HAGERSTOWN – The Islamic Society of Western Maryland will hold an open house from noon to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 18.
The mosque is at 2036 Day Road, off of U.S. 40 in southeastern Hagerstown.
Visitors can tour the mosque and watch a live prayer. The Islamic Society’s Sunday School is part of the open house.
The open house is open to the public, said Shahab Siddiqui, a member of the Islamic Society’s Board of Trustees. Through the Hagerstown Area Religious Council, different churches also have been invited to the open house, he said.
Visitors may be asked to remove their shoes if they enter certain parts of the mosque, Siddiqui said. That is common practice in a mosque.
During the open house questions about Islam and its differences and commonalities will be discussed, Siddiqui said. Refreshments also will be served.
The Islamic Society’s membership has grown as the Hagerstown area has, he said. The mosque draws members mostly from Hagerstown and neighboring areas like Boonsboro, Waynesboro, Greencastle and Martinsburg, Siddiqui said.
Siddiqui estimated the informal membership of the mosque to be almost 500 people, particularly for worship on Fridays. For celebrations like Eids, there can be close to 1,000 people.
