|
|
MOSQUE IN ISLAM
The Prophet Muhammad once remarked, "I have been given by God some distinctions which my predecessors did not have, one of these being that the whole expanse of the earth has been made a Masjid (mosque) for me". The place where Muslims offer these prayers is called Masjid. The word Masjid literally means any place in which one performs the act of Sujud (prostration) and acts of worship or devotion. Similarly, Jami is a congregational mosque or the mosque in which a congregation assembles to perform the Friday prayer(1).Mosque is called Mosquee in French, Moschee in German. The Arabic word Masjid is derived from the word Sajada, meaning "he became humble or submissive or he bent himself down on the ground before God". It is prostrating oneself in prayer by dropping gently upon the knees, placing the palms of the hands on the ground, a little before the place of the knees, and then putting the nose and the forehead on the ground, the former first, between the two hands (2). In other words, Masjid or mosque is the place of the public religious service. The word Masjid used in the Quran, especially in connection with the Meccan sanctuary, al-Masjid al-Haram (3), or the Sacred Mosque of Mecca. In the Quran, the same word has been used for the places of worship belonging to the Christians and Jewish people as well. The Quran declares:
"If God had not taken man under his protection, the monasteries,
churches and the places of prayer and Masajid (mosques) would have been
destroyed." (4)
The famous historian Ibn Khaldun has also used the word Masjid generally
meaning a place of worship of any religion. (5)
Every clean place can be used as a
mosque
When the Prophet preached his message in the fortieth year of his life, there was not any specific building for offering prayers. The early Muslims used to perform their prayers in the narrow alleys of Mecca or beside the Kabah (6), under the leadership of Umar. In other words, any place for prostration before God was considered as a Masjid (place for sujud). In the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, a sanctuary is not a fundamental necessity as every place is the same to God. A Muslim can bow down to God in all humility any where as the prayer is the expression of the submission of the created to the Creator.
In the Hadith (prophetic tradition) the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is reported to have said: "Wherever the hour of prayer overtakes thee, thou shalt perform the prayers and that is a Masjid" (7).
The religion of Islam believes neither in mysteries, nor sacraments nor sacraments, nor priesthood, and this is the reason why its place of worship was not to enshrine the wonder-working image of the deity or of a saint r the Divinity itself contained in consecrated elements. The mosque or Masjid is only a place of prayer, of preaching and, up to a certain point, of instruction. It is a shelter from rain, storm, cold or heat, so that the devotees may comfortably concentrate on their prayers. Masjid is, properly speaking, a place of meeting in the general sense of the word. This is the reason why it is also called Jami, a place of gathering.
In the TEXTBOOK OF ISLAM by Quraishy:
"It is not ... necessary to have a particularly consecrated place
for the holding of divine service. One may say his prayer wherever he likes and
this will not detract from the efficacy of the prayer. However, there is a need
to have a masjid or a mosque in which Muslims can worship Allah comfortably.
The mosque is the undying symbol of Islam. Where there is no adhan or prayers
in congregation, there can be no Islamic community."
TBI, p. 67
There is a strategy in building mosques everywhere in Africa: to show that Islam is already there and has an impact on the community particularly in rural areas; to show the greatness of Allah in beautiful buildings; to proclaim the oneness of Allah and the prophethood of Muhammad (a mosque often has the Kalimah written on the walls).
A former Imam explained: "First we got in contact with the elders
in that village and established friendships. Then we helped with food, medicine
and the like. We suggested to have a school built and to teach the children of
that village. Swahili and its cultural background (and with it Islam) was part
of the curriculum. Later some became Muslims and there was automatically a need
of a worship place. That’s how we built a mosque and how we spread Islam."
Early Islam's mosque buildings
The first mosque ever to be built in Islam was the mosque at Quba'. near Medina, which still exists in its original place where the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) collected his earliest disciples. The building material was bricks baked in the sun. It was made as an enclosure open to the sky, having one part sheltered by a flat roof supported by wooden pillars covered with plaster. The companions of the Prophet had built it by their combined efforts. There was a pulpit (minbar) which the Prophet ascended by some steps in order to preach the message of God. The simples elements of the prophetic mosque were a court where the worshippers could gather, porches to shelter the worshippers, the pulpit for the preacher to stand in, and the recess a mihrab which indicated the Qiblah or the direction pointing out the Kabah towards which a Muslim turns his face during his prayer. In order to offer their prayers, the Muslims are arranged in straight rows and the genu-flexions are offered on the floor. This is not the original Islamic plan for a place of worship. It is not through the mosques that Islam is represented, but it is due to the followers of Islam that the mosques have come into existence.
