Role Of The Mosque by No author available

Some people carry the notions nowadays that the mosque only exists for the performance of salah, and no that other activities must be permitted in the mosque. Anyone talking about the contemporary issues in the mosques, such as the political corruption of the Muslim rulers, or issues related to economics or social system of Islam, are looked down upon and stopped. Notice boards prohibiting gatherings which discuss the affairs of the Muslims are placed in many mosques.

Furthermore, some Muslims have even gone as far as writing constitutions not only to prohibit discussions in the mosques, but also to keep Muslims of certain nationalities out of the mosque committees. This especially applies in the Western world where mosques are usually run by a group of individuals.

All these practices are forbidden in Islam. The very nature of the mosque dictates that it is central to the affairs of the Muslims. Furthermore, the Islamic Shari‘ah has determined that the mosque is expected to play important roles in the Muslim community, and the classical learned scholars have devoted considerable sections in the books of Islamic fiqh (jurisprudence) highlighting these roles, which will become clearer when the tasks which the mosque is expected to be central to, are examined below in detail.

The mosque is the headquarters of the Islamic State’s supreme leadership. It is also a centre where the State’s affairs are run, since the Messenger of Allah (saw) used to meet the envoys, sign agreements, judge between disputing parties and so on. The Khaleefah, i.e. the head of the Islamic State, would outline his policies and methods, address and debate with his subjects directly without any fear in the mosque. The speech of Khaleefah Abu Bakr delivered in the mosque of the Messenger of Allah (saw), once he had been given the bay‘ah, has perhaps gone down in history as being the shortest political speech delivered by a ruler. Abu Bakr said, “O you people! I have been given authority over you but I am not the best of you. If I do well, help me, and if I do wrong, then put me right. Truth consists in loyalty and falsehood in treachery. The weak among you shall be strong in my eyes until I secure his right if Allah wills; and the strong among you should be weak in my eyes until I wrest the right from him. If a people refrain from the fighting in the way of Allah, Allah will smite them with disgrace. Wickedness is never widespread in a people but Allah brings calamity upon them all. Obey me as long as I obey Allah and His Messenger, and if I disobey them you owe me no obedience. May Allah forgive me and forgive you.”

The mosque is regarded as an important Islamic information centre, since it the scene of the political, social, cultural and ritual life. All the important news related to vital issues are announced in the mosque and it also ensures a direct contact between the carrier and the receptor of the Message. It is considered to be one of the most effective and successful means of da‘wah and information. The adhaan, for instance, is an information about the time of prayer and at the same time it is a means of campaigning for Islam and its spreading. The pulpit is also a place for information about the campaign and on it the principles of the campaign are explained and its rules are announced. Prayer is also another tangible method of information especially the group prayer, study circles of Qur’an, fiqh, meetings and conferences are considered to be successful methods of departing information about Islam.

The Messenger of Allah (saw) used the mosque as a place of worship, as an information centre, as a meeting point for the Muslims where they would hold their prayers, for studies, for consultations and for training the mujahideen. Preparation of equipment and plans for Jihad, as well as strategies for the campaigns would also take place in the mosque.

The mosque used to be a place where judges would convene to settle disputes and look into complaints. There are many evidences backing this and there are no differences of opinion among the various Schools of Thought concerning this.

The mosque teaches the basics of the ‘aqeedah, the acts of worship and the Shari‘ah rules in all their types, political, economic, social, judiciary and others. Its policy is based on the Book and the Sunnah with the aim of building and educating the Islamic personalities by way of study circles, debates, and conferences. Such meetings would be engulfed by compassion, the mercy of Allah (swt) descends on them, and they would be surrounded by the angels. The mosque is a university that welcomes everyone, day or night, summer or winter, not requiring any application form or a permission, and it does not turn anyone away be they young or old, male or female, Muslim or non- Muslim, black or white and Arab or non-Arab.

Entry into the mosque does not require any fee, insurance nor any permission. There are no hinderences, no obstacles, nor does the mosque differentiate between a normal person and a scholar, nor between a ruler and a subject.

The management of the mosques would be undertaken by the Director of the Department of Information and Culture, who would be appointed by the Khaleefah once what is known nowadays as the ‘Ministry of Education and Arts’ or the ‘Ministry of Information and Arts’ in the Muslim countries have been dissolved, since they depart nothing but secular viewpoints of life. In addition to his duties as a Director of Information and Culture, he appointed person would be responsible for providing public libraries in the mosques, colleges and markets.

This department would be in charge of the mosques, rather than. The departments of Awqaf that exist in Muslim countries nowadays. The Department of Information and Culture would work towards restoring the role of the mosque as being a centre where Usul al-Fiqh, seerah as well as other Shari‘ah sciences are taught and support would be given to the small mosques as well as the jami‘a i.e. the central ones.

Al-Tirmidhi and al-Hakim extracted a hadith on the authority of ‘A’isha, who said, “The Messenger of Allah (saw) used to provide Hassan with a pulpit in the mosque from which he would lampoon the disbelievers.” Narrated Hassan ibn Thabit al-Ansari, “I asked Abu Hurayrah: By Allah! Tell me the truth whether you heard the Prophet (saw) saying, ‘O Hassan! Reply on behalf of the Messenger of Allah (saw). O Allah! Help him with al-Quds’. Abu Hurayrah said, ‘Yes’.” Imam Ahmad reported on the authority of Jabir ibn Samra, who said, “I witnessed the Messenger of Allah (saw) more than once sitting in the mosque while his Sahabah would recollect poetry and things from the times of jahiliyyah, he (saw) would sometimes share a smile with them.” Al- Tirmidhi also reported on the authority of Jabir ibn Samra, who said, “I sat with the Messenger of Allah (saw) more than once, his Sahabah would recite poetry and recollect things from the times of jahiliyyah, he (saw) would keep silent, and sometimes he would share a smile with them.”

