While the prayer space in Room 13 lives in plain sight, many members of the MFS community are unaware of its existence. Tucked in the corner of the room, there is a rug and a prayer mat that many Muslim students use to pray whenever they wish.
Prayer mat in Room 13. Photo by Livia Kam ’26.
Every day, religious Muslim students pray five times a day at specific times based on where the sun is that day. Some Muslim students utilize the space to pray their Dhuhr prayer, which is the noon prayer that often falls around lunchtime. Although the space is not exclusively for Muslim students, it is most commonly used by them because of the prayer time frame.
“There are only a few hours for you to pray during each prayer period before it’s time for the next period, so [some Muslim students] pray during lunchtime,” said Muslim Student Union (MSU) co-facilitator Berra Deryal ’26.
Setting up to pray is “not complicated,” according to Deryal. She first uses an app to determine the direction the prayer mat should face as it faces the Qibla (the direction toward the Kaaba in Mecca). Then, she lays a prayer mat from home flat on the ground and prays. She also keeps a mat on the shelf for other students to use in case they forget theirs.
Room 13 is usually unlocked, allowing Muslim students to pray throughout the day if needed. The room simultaneously houses ninth, eleventh, and twelfth health classes. However, keeping the room unlocked has meant that students who intend to pray in Room 13 encounter students who have class or are using the room as a lunch space.
“When we would come [to the prayer space last year] to pray, sometimes people would be having lunch there. Obviously, I’m not going to kick everyone out to tell them I need to pray, so then that discouraged some [Muslim students from praying at school],” Deryal said.
Other Muslim students had the same issue: “When I go to pray, I sometimes see other people there … [so] I end up praying after school,” Ali Sabir ’26 affirmed.
After members of MSU reached out to the MSU advisor and Director of Diversity, Community, and Belonging Chanelle Walker about the problem, she brought it to Will Miller, US Dean of Students, and the problem dissipated.
“It’s gotten a lot better in recent times. I haven’t had that problem recently,” Sabir said. Deryal agreed, stating that “people stopped coming in after [students became more aware] of the room’s usage as a prayer space.”
“I’m pretty sure other Muslim people know about the space,” said Sabir, “but I’m curious if other people that aren’t Muslim know about the space.”
Many students who don’t practice Islam are not aware of the space.
“I didn’t know about the space before, but I think it’s good that [Muslim students] have a space to pray,” East Zeng ’26 said.
Max Wang ’25 said, “I knew [the space] existed but I don’t know where it is or [what it looks like].”
Regardless of non-Muslim students’ knowledge of the space, most MSU members are aware of it because it is an important aspect of MSU, according to Walker. During the month of Ramadan, MSU decided to pray together during some of their usual meetings every other Monday, which Deryal said she appreciated.
Locating a space in the Main Building that accommodates each division throughout the school day was a “challenge,” according to Walker.
Previously, US and MS students would share the prayer space in LS/MS Melissa McCourt’s former office in the Lower School. After McCourt switched rooms, Room 13 became the space for US students and an additional option for younger students. According to Sabir, MS students now use a space in the Business Office to pray.