It is not a place consecrated by God through His presence. God is, after all, Omnipresent, and is present everywhere, even where mosques do not exist. This is the reason why a Muslim can offer his prayer anywhere, in his house, in a jungle or in the desert of Sahara, where there is no mihrab nor minbar. From this standpoint nothing in the mosque is divine. The mihrab and the minbar are merely for the sake of convenience.
Mosque Architecture
Mosques are of various sizes and types; the Friday mosque—in which the entire congregation assembles to perform the ritual Friday prayers—is by far the largest and most important. The great age of mosque building extends from the 7th century, when Islam was founded in Arabia, to the16th century.
The first mosque was the courtyard of Muhammad's own house in Medina (AD622), in present-day Saudi Arabia. The wall of the courtyard facing in the direction of the holy city of Mecca—called the qibla wall—was provided with a roofed area where prayers were recited; the other three walls were lined with shallow arcades. This scheme became the basic plan for all later mosque design, of which the three main elements continued to be the courtyard, the qibla wall, and the roofed prayer hall. In the center of the qibla wall is the mihrab, or prayer niche, that indicates the direction of Mecca. Next to the mihrab is the mimbar, a pulpit from which the Friday sermon is preached.
In religion-dominated Islamic societies, mosques serve social and political needs as well as religious ones. The mosque became a forum for many public functions, serving as a law court, school, assembly hall, and even as a parade ground. Adjoining chambers often house libraries, hospitals, or treasuries.
As Islam spread outside Arabia, mosque design gradually incorporated elements adapted from the architecture of conquered territories. Basilica-type mosques, such as the Great Mosque in Damascus (8th century), were based on Early Christian church design, which in turn was derived from pagan basilicas (see Basilica). In the basilica style, the prayer hall of the mosque was enlarged and expanded to accommodate an impressive flat.roofed nave and two parallel side aisles. The columns supporting the roof of the prayer hall often feature row upon row of round or lobed (horseshoe) arches (see Arch and Vault), as in the Mosque of Córdoba (8th to 10th century) in Spain. Decoration proliferated in the form of carving, inlay, tile, and painting. Islam forbade the representation of human or animal forms, however; hence these decorations took the form of geometric designs, birds, foliage, and arabesques.
In the earliest mosques, the call to prayer was given by the muezzin, or crier, directly from the roof of the mosque itself. The use of a minaret for the same purpose began with the Mosque of Al Qayrawan (8th century) in Tunisia; the minaret is thought to have been an adaptation of the square towers of Early Christian churches in pre-Islamic Syria. Minarets became a common feature of nearly all later mosques; they are either round, square, spiral, or octagonal and range in shape from short and squat to tall and slender.
Mosques on the cruciform (cross-shaped) plan evolved in Iran during the 12th century, while domed mosques—the last and greatest innovation in mosque design—originated in Turkey after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople (present-day Istanbul) in 1453. The inspiration for the great Ottoman mosques was the vast Christian church of Hagia Sophia (532-37; Church of the Holy Wisdom) in Constantinople, whose innovative arch-and-dome structure made possible the use of large, light-filled domes to roof enormous spaces.
Turkish mosques usually feature a prayer hall surmounted by a large central dome, in turn surrounded by smaller domes and half domes. As in Iranian mosques, the traditional courtyard often was eliminated entirely. The greatest Turkish mosque designer was the architect Sinan, who was credited with over 300 buildings. His masterpiece is the Suleimaniye Mosque (1550-57) in Istanbul; its square central mosque, topped with a soaring light-filled dome, is supported on a complex system of arches, semidomes, and arcades, with four slim minarets set around the dome.
Turning towards the east or west is not
righteousness
The Muslims turn their faces towards the Kabah while offering their prayers, but turning towards the east or the west is not the sure sign of righteousness, it is only for the sake of uniformity to be observed throughout the world of Islam. The Quran declares:
"It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces towards east or
west. But it is righteousness to believe in God and the Last Day, and the
Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers; to spend of your substances, out of
love for Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for
those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves; to be steadfast in prayer, and
practise regularly charity; to fulfill the contracts which ye have made; and to
be firm and patient, in pain (or sufferings) and adversity and throughout all
periods of panic. Such are the people of truth the God-fearing".
