Gasht / Joula

What Gasht means

Gasht (also called Joula) is a short, organised walk in the neighbourhood around a mosque. A small group greets Muslims they meet, encourages them towards prayer and invites them to a talk at the mosque. It is usually brief — often less than an hour — and is followed by a short talk and supplication.

Umumi Gasht

General Gasht: visiting the local area broadly, greeting whoever is met, without targeting particular people.

Khususi Gasht

Specific Gasht: visiting particular individuals — often those known to the mosque — usually by prior arrangement.

The roles

• Ameer — the person responsible for the group during the walk; decisions are made after consultation.
• Dalil — the local guide who knows the area, the routes and who lives where.
• Mutakallim — the one who speaks; others stay quiet so the conversation remains calm and brief.
• Mosque team — those who remain behind in prayer, remembrance and preparation for the returning group.

Etiquette

• Keep the conversation short, warm and free of debate.
• Speak with humility; the invitation is a reminder to oneself first.
• Never argue about sects, politics or disputed rulings.
• Lower the gaze, keep voices low and do not block pavements or doorways.
• Do not criticise anyone's dress, appearance or level of practice.

UK-specific guidance

• Respect "no" immediately. If someone declines, thank them and leave. Never call again the same day.
• No trespassing. Do not enter gardens, driveways or communal buildings where entry is restricted, and observe any "no cold calling" signage.
• No pressure. No repeated knocking, no blocking a door, no attempts to persuade someone who has ended the conversation.
• Privacy. Do not record, photograph or share the names, addresses or circumstances of anyone visited.
• Safeguarding. Do not speak alone with children or enter a home where only children or a lone woman are present. Where a woman answers, the invitation should be addressed to the household generally and kept at the doorstep.
• Permission. Local activity should be arranged with the knowledge and permission of the mosque committee.
• Report concerns. Any welfare or safeguarding concern should be passed to the mosque's designated person and, where a person is at risk, to the appropriate statutory service.

Visiting etiquette

• Greet with as-salamu alaykum and introduce the group and the mosque plainly.
• Mention the time and place of the talk or prayer; keep it to a sentence or two.
• Accept hospitality sparingly and never ask for anything.
• Leave the doorstep, path and street exactly as found.