The Mosque (Masjid)
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all creation. May Allah extol the Messenger in the highest company of Angels and grant him peace; and likewise, his family, his Companions and all those who truly follow him until the Day of Resurrection.
A masjid (or mosque) is a place of worship and prostration for Muslims. The term masjid comes from sajdah (prostration). So nothing is prostrated to or worshipped in the masjid (plural: masājid) besides Allah. It is very likely that wherever you are in the UK or Europe, there is a mosque not too far away. If the local Muslim community is small, the mosque may only be a room set aside for prayer, or a converted house or shop front. Purpose built mosques can be found in towns and cities, like Birmingham, which have large Muslim communities. These will hold many worshippers and provide all the facilities needed for prayer, and often much more. One of the largest mosques in the UK and maybe the most famous is in Regent’s Park, London. It was designed to hold 4,500 people for prayer, and in the summer another 1000 people can worship in its open-air forecourt.
In East London, a church was converted into a Mosque, called Masjid ʿAbdul-ʿAzeez Ibn Bāz. In Birmingham also, there are two Salafi Mosques: The Salafi Mosque in Small Heath and Masjid as-Sunnah an-Nabawiyyah in Aston which is also a converted church building. And all praise is due to Allah.
Mosque Design
The Qur’an and Hadeeth do not mention specifically what a mosque should look like, but the Muslims do find an example in the Prophet’s Mosque of his time. It was basic and simple, free from worldly distractions. Salafi Muslims in general take that example and therefore do not unnecessarily decorate their Mosques, and they do not see any obligation in ornate domes and minarets. However, there are certain features that are shared by all mosques. They are all positioned so that those using the prayer hall will be facing Makkah. Some mosques are easy to recognize because they have a dome and one or more towers (minarets). There is a symbol at the top of many minarets or domes of the crescent moon and star. People mistakenly think that these are a symbol of Islam just as the cross for the Christians and the Star of David for the Jews. In actuality there is no such symbol of Islam. Some mosques have stonework, which may be decorated with Islamic script – again this is not necessary, nor the practice of the Prophet (H).
Minaret and Dome
In the past, the minaret was used by the mu’adhdhin (الْمُؤَذِّنُ) who would call Muslims to prayer. Nowadays it is purely decorative. In some countries it contains the loudspeakers through which the call to prayer is played. The dome sits above the prayer hall. Its design helps the sound of the prayer to carry all around the prayer area and to keep the prayer room cool. It is often beautifully decorated inside and out. When a mosque has four minarets and a dome, it is said (by some) that they symbolize the Five Pillars of Islam. But none of this has any basis in Islam. The Prophet (H) said:
الْإِمَامُ ضَامِنٌ وَالْمُؤَذِّنُ مؤتمن الله أَرْشِدِ الْأَئِمَّةَ وَاغْفِرْ لِلْمُؤَذِّنِينَ
“The imam is responsible and the mu’adhdhin is trusted. O Allah, guide the imams and forgive the mu’adhdhins.” (Ahmad, Abu Dawood no. 517, Tirmimdhi and others, saheeh: see Mishkāt al-Masābih no. 663) So, the imam is responsible for leading the prayer correctly knowing all the rules, and the mu’adhdhin is trusted to call the adhān on time.
Rooms for ritual ablutions (Wudoo facilities)
Mosques need somewhere for worshippers to perform wudoo. This can be a courtyard fountain or special ablution rooms near the prayer hall. Large mosques which hold many people need very large wudoo rooms. This is because everyone needs to perform wudoo at the same time. The “Hasan II Mosque” in Morocco can hold up to 25,000 worshippers inside and up to 80,000 outside. It has two large wudoo rooms, one for women and another for men, built underneath the mosque.