Mark the words which clearly indicate that the people of truth are not those who turn their faces towards the east or the west, but those who firmly practise what the above mentioned Quran's verse has enumerated. One of these requirements is "to be steadfast in offering prayers" -- which is one of the Five pillars of Islam.
The Ka'bah and the mosques are not
ontologically God
I would like to emphasize the point that Islam does not believe that the sacred place --- the Ka'bah, or any mosque for the matter--- is ontologically God Himself. In other words, the Islamic architecture of any place of worship does not symbolize the conception of a specially graded divine presence.
A word about the Christian version of sacred places may not be out of place here. Two opposite views are mentioned by Christian writers on this subject. One view is that s sacred place is the house of the people of God, rather than the house of God. This view, if it is accepted by Christian scholars, brings it closer to the Islamic concept of worship. It is maintained by them that there is no church except the heart of man, that the buildings they worship in should not be called temples or churches but steeple houses. Similarly, the members f the Jehovah's Witness dwell upon the Biblical evidence that "the Most High does not live in houses made with hands" (Act 7;48). As Isaiah says:
"The heaven in my throne,
And earth is my footstool;
And where is that place of my rest?
Where is the house that you will build for me?
Did not my hand make all these things?"
(Isaiah, 66: 1-2)
This view is opposed to the popular Christian view which is based on the authority of the Old and New Testaments. This difference can be traced in the Old Testament when God asked David to stop building Him a house while he asked Solomon to build Him a house.
(I Chron, 17: 3 et seq.l I Chron 22: et. seq.)
The episode of Nathaniel in the New Testament suggests that Jesus himself gives a testimony concerning himself as the new temple.
In other words, the view expressed by some Christian scholars that the sacred place in Christianity means a house of the people of God very much resembles the Islamic concept of sacred places. The other theory that the sacred place in Domus Dei (House of God) is in direct contrast to the Islamic concept of the place of worship.
Sufi view regarding a sacred place
This place, and all the other places of worship have not been consecrated by God through His presence in their particular place, as the point of entry from this world into the heavenly realms. The famous story of the Sufi Rabi'ah (*) provides us with an example in that she wanted to visit the Ka'bah and to prostrate before God in that holy sanctuary. During the ecstatic state she saw that the Ka'bah was itself coming too receive her, prostrating before her.
The Maulana Jalal al-Din Rumi, the famous Persian Sufi, has similarly said in his Mathnavi (*),
"The heart (of a human being) is better than a thousand Ka'bahs"
and
"Control your heart, it is your greater pilgrimage".
The pilgrimage and the holy sanctuary of the Ka'bah are interrelated, and the pilgrimage forms one of the five pillars of faith.
The Maulana Rumi actually emphasizes that one should refrain from falling a prey to the mundane temptations and making the principles of Islam merely the formalities to be observed to achieve selfish aims.
The above utterances of Rumi should not be misunderstood as those coming from a zindiq (free thinker). He was a staunch Muslim Sufi and he believed in the sacredness of Ka'bah as the earliest place of worship ever built and the meeting place of the Muslims from all over the world. But Islam does not believe that it is an entry of the Divine into the human. It was merely an historical place, rebuilt by the Prophet Abraham and his son Ismael. The Quran says:
"And remember Abraham and Ismael raised the foundations of the
House (with his prayer): "Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us: for
Thou art the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing".
(The Quran, 2: 127)
Role
of Mosque 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.
Other Functions of a Mosque
The mosque at Medina provided an assembly house for the Muslims where addresses were delivered by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), which contained not only appeals for obedience to God but regulations governing the social life of the community; (8) from this mosque he controlled the religious, social and political community of Islam. The only distinguishing factor of the mosque at Medina from the Christian church or the Meccan temple was that in it there was no specially dedicated ethical object (9). The Kabah was also used for people to meet to discuss everyday affairs and for important assemblies, but most of this business was carried out in the Dar al-Nadwah (the House of Consultation), situated beside the Kabah. In the Prophet's Mosque a raised platform was erected for the scholars, who were called the Ashab al_Suffah (the companions of the Suffah --- the platform), one of whom was Abu Hurayrah, the famous reporter of the Prophet's Traditions (Ahadith). Various discussions used to take place in this mosque and the Prophet used to guide and counsel anyone who visited him (10). It was here that all important matters were discussed and justice administered. The mosque in other words, was a place of prayer as well as a social and political centre during the lifetime of the Prophet.
