Masjids In Islam
What is the role of the mosque
in Islam? ‘Masjid,’ or mosque, literally means ‘a place for
self-prostration,’ that is, a place formally designated for the saying
of prayers. According to a hadith, the Prophet of Islam observed: "The
masjid is a house of God-fearing people." This means, in effect, that
it is a center for the inculcation of reverence, where individuals
learn what is meant by piety and are thus prepared for a life of
devotion to the Almighty.
The Masjid is built so that
people may visit it to read the Book of God, to remember their Creator,
silently and in prayer, and to hear His commandments on how they should
lead their lives, that is, how to conduct themselves according to His
will.
The most important of all
these activities is the saying of prayers, a ritual to be carried out
five times a day as prescribed by Islam. This act of worship, the
greatest means of instilling a sense of awe in the devotee, may be
carried out at any place, but ideally, is performed in an organized
manner, in congregation, within the mosque. There the worshippers range
themselves in orderly rows behind a single prayer leader, the Imam.
(The acceptance by the group of just one individual to lead the
congregation avoids any dissension which might arise from there being
more than one.) The number of the worshippers may be ten or ten
thousand: all have to stand in rows behind the Imam. This teaches the
lesson of unity. Nevertheless, namaz, in essence, is an individual
action. Everyone recites his own prayer and is rewarded on account of
its innate rectitude and sincerity.
The prayer begins with
ablution, that is, with the washing of the face, hands and feet. This
bodily cleansing is a symbolic reminder that the Muslim should lead his
life in this world in a state of purification of the feelings and the
soul.
What is recited during prayer
consists either of verses from the Qur’an or dhikr, remembrance of God,
and dua, invocation and supplications. All of this is aimed at bringing
about a spiritual awakening such as will induce the worshipper to
renounce his life of ignorance and heedlessness in favor of a life
inspired by Islamic moral values.Throughout the prayer (namaz) the
phrase, ‘Allah-o-Akbar’, ‘God is great,’ is repeated several times.
Implicit in these words is the idea that the person uttering them is
not great. Their frequent repetition is a lesson in modesty, designed
to rid the worshipper of arrogance and egoism, and turn him into a
humble servant of God.
The acts of kneeling down and
self-prostration are also repeated several times in the course of the
prayer, in symbolic submission before God. In this way, the worshipper
is conditioned by namaz to surrender himself to his Maker in all
humility.
The various postures in the
namaz climax in the act of self-prostration—the ultimate demonstration
of submission. Real proof of this submission to God will only become
manifest, however, in subsequent dealings with other human beings, in
which it is clear that self-glorification has been replaced by
glorification of the Almighty, and that feelings of superiority have
given way to profound humility. The namaz ends with each worshipper
turning his face sideways and uttering these words: "May God’s peace
and blessings be upon you." Every day, all around the globe, Muslims
perform this rite. It is as if they were saying to their fellow men all
over the world: "O people, we have no feelings for you but those of
peace. Your lives, property and honor—all are safe." It is this spirit
with which worshippers are enthused before they return to society.
Besides the five daily
obligatory prayers, there is a weekly Friday prayer which is
necessarily offered in the mosque. In practice and content it is just
like any other prayer, but since a larger number of people gather on
this occasion, a sermon (khutba), giving religious guidance, is also
preached by the Imam before the prayers begin. In this, he reminds
worshippers of their accountability to God, of the commandments
pertaining to Islamic character and of the proper way to deal with
others in society. In this way, the Friday sermon refreshes the memory
on religious commitments.
The mosque, initially intended
as a place of worship, has come to be built to serve other related
purposes, such as housing the Madrasa, library, lecture hall, guest
house and dispensary. According to a hadith the Prophet advised the
building of mosques in a simple style, so that there should be no
dissipation or dilution of the true religious and spiritual atmosphere.
All mosques (with the
exception of three) are of equal religious standing, whether large or
small, plainly conceived or architecturally magnificent. The three
mosques that have a greater degree of sanctity because of their
historical and religious associations are the Masjid-el-Haram in Mecca,
Prophet’s mosques in Medina and the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.
Almasjidu Al-Aqsa
Masjidu Quba
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