The Mosque is for Allah: and the Believers Should Pray Therein
A mosque Muslim place of worship. It is not permitted to worship anyone in the mosques except Allah. Allah (the Most High) said:
وَمِنْ حَيْثُ خَرَجْتَ فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ ۖ وَإِنَّهُۥ لَلْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ ۗ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَـٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ ١٤٩
وَمِنْ حَيْثُ خَرَجْتَ فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ ۚ وَحَيْثُ مَا كُنتُمْ فَوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُۥ لِئَلَّا يَكُونَ لِلنَّاسِ عَلَيْكُمْ حُجَّةٌ
“So from wherever you go out [for prayer, O Muḥammad], turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Ḥarām, and indeed, it is the truth from your Lord. And Allāh is not unaware of what you do. And from wherever you go out [for prayer], turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Ḥarām. And wherever you [believers] may be, turn your faces toward it in order that the people will not have any argument against you…” (Al-Baqarah 2:149-150)
وَأَنَّ ٱلْمَسَـٰجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلَا تَدْعُوا مَعَ ٱللَّهِ أَحَدًا ١٨
“And the mosques are for Allah alone, so call not upon anyone along with Allah.” (Al-Jinn: 18)
The Prophet (ﷺ) said:
صَلاَةُ الرَّجُلِ فِي الْجَمَاعَةِ تُضَعَّفُ عَلَى صَلاَتِهِ فِي بَيْتِهِ وَفِي سُوقِهِ خَمْسًا وَعِشْرِينَ ضِعْفًا وَذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ إِذَا تَوَضَّأَ فَأَحْسَنَ الْوُضُوءَ ثُمَّ خَرَجَ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ لاَ يُخْرِجُهُ إِلاَّ الصَّلاَةُ لَمْ يَخْطُ خَطْوَةً إِلاَّ رُفِعَتْ لَهُ بِهَا دَرَجَةٌ وَحُطَّ عَنْهُ بِهَا خَطِيئَةٌ فَإِذَا صَلَّى لَمْ تَزَلِ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ تُصَلِّي عَلَيْهِ مَا دَامَ فِي مُصَلاَّهُ اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَيْهِ اللَّهُمَّ ارْحَمْهُ. وَلاَ يَزَالُ أَحَدُكُمْ فِي صَلاَةٍ مَا انْتَظَرَ الصَّلاَةَ
“The reward of the prayer offered by a man in congregation is twenty five times greater than that of the prayer offered in his house or in the market. That is because if he performs ablution and does it perfectly and then proceeds to the mosque with the sole intention of praying, then for every step he takes towards the mosque, he is raised one degree in reward and one sin is wiped out from his accounts. When he offers his prayer, the angels keep on asking Allah’s blessings and Allah’s forgiveness for him as long as he is remains at his place of prayer. They say, ‘O Allah! Bestow Your blessings upon him, be Merciful to him.’ And one is regarded in prayer as long as one is waiting for the prayer.” (Bukhārī, no. 647)
Exaggeration of Mosques
There are many examples of great exaggeration and excess that some Muslims fell into with Mosques to the extent that some people introduced graves and mausoleums into the mosques as well as other innovations such as elaborate mihrābs, Quranic calligraphy and elevated pulpits of dozens of steps.
The Minaret
One of the most visible aspects of mosque architecture is the minaret, a tower adjacent or attached to a mosque, from which the call to prayer is announced.
The Dome (Qubbah)
Many mosques also feature one or more domes, called qubba in Arabic. They were not present in the time of the Prophet and the four Caliphs.
Mihrāb (Niche)
Another element of a mosque’s architecture is a mihrāb—a niche in the wall that indicates the direction of Mecca, towards which all Muslims pray. Imams will often pray in the mihrāb. A mihrāb is actually not from the Sunnah of the Prophet (ﷺ) and was not made or used by the Rāshidoon Caliphs. It should be avoided in our times too.