In the Quran, the words that describe the purpose of building a mosque are Masajid Lillahi (11), meaning the places of worship are to be built for the sake of God and not as the abode of God. The Quran says:
"In houses which God has permitted to be built that His name might be praised in them, in them they praise Him, morning and evening, men whom neither business nor trade distracts from praising God and performing the prayers and the giving of alms".
A passage in the Quran also speaks of dwelling in the mosque (12) over and above its being the centre of worship and administration. There are a number of mosques where apartments have been attached to be used as a hostel for the warfarer, especially the religious personage. The Sufis and those belonging to one or the other of the Sufi orders usually preferred to stay in the mosque rather than in the private house of one of their murids (initiates). There are no rigid rules about this, but this custom seems to be fairly prevalent in the Indo-Pakistan sub-continent.
The mosques have also been used as courts of justice, and the Prophet is reported to have settled legal questions in the mosque at Medina (13). Tabari mentions that Umar, the Second Caliph, called Qadi (judge) of Abu Bakr, the first Caliph (14), usually administered justice in the mosque at Medina. It is recorded in the Hadith that some Qadis of the earlier period like Shurayh, al-Sha'bi, Yahya Ibn Yasar and Marwan sat in judgment beside the minbar (pulpit) and others like Al-Hasan, Khuza'ah Ibn Awf on the open square beside the mosque (15). Basra al-Aswad Ibn Sari al-Tamin immediately after the building of the mosque in the year 14 A.H. (635 A.D.) acted in it as Qadi (16). Even the Christian judges or arbiters were allowed to administer justice in the mosque and the famous instance is provided by the Christian poet al-Akhtal, who acted as an arbiter in the Mosque of Kufah (17).
A successr of Qadi Khayr Ibn Nuaym (193 A.H.----800 AD) invited Christians who had law suits to have them heard in the mosque (18). There is evidence to show that at one time even churches were used as courts of justice (19).
Beside the ritual prayers, the recitation of the Quran was also considered as edifying and pious work. Al-Maqdisi and Ibn Jabayr have reported such recitation circles in the mosques. The Dhikr, or praised of God, the esoteric activities particularly cultivated by the Sufis, were also performed in the mosques. These activities such as Dhikr, recitation circles of the Quran, sermons during the month of Rabi al-Awwal and Muharram, are all held in the mosques in the Indo-Pakistan sub-continent and in the mosques of Asia, the Middle East and Africa. This practice is also very common in Nigeria.
The People of Book and their places of
worship
The Prophet is reported to have said in one of his Traditions (Hadith) about performing prayers in the synagogues and churches, the places of worship of the ahl a-Kitab (the people of Book, i.e. the Jews and the Christians who are recipents of the revealed books like Muslims);
"Perform your Slat (ritual prayers) in them; it will do you no harm" (20).
It has also been reported that some of the companions offered their prayers in a church while it was still in use as a church by the Christians and was in the possession of the Christians. Since the Muslims do not keep any image in front of them while offering their prayers, they choose a corner where there were no images. Later on, when Islam spread far and wide, a certain number of synagogues and churches were converted into mosques (21). About fifteen churches were received from the former Christians in Damascus and were converted into mosques (22). This was a natural result due to the mass conversion of various religious groups to Islam. This was made easier in cases when Jewish and Christian sanctuaries were associated with some Talmudic or Biblical personalities who were also recognized by Islam. One such example is provided by the mosque of Joob in Shaykh Sa'd (23), where in Silvia's time, in the 4th century, there was Church of Job (24). Other examples are the Church of St.John in Damascus and many other places in Palestine.
Other Islamic Buildings
Besides the mosques, there are other religious buildings which are inspired by a religious purpose; there are the madrasahs or schools, colleges and universities, which are all education institutions. The Prophet has emphasized in the Hadith that "the ink of a scholar is more valuable than the blood of martyr" and "that education is made compulsory for Muslims - men and women alike". In one of his traditions the Prophet is reported to have said that Muslims should travel to "acquire knowledge even if it be in China". All these Traditions inspired the early Muslims so much that wherever they went they opened religious schools very often adjacent to the Mosque.
Similarly, Zawiyahs (places of meeting), and the shrines to which are attached religious endowments, such as alms-houses, hostels (Musafir khanah) are frequently seen in the vicinity of the mosques. There are all sacred places inspired by a religious purpose, but may differ in their degree of sacredness especially when compared to the mosques, as the mosques are purely meant for the worship of God.
