Mosque

Mosque

A mosque is a place where Muslims meet to worship God (Allah).
The word 'mosque' is linked to an Arabic word meaning 'prostrate oneself' and it is a place where Muslims bow before God (prostrate means bow down). Mosques are generally rectangular in shape and the walls define the sacred area inside the building however, whilst some mosques are purpose built others can be found in converted houses.

A basic feature of all mosques is a tower called the minaret. In
Islamic countries the muezzin (caller) enters the minaret and calls the people to prayer. In Britain this is not allowed so some Islamic communities broadcast the call to prayer on a radio frequency which
Muslims can pick up in their homes and places of work using a small receiver. The call to prayer goes like this:

'God is great,

God is most Great, (x3)

I bear witness that there is no God but Allah, (x3)

I bear witness that Mohammed is the messenger of Allah (x2)

Come to prayer, (x2)

Come to your good, (x2)

God is most great, (x2)

I bear Witness that there is no God but Allah

[IMAGE]Muslims pray five times a day and prayer times are fixed by the sun and change daily. Because people lead busy lives it is the role of the muezzin to make sure people know when the correct time for prayer is. Each time for prayer has a special name and each time is separated by two hours. These times are Fajr (before dawn and sunrise), Zuhr
(after midday), 'Asr (between late afternoon and sunset), Maghrib
(between sunset and the end of daylight) and 'Isha (night until dawn).

[IMAGE]The first thing a person does before entering the mosque is to take off their shoes.

[IMAGE]This is because they are entering a sacred place and it is a sign of reverence to Allah. Also, when a Muslim prays at the mosque at times they put their face on the floor. Muslims who come to the Mosque to pray must perform wudu before doing so.

This is a sacred wash that symbolises spiritual cleansing and purity in readiness for coming before God. When a Muslim performs wudu they wash their hands, mouth, throat, nose, ears, arms up to the elbow and feet. When washing their hands, arms and feet they always wash the right one first. As in most places men and women have separate washing areas. When entering the prayer hall you immediately notice that there are no seats. This is because when Muslims sit on [IMAGE]the floor and pray using a prayer mat. They go through the Rak'ah routine the routine is stand, bow, kneel, and touch the floor with the forehead. There are also no pictures on the walls. This is because Muslims believe you should not make images of God. They do not even consider it right to draw pictures of the prophet Muhammad so that they remained focused on
God (Allah). In this mosque there are cupboards on the walls with copies of the Qu'ran in. All mosques have a minbar (set of steps) from which the imam (leader of the Mosque) may stand to teach the people.

Because Muslims do not allow images or pictures in their mosques they often decorate them with famous verses from the Qu'ran (the Islamic scriptures) and geometrical patterns. Inscriptions taken from the
Qu'ran are sometimes made with gold leaf (or thread if woven onto a tapestry). When a Muslim prays in the mosque they always face Makkah. This is the holy city where Muhammad lived and it is also the place where the
Ka'bah is found (this is the stone building which Muslims believe was the first place built by Adam (the first human) for the worship of
God). Once inside the mosque it is important for Muslims to know which direction Makkah is and this they do by making a recess (called a
Mihrab) in the Qiblah (the name for the wall facing Mecca). Outside the Mosque the direction of Makkah is indicated on the

[IMAGE]Minaret and dome by a crescent moon. The dome not only symbolises the universe but also has a practical purpose in that they carry sound better inside the mosque. This was important before microphones and amplifiers were invented.

Muslims can go to the mosque any time to pray but they must be there for the Friday middayprayers (Salah-Ul- Jumu'ah).

Although the Imam leads the prayers at the mosque none of the officials are priests. During worship there is chanting (but no music), a sermon and notices will be given. Women are allowed to come to the Mosque to pray but it is usually only the men who do so. This is because Muslim women have many things to do at home and so will pray there instead.

Muslims often go to the mosque simply to read the Qu'ran (which is never put on the floor but always on a stand) and may use prayer beads
(Misbeha) to recite the 99 'Beautiful Names' of Allah. Mosques are also used as community centres, people can get married there and sometimes hold evening schools so that particularly children may have an Islamic education in a non-Islamic country (E.g. learning to read and write Arabic and understanding the teachings of Islam and the
Qu'ran).

Section B

Mosques are also used as community centres, people can get married as you can in a church but they will be Muslim vows instead of the
Christian traditional vows although they may be very similar. There and sometimes hold evening schools so that particularly children may have an Islamic education in a non-Islamic country (E.g. learning to read and write Arabic and understanding the teachings of Islam and the
Qu'ran). During the month of Ramadan an area of the mosque is set aside for the examination and learning of the Qu'ran this is called
Iftar. In many mosques there are Islamic libraries, which hold a selection of Islamic literatures, which a Muslim can use to add depth to their beliefs and to increase their knowledge of their faiths history and origins. Women have a special place in the mosque. They have special ablutions and prayer rooms and have special lessons at the school. They are taught practical things which will help them in their life as a Muslim wife. The school teaches the language of Arabic and Urdu. The mosque holds lessons on a GCSE Arabic test in some mosques and. In one mosque I found out about had a prayer balcony for women to stand on when the Friday prayers take place. One Mosque, the
Iman mosque in Massachusetts has even got a medical centre to help people who cannot afford the high medical fees required by American hospitals for small medical operations and a radio station broadcasting the Islamic words of wisdom.

As I mentioned earlier, Muslims always pray facing towards Makkah and the Ka'bah. The importance of Makkah for Muslims cannot be stressed enough. However, although Makkah and the Ka'bah are important to
Muslims they do not worship them, facing them when praying is just a sign of respect to the Islamic founder fathers and the birthplace of
Muhammad. Muhammad realised the way of Islam as that being opposed to the idolatrous practices of his fellow people the citizens of Makkah.
The Qu'ran condemns idolatry as something strongly opposed to God as nothing should be worshiped but Allah.

Section C

Some people would say that you do have to visit the mosque, as it is
Sunnah or following Mohammad's example. Also there is a Surah that says that visiting the mosque is 27 times more important than prayers at home. Visiting the mosque on Friday or the jumrah prayers promotes
Ummah or the brotherhood of Islam. Mohammad says to pray five times a day so if you are going to the mosque it will help you keep these rules. Praying with other Muslims helps to promote the strength in their prayers. It also builds feelings of community spirit and awareness of people who are less fortunate than you; this promotes
Zakah or the giving of 2.5% of all their earnings to the less fortunate and charities working for the good of Islam. The Sermon given by the Iman would also be a faith boosting experience which would be better in keeping the faith and strengthening the faiths of all who attend. When the big Eids take place, Eid-ul-Adha &
Eid-ul-Fitr, the Mosque is a hive of activity and it would be imperative that Muslims go to the mosques.

But the People for the argument against having to go to the mosque say that the Sunnah which says that wherever the hour of prayer overtakes you, you should perform it where you are providing you know which direction makkah is and if the place has been properly sanitised and you are prepared for prayer. Sometimes a person has a reason why they cannot attend the mosque such as having an Illness which leaves them bed bound, a

Disability which leaves them in no position to go to the mosque, if the distance between the home and the nearest mosque is too far away for a person to realistically travel to, and if a person has no mode of transport and the mosque is too far away to walk to. Many Muslims would say that if the niyyah is good then it cannot be bad to pray at home and not visit a mosque. In some countries it is possible to listen to the sermons of an Iman over the radio and it can be easier to do that than to go al the way to the mosque.