Honoring the Houses of Allah
Abdil Malik Al-Qaasim
The masajid are the lanterns of the Muslim faith and the headquarters of the righteous. They are the houses of Allah, the Exalted, the most beloved places to Him and the purest spots on earth. He honored them by attributing them to himself directly in a genitive construct "masajid Allah."
- Categories: Fiqh of Prayer -
Allah, the Almighty, honored the Muslims with the religion of Islam. He made congregational prayer one of the outward rites of this religion. The masjid has been assigned great importance since the emergence of Islam as a light to humanity. Ever since the prophet set out building his masjid in Madinah, the masajid have become highly frequented spots where worshippers are continuously present, filling them with prayer, remembrance, supplication, recitation and study of the Qur'an. They have also become centers for spreading knowledge.
And the angels send blessings upon any of you – so long as he remains in the spot where he prayed and does not pass wind – saying, ‘O Allah, forgive him, O Allah, have mercy on him." [al-Bukhari] Waiting inside the masjid until it is time for prayer is considered ribaat, which is the protection of a country's frontiers, and metaphorically, the frontiers of one's faith.
rious, included among the seven whom He will shade under His shade in a day when there will be no shade except His, "a man whose heart is attached to the masajid." [al-Bukhari & Muslim]Islam laid down some etiquettes for praying in the masjid. It is necessary that the worshipper be clean of major and minor ritual impurities. He should walk to the masjid with tranquil steps and submissive conscious. When he reaches the masjid's door, he should enter with his right foot first and say the supplication for entering the masjid. Islam encourages wearing adornment and perfume on the Friday congregational prayerand the Eid prayers, "O Children of Adam! Take your adornment (by wearing your clean clothes), while praying and going round (the tawaf of) the Kabah called tahiyyat al-masjidIf one enters the masjid let him not sit before he prays two rak'as." [al-Bukhari] Another enjoinment for looking after the masjid is found in the prophetic hadith, "I do notpermitthemenstruating womanorthesexuallydefiledpersontoenter the masjid.'weak hadith'] He also forbade the nonbelievers from entering it.
the prophet, peace be upon him, was performing I'tikaf in the masjid, then he heard the people reading the Qur'an in a loud voice. He removed the covering and said, "O people, each of you is appealing to his Lord so do not disturb each other, and do not raise your voices above one another in recitation." [abu-Dawoud, 'corrected by al-Albani']
He who eats garlic or onion should remain away from us or from our masjid and stay in his house." The Muslim is forbidden from wearing a single item of clothing which does not stretch enough to cover his shoulders, because covering them is more befitting, closer to modesty when standing in front of Allah and more perfect in adorning oneself. It is true that the Muslim nation reveres its masajid and consistently fills them in compliance with the command of Allah, "The mosques of Allah shall be maintained only by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day
Dear worshipper, whenever you become witness to some practices which violate the etiquettes of the masjid, enjoin what is good and forbid what is vile. Advise your brothers in Islam in the best manner. If you are a good father that has been blessed with children, keep them from fiddling with the property of the masjid especially if they are below the age of seven.
May Allah make you and us among the ones who frequent the masajid, forgive our sins, those of our parents and all Muslims.
Dr. Abdel-Malik al-Qasim
Daar al- Qasim
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
P.O. Box 6373 Riyadh 11442
Tel: 4092000/ Fax: 4033150