Mosques
- A Centre of Learning
It is a historical fact that illiteracy and ignorance were the most dominating evils among the Arabs before the advent of Islam. The Glorious Quran and Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) laid the greatest emphasis on the dissemination of knowledge and learning. Education was made bligatory on all Muslims, men and women, along with the importance of writing or pen. In the Medina mosque, the Prophet himself started a small school, where, he with his companions gave lessons on the Quran and general ethical knowledge.
Very closely linked with religion was this zest and verve for teaching and learning, they knew nothing then of a compulsory school system. The spiritual power which the Quran exercised over many nations, led them on, without any extraneous pressure, to an earnest longing to read it (the Quran) for themselves, and this desire, by itself, indeed, spread all over the Islamic world.
With this stimulating fervour, elementary schools sprang up without compulsion from above. Not only in the later centuries do we find a school in every small village, or attached to every mosque but even in the earliest times arrangements to that end were made by the people themselves, and not in Arabia and Iraq but in all other provinces that came under the banner of Islam (Hell; Arab Civilization, P.47).
At the end of the second century Hijra there was not only a boy's school at juster or Shustar in Iran but also a girl's school where regular attendance was insisted upon withou official interference. The boys of even six years were admitted into the school. Wherever the community employed a regularly paid teacher the benefit of teaching was extended to the poor; even slaves with no distinction were admitted t the school (Ibn Khalli-kah). But along with the boys, at all events in some countries, even girls were allowed to attend schools. In many and far off countries thousands of schools were established with a remarkable Islamic and philanthropic spirit. The confined their teachings to the study of the Quran, to understand its meaning and contents. Some of them learnt entire text by heart. Writing was also associated with reading. Later on grammar was also added in the curriculum to explain the meaning of the Quran more explicity. The education of children was regarded as something sacred; therefore a large number of schools were established in mosques.
Higher Education
From the very beginning, for the use of higher education, Islam lent the mosque. For Muslims the mosque does not bear the same exclusive character as does a church for Christians. It is not merely a place of worship. The Muslim, indeed, honours the mosque, but he does not hesitate to use it for any laudable purpose. Thus the indigent traveller there finds a shelter, the sick a hospital. Not infrequently the community used it as a court of justice; for even the administration of justice was deemed something sacred. But next to prayer the most sacred thing is learning (Ilm); for it stands even higher than blind piety. Thus, then, were the gates of mosque readily opened for learned discussions on questions of law.
In many mosque there were different halls and annexes intended to serve the purposes of educational lectures. There was almost no restriction in the choice of subjects. If as frequently happened - the lectures were delivered in the mosque itself, the audience formed a compact circle round the lecturer; (Halqa). No respectable person was debarred; admission was, however, subject to the consent of the lecturer. Permission had to be obtained from the lecturer for admission to the hall. An eminent historian of Mamluk period, Maqrizi, saw this arrangement at the mosque school, al-Nasiryah, founded in the 14th century at Cairo.
The tradition of the teachers to listen to criticism and to hold discussions on the subject lectured upon compelled them to prepare their lectures with the utmost care, so as to create a favourable impression. Cases occurred of immature teachers resigning the lecturerships at the sight of a profound scholar in the mosque, and devoting themselves to a more thorough study of their subjects. But even the silent presence of a learned man must have been inspiring. The close and frequent contact with all and every one interested in learning was stimulating with varied titles and themes of discussion.
Among Muslims, travelling was common in order to acquire vast knowledge and contact with learned dignitaries. This spirit brought foreign visitors of repute to important mosques to enlighten the people with new knowledge and information. Mosques became valuable seats of learning.
Elementary school (Kuttab) was an adjunct of the mosque, if not the mosque itself. Its curriculum centred upon the Quran as a reading text book, but writing also went parallel to it. With some progress, the children were given lessons in Arabic grammar, biography of the Prophet, Hadith, elementary principles of Arithmetic and poetry. Girls also received education par with boys.
Imam Ghazzali lectured at Nizamiyah University for four years. In his book, "Ihya-ul-Ulum", in the chapter n learning he has emphasised the necessity of stimulating the moral consciousness of the students, thus bringing education into organic relations with profound ethical system.
