Islam: The Mosque
| A Mosque, or Masjid as Muslims call it, is a place for Muslims to pray, study and meet together. It can be in an ordinary house or be purpose built with traditional, though not essential, features like a minaret and dome.
In a Muslim country the minaret would be used by the mu’adhin to call the faithful to prayer, five times a day.The call to prayer is known as the adhan. The words are Arabic and are the same as those used by Bilal, a Companion of the Prophet, when he called Muslims to the first mosque in Madinah. The adhan is both a summons and a declaration of faith. Believers respond by offering their prayers, salah, through the physical actions taught to them by the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
Before Muslims pray they prepare themselves physically and spiritually with wudu, washing. The intentional offering of their devotion to Allah – making niyyah – is an essential part of this preparation.
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Inside the prayer room there is no furniture but space to pray, read the Qur’an and rest, for example during Ramadan.
A niche in one wall, the mihrab, indicates the qiblah or direction of Makkah. Muslims all around the world face in the direction of the Ka’bah in Makkah when they pray.
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A niche in one wall, the mihrab, indicates the qiblah or direction of Makkah. Muslims all around the world face in the direction of the Ka’bah in Makkah when they pray. The world-wide Islamic community of believers is known as the ummah. In the mosque believers stand side by side as a community, united by their beliefs and equal in the sight of Allah.
Muslims pray with their whole bodies and all their heart and mind. In bowing and prostrating before Allah, they show their belief that Allah is greater than anyone or anything and that they are ready to live according to His will. Islam means peace - which comes from ‘submission’ to Allah’s will.
On the right of the mihrab you will see the minbar. This set of steps leading to a platform are used by the imam when he gives the jumu’ah, Friday prayer sermon. The zakah boxes just outside the prayer hall remind Muslims of their duty to give an amount annually for the welfare of the poor and as an offering of devotion to Allah.
The photographs on this page are from the Suleymaniye mosque in Shoreditch. It is decorated with traditional Turkish tiles, which in their design make it a beautiful place and affirm belief in the Oneness of Allah. The patterns remind Muslims to praise Allah for the wonders of His created world, of the pattern and harmony He has given to everything in it and of the responsibility humans have in exercising careful stewardship over it.
The Suleymaniye mosque, like all mosques, is a centre for community life and celebrations. As well as providing somewhere for people to pray, there is an advice bureau and a school, where both adults and children learn Arabic and study the Qur’an along with normal school topics including maths, English and science.
The Suleymaniye mosque, like all mosques, is a centre for community life and celebrations. As well as providing somewhere for people to pray, there is an advice bureau and a school, where both adults and children learn Arabic and study the Qur’an along with normal school topics including maths, English and science
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The mosque also has student accommodation and a restaurant, as well as offering funeral services and a hall for weddings.
Etiquette on visiting a mosque:
Islam requires both men and women to dress modestly. Visitors to mosques should also dress modestly: both men and women should wear loose-fitting clothes, which cover arms and legs. Women should cover their head with a scarf and men may wear a cap as Muslim men often do.
All will be required to remove their shoes on entry. It is impolite to walk in front of people who are praying and to sit with feet pointing towards the qiblah. Please remember not to take food with you on a visit because of the halal rules. Although it is usually permitted, always ask before taking photographs.
Click onthe link for local Mosques.