Beautifying Mosques
أَكِنَّ النَّاسَ مِنَ الْمَطَرِ وَإِيَّاكَ أَنْ تُحَمِّرَ أَوْ تُصَفِّرَ فَتَفْتِنَ النَّاسَ
Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) ordered building a mosque and gave these instructions: “Build [the mosque] to shelter people from rain. Do not paint it red or yellow, lest you should distract people’s attention.” (Bukhāri in taʿleeq form 1/171)
Abdullah ibn ʿAbbās said that the Messenger (ﷺ) said: “I was not commanded to build high mosques.” Ibn ʿAbbās said: “You will certainly adorn them as the Jews and Christians did.” (Abu Dawood, no. 448, saheeh)
Furthermore, hanging pictures of the Kaʿbah, Masjid an-Nabawi and Masjid Aqsa [in homes, schools, offices, etc] is something disliked as Shaikh Al-Albāni and others have stated.
A Sign of the Last Hour is People Competing in Constructing Mosques
Narrated Anas ibn Malik: The Prophet (ﷺ) said:
لاَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ حَتَّى يَتَبَاهَى النَّاسُ فِي الْمَسَاجِدِ
“The Last Hour will not come until people compete with one another about mosques.” (Abu Dawood, no. 449, Saheeh) Meaning to beautify excessively, spend excessive wealth, and make decorative.
The Green Dome Over the Prophet’s Mosque
The grave of the Prophet (ﷺ) was initially outside of his Mosque in Madeenah – the fact is that his house was next door to the Mosque and that is where he was buried after his death. Later, in the time of the rule of Waleed Ibn Abdul-Malik he commanded that Mosque be expanded, and thus the house of the Prophet (ﷺ) was included into the Mosque as it was extended. This occurred at the displeasure of the Scholars – and they hated it – from them, Sa’eed Ibn Al-Musayyib (died 94H).
As for the green dome that was erected high over the grave of the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam), then it was built at the end of the 6th century – it was built by one of the kings of Egypt. So whoever uses the grave of the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) in the Mosque as a proof, or the presence of the green dome then, in reality, he has no proof at all. That is because these constructions and affairs were initiated by people who were ignorant and devoid of knowledge. They had authority and the people were not able to prevent them. So they did what they did due to their claim that they were expressing their love of the Prophet (ﷺ) and respect for him.
This green dome at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madeenah, over his grave, was a later addition of the sixth century. It was not built or approved by the Companions or by the early scholars and well-known Imāms.
Building on Graves in Islam
Muslim reported from Jundub Ibn ‛Abdullāh who said: I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) five days before his death saying: “I free myself before Allāh from taking any of you as a special close friend (khaleel) for indeed Allāh has taken me as a khaleel just as he took Ibrāheem as a khaleel. And if I was to take anyone from my Ummah as a khaleel, then surely I would’ve taken Abu Bakr as a khaleel. Indeed those who came before you would take the graves of their Prophets as places of worship (as mosques). Do not take graves as places of worship, for indeed I forbid you from that.” [Reported by Muslim]
The Messenger (ﷺ) warned from this affair at the end of his life, and he cursed those who did it as is reported in the texts. The prayer next to the graves is also prohibited – even if there is no Masjid built there – and this is the meaning of ‛Ā’ishah’s saying: “It was feared that it would be taken as a place of worship.” Furthermore, it was not the Sahābah who built a Masjid around his grave. Every location which is taken as a place of prayer is considered a masjid. Indeed any place where the prayer is performed is called a masjid, just as the Prophet (H) said: “The earth was made as a masjid and a place of purification for me.” [Bukhāree 335, Muslim 521]
It is reported in the Saheeh from ‛Ā’ishah that Umm Salamah mentioned to the Prophet (ﷺ) regarding a church she had seen in the land of Abyssinia (Ethiopia) which had within it pictures [of people]. So the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “When there used to die a righteous man or servant from amongst them, they would build over his grave a place of worship – and they would make in it these pictures. They are the worst of creatures in the sight of Allāh.” [Bukhāree 427, Muslim 528]. These people gathered together two tribulations: the tribulation of building over the graves, and the tribulation of making pictures [of people].
Mihrāb or a niche in the direction of the Qiblah at the front of the Masjid has become common practice in mosques. However, there is no proof that the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alahi wasallam) and his Companions built such a niche.
Abu Khadeejah
Baraka Allah feeh! Wa jazakummullah Khairan