The Madrasahs were really collegiate mosques or school mosques spread over the entire Muslim World. The most famous of them were founded by Salahuddin and Nuruddin Ayyubi in Aleppo, Hims, Hamah and Ba'labakk. During the Mamluk period the number of such institutions (school and collegiate mosques) multiplied. Next to Nizamul Mulk Tusi, Salahuddin was the greatest builder of academies in Islam. Under him Damascus became a city of school. The most famous collegiate mosque of Sultan Hasan was in Cairo. There the curriculum was very wide. It included all branches of knowledge and the standard was very high.
In Spain, Al-Hakam established 27 free schools in the capital. Under him the University of Cordova was founded in the principal of mosque of Abdur Rehman III, and its fame spread far and wide as an institution of very high standard. It preceded both Al-Azhar of Cairo and Nizamiyah of Baghdad, and attracted a large number of students from all parts of the world irrespective of any colour, race and linguistic distinction, from Europe, Africa and Asia. Al-Hakam enlarged the msoqe which housed the university, conducted water to it in lead pipes and decorated it with fine mosaics. He invited renowned scholars of the world who chaired the various faculties of the institution viz: history, philosphy astronomy, mathematics, medicine, geography, lexicography, theology and law.
THE
IMPORTANCE OF THE MOSQUE
Only true Muslims should maintain a mosque because it is a place to worship and remember Allah. It is built for ritual purity and for moral and social development. Muhammad built the second mosque in Medina, the first one is believed to be the Kaaba in Mecca, built by Adam and rebuilt by Abraham. (see Surah 72:18 and 9:108)
The third holiest mosque is Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem from which Muhammad is said to have taken his journey to heaven (miraj).
The mosque is the centre of all Muslim activities. The Masjid al-Nabi in Medina presents Muslims with a good example:
"Teachers and missionaries were dispatched from this mosque to
those tribes who accepted Islam. A shady place at the north wall was the home
of shelterless Companions of the Prophet. Here some of them received regular
training in the early Islamic sciences of the Qur’an and Hadith. The Prophet’s
mosque was also used for consultation on important political and military
matters. ... Deputations coming from outside Madina were put up in the
Prophet’s Mosque . For instance, when the Christians of Najran sent a
deputation, the Prophet made arrangements for their stay in the mosque. The
Prophet also used to distribute the gifts of war booty among his Companions at
the same mosque. It also served as a court of justice, for legal disputes were
also settled in it. The Prophet himself used to spend ten days of Ramadhan in
I’tikaf (retirement) in his mosque."
TBI, p. 68 f.
Today a mosque may be used for administrative, political, social, educational and religious purposes. Especially in villages this is still the case. But Muslims lament that it is hardly done in towns like in former days. They wish to restrengthen the place of their mosque beyond a place of worship. Thus it often becomes a place of fundamentalist efforts.
Allah in His mercy on this Ummah has declared the earth clean and a place of worship so that wherever a Muslim happens to be, and the time of Salaah is due, he may pray there.
However, Al-Masjid has since the dawn of Al-Islaam been the best environment for Islaamic studies and th& performance of religious services. It has been the center of preaching and guidance; it has served as a court of law where disputes are reconciled, and it has been like a social forum where Muslims assemble to discuss topics of common interest.
Jaabir bin Abdullah reported that the Prophet (s.'a.s.) said:
"I have been conferred five (things) which were not granted to
anyone before me: Every apostle was sent particularly to his own people,
whereas I have been sent to all the red and the black; the spoils of war have
made lawful for me, and these were never lawful to anyone before me; and the
earth has been made sacred and pure and a mosque for me, so whenever the time
of prayer comes for any one of you he should pray wherever he is; and I have
been supported by awe (by which the enemy is overwhelmed) from the distance
(which one takes) one month to cover; and I have been granted
intercession." (Muslim)
On the other hand, building a Masjid has been recommended. In Hadeeth reported by Othmaan, the Prophet said:
"Whoever builds a masjid seeking the reward from Allah by so doing, Allah will build for him a house in the Paradise." (Muslim/ Al-Bukhaaree)
RULES for MOSQUES
Mosques are centres of cities, or of neighbourhoods in cities. This function does not always have to be structured, but can be connected to mentality, and the construction of a new mosque makes a centre emerge. Very few mosques lie in open areas, and very few mosques does not have shops and commercial activities in the streets around it. People's houses are often lying in a second "circle" outside the mosque and the shops. Other social functions have often been connected to mosques, schools, law courts, hospitals, and lodging for travellers. This pattern is based upon the Madina mosque, but is of less importance today, as city planning now often use Western models.
