pager, but must
be totally different.
Example paper
RELIGIOUS SERVICE REPORT
My project entails a visit to the Ohio mosque on 20th
February, 2015. I picked on two of my friends, who are Muslims
to accompany me on this visit because I needed someone to
guide me through the prayers and because I was a little nervous.
This was my first trip to a mosque since I am from a Christian
family background. Although I have Muslim friends, I have
never attended their services or taken interest in their religious
practices.
Description of building and sacred space
The architecture of the building was very plain and
humble. From the outside, the building was dome shaped with

2. towers called the minarets. On two of the four minarets,
opposite each other, hang two large loudspeakers. The walls
were painted white with a green strip across the lower part of
the wall. The building had high arches and a washroom at the
back. In the inside, the building constituted a very clean,
spacious and large hall. At the front, located at the end of the
hall, was a platform that was a bit raised, close to the wall and
fully painted green. At this end, there were four seats and a
public address system. The other walls were painted in white.
On the green wall, there was a mosaic bearing the direction to
Mecca. The other large part of the wall was to be occupied by
the congregation, who faced the front end. On the floor, there
were mats which were used for kneeling during prayers. The
sitting arrangement in the mosque was divided by gender; with
men and women having distinct areas.
The service
The Friday prayer service we attended was referred to as
Salaat-ul-Jumma. The service was led by the Muslim leaders
who I came to understand were referred to as “Imams”. Before
attending this service, each and every member was expected to
have taken a shower or bathed in accordance to the
recommendations of Prophet Muhammad who advised the
followers to always keep clean. Members were also expected to
dress modestly and cleanly which for men meant that they were
not to wear shorts and for the women meant covering the legs
and arms and avoid revealing or tight clothing, and carry with
them a headscarf. When entering the mosque and the prayer
area, members removed their shoes. The entrance into the
prayer areas was sequential; the right foot was to enter first. I
did not participate in the service; I silently sat at the back
keenly making observations and listening.
On entry, the members performed two cycles of voluntary
prayers referred to as “tahyatul masjid salah”, literally meaning
“the prayer to greet the mosque”. After this prayer, members
joined other congregants on the floor; choosing the available
positions closest to the front since the front rows are to be filled

3. first and the back rows left open for the members who come
late. The service officially begins with the congregation giving
a call to prayer, otherwise known as adhan. The congregants
maintained silence from this moment. Members quietly sat
while listening to the prayer leader, or imam, offering a sermon
known as khutbah. The first half of the sermon was the longest
with speech from the imam; this was followed by a brief period
with the imam resuming his sitting position and offering silent
prayers. He later stood again and delivered a shorter sermon
which marked the final section of it.
After the sermon by the imam, a man stood up and gave a
shortened version of the call to prayer known as iqaamah which
indicated the start of the prayer itself. The congregation stood
up and moved closer to each other, standing shoulder to
shoulder with fellow congregants on the left and right. They
formed a straight line facing the direction pointing to Mecca,
otherwise referred to as qilba. The standing order was in a
manner that the shoulders, arms or feet of the congregants were
slightly in contact with their fellows. I understood that non-
Muslims were not to join this prayer but can observe (which
was exactly what I came to do; to observe).
The final practice was the performance of two cycles of
the ritual prayer known as salat with the congregants following
along with the imam. After the prayer was over, the congregants
greeted each other through shake of hands, smiling or stating to
each other, “May Allah accept your prayers”. The congregants
who wished or were able made charitable contributions, on the
available boxes for contribution near the exit, as they left.
Reflection on my experience
At the beginning, I was very scared and nervous and felt
out of place. Staying at the back all alone was displeasing.
However, I somehow gained confidence and became
comfortable particularly because of the kind and friendly
attitude the Muslim congregation showed me. A few, who were
inquisitive enough to ask why I was not participating, quickly
understood my position and welcomed me. I was surprised with

4. the attitude they demonstrated because at first I thought I would
be thrown out if I was discovered to be a non-member. After the
prayers were over, my friend took me for a trip around the
mosque showing me various rooms and objects and explaining
their purposes. I even, for the first time, had the opportunity to
see and hold a copy of the Quran. This was indeed an uplifting
and educating experience in my life.