When entering the mosque, a person shall take off his shoes or sandals. Entering the mosque shall be done with the right foot first, while one utters blessings to Muhammad and his family. Once inside the mosque, two rak'as shall be performed. A person inside the mosque shall talk softly, not loudly, so that he or she does not disturb people praying. For the Friday prayer, nice clothes and perfumes, are recommended.
Women entering mosques, are not prevented through neither the Koran nor the Sunna, but there are regulations on how a woman in a mosque shall behave. Mosques can be segregated, either in time, or in space. But through most of Muslim history, women entering mosques have not been welcomed, and mosques can be closed to women, either by local rules, or by habit.
While the salat can be performed anywhere, it is considered more meritorious when performed in the mosque, i.e. together with other people. The Sunna states that salat in the mosque is 20 or 25 times more valuable than the one performed in the home.
The Friday prayer or sermon, khutba, is considered to be compulsory for all male Muslims, but the regulations on khatib, and for the Friday mosques, jami', developed over a long period, approximately 2 centuries. With the strong increase in jami's from the 9th century, the term 'masjid' was more and more used for small and insignificant mosques. For a period in early Islam, sermons were delivered every day, by a qass, who recited and explained. But the institution of qass, never became widespread, and soon disintegrate, and was condemned, and did only continue in Sufism.
Footnotes
(1) Edward
William Lane, Arabic Lexicon, Part 4, p.1308, New York, 1956.
(2) Ibid.,
p.1307
(3) The
Quran 2: 144, 149
(4) Quran,
22: 40; 18:21
(5) See
Ibn Khaldun's Muqaddimah
(6) Ibn
Hisham, p.244
(7) Muslim,
chapter "Masajid"
(8) Bukhari,
chapter on Salah, pp. 70,71
(9) H.A.R.
Gibb and J.H. Kramer, Shorter Encyclopaedia of Islam, p.331 London, 1961.
(10) See
Ibn Hisham, Siral al-Rasul Allah
(11) The
Quran 24: 36
(12) Ibid.,
2: 187
(13) Bukhari,
Ahkam; chapters 19 and 29, Khusumat, chapter 4.
(14) Tabari,
Vol. 1, p.2135
(15) Cf.
Bukhari, Ahkam, chapter 18.
(16) Baladhuri,
p.364
(17) Lammens,
Mu'awiyah, p.435
(18) Kindi,
Wulat, p.391
(19) Joshua
Stylites, ed. Wright, chapter 29; if Mez, Renaissance, p.223
(20) Corpus
juris di ZAyd Ibn 'Ali, ed. Griffini No.364.
(21) Cf.
Baladhuri, p.120; also Tabari, vol 1, pp.2405-2407
(22) Maqrizi,
Vol.IV, p.35. Some churches were used as government fofices as in Egypt in
146A.
(23) The
Quran 21: 83; 38;29;
(24) Mas'udi,
Vol I.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Books:
(1) The Holy Quran
(2) Bukhari Shareef
(3) Ibid
(4) Arabic Lexicon (Edward William Lane)
(5) Tabari
(6) Shorter Encyclopaedia of Islam
(7) Maqrizi Vol. IV
(8) Mas'udi Vol. I
(9) Kindi, Wulat
(10) Baladhuri
(11) Siral al-Rasul Allah (Ibn Hasham)
Websites:
Islamic Encylopaedia
http://users.erols.com/zenithco/milestonesp.html
Major events in the life of Hazrat Mohammad (peace be upon him)
Mosque in Islam
Table
of Contents
|
Subject |
Page # |
|
|
|
|
Mosque In Islam |
1 |
|
Every clean place can be used as a mosque |
1 |
|
Early Islam's mosque buildings |
3 |
|
Mosque Architecture |
3 |
|
Turning towards the east or west is not righteousness |
5 |
|
The Ka'bah and the mosques are not ontologically God |
5 |
|
Sufi view regarding a sacred place |
6 |
|
Role of Mosque in Islam |
7 |
|
Other Functions of Mosque |
9 |
|
The People of Book and their places of worship |
11 |
|
Other Islamic Buildings |
11 |
|
Mosques - A centre of learning |
12 |
|
Higher Education |
13 |
|
The Importance of the Mosque |
14 |
|
Rules for Mosques |
16 |
|
Footnotes |
18 |
|
Bibliography |
19 |