Bukhari reported that Abu Hurayrah said, “The Prophet (saw) sent some horsemen to Najd and they brought a man called Thumama ibn Uthal from Banu Hanifah (as a prisoner of war). They fastened him to one of the pillars of the mosque. The Prophet (saw) came and ordered them to release him.

He (Thamama) went to a (garden of) date-palms near the mosque, took a bath and entered the mosque again and said, ‘I bear witness that there is no one worthy of worship except Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah (i.e. he embraced Islam)’.”

It has been confirmed in Sahih Bukhari that the Messenger of Allah (saw) spread out and divided in the mosque monies which came from Bahrain.

Bukhari reported on the authority of ‘A’isha that she said, “Sa‘d ibn Mu‘adh was injured in the battle of the Trench, being hit in the medial arm vein by a man from Quraysh called Habban ibn Arqa, and the Messenger of Allah (saw) pitched a tent in the mosque for Mu‘adh so he could be near him and visit him. His wound was bleeding profusely, he then died after spending a month in the tent.” In this hadith, there is an indication that it is permitted to sleep in the mosque and for the sick to be nursed in there even if the sick was badly wounded.

Bukhari reported that the Messenger of Allah (saw) reserved a corner of the mosque as a shelter for the poor who were known as the people of al-Suffah. Bukhari reported that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar used to sleep in the mosque of the Messenger of Allah (saw) when he was still young.

Ubad ibn Tamim reported on the authority of his uncle that he saw the Messenger of Allah (saw)

lying down in the mosque. (agreed upon). Ahmad and al-Nisa‘i and Abu Dawud reported on the authority of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar that he said, “During the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (saw)

we used to sleep in the mosque and have siestas when we were young.” Bukhari also extracted a hadith stating that the Messenger of Allah (saw) came to the mosque while ‘Ali was asleep in there and his garment fell off his side and got covered in dust; the Messenger of Allah (saw) wiped the dust off and said to ‘Ali, “Get up Abu Turab (father of dust).” We gather from these texts that the Messenger of Allah (saw) and the Sahabah used to rest and sleep in the mosque.

Bukhari, Ahmad and Muslim reported on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, “He who frequently goes to the mosque, Allah would prepare a quarter for him in Heaven each time he came and went.” Ahmad, al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Maja reported on the authority of Ibn Sa‘id that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, “If you saw a man going frequently to the mosques, do bear witness that he is a believer.” Muslim reported on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, “He who purified himself at home then walked to one of Allah’s houses to perform one of Allah’s commands, each one of his steps would wipe out a sin and the other would increase his rewards.”

Ibn Majah reported that ‘‘Abdullah ibn al-Harith said, “We used to eat bread and meat in the mosque during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (saw).” Bukhari also reported in his Sahih that if the people of al-Suffah lived in the mosque, they therefore had to eat in there as well.

Bukhari and Muslim narrated that ‘A’isha said, “The Messenger of Allah (saw) was once covering me while I was watching the Abyssinians playing with the spears in the mosque.” ‘A’isha also reported, “A black girl who lived in a small room in the mosque used to come to talk to me, and every time she sat she recited verse of poetry.” The hadith carries an indication that it is permitted to sleep and rest in the mosque. Muslim reported that Jabir ibn Samra said, “The Messenger of Allah (saw) would not rise from the spot where he prayed the dawn prayer until the sun rise, when it did, he (saw) would rise.” He also said, “They used to talk and mention the time of jahiliyyah, they would laugh and he (saw) would smile.”

Muslim and al-Nisa‘i extracted from the hadith of Abu Hazim Salman al-Ashja‘i that the Messenger of Allah (saw) has permitted the needy person to seek help in the mosque. Abu Dawud has also included in his works a special chapter entitled ‘The chapter of Mas‘ala (request) in the mosque’. ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Abu Bakr reported that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, “Has any of you fed a needy person today?” Abu Bakr said, “I entered the mosque and I saw a man in there begging, ‘Abd al-Rahman had a loaf of bread in his hand so I took it and gave it to him.”

Bukhari and Muslim, among others, reported that the Messenger of Allah (saw) consulted people in the mosque about the Ifk event.

The prescribed prayers are held in the mosque, and from it the call for Allah is initiated. It is a major cultural centre where the learned scholars hold study circles, debates and talks on the sciences of Qur’an, hadith, fiqh and the Arabic language. The mosque is not a limited company or a public limited company, nor is it an association or a charity organisation, nor is it a land where the rituals are monopolised, for the whole earth is a mosque. Therefore, we ought to work on this basis so that the deen of Allah (swt) engulfs the whole earth, where His (swt) name is ever remembered, and His (swt) deen stands highest.

The mosque is a jami‘a holding the Jum‘ah prayer, and also a popular council conferences are held daily in the mosque. These are in fact the five prescribed prayers, which are held in congregation and this is a desirable action, and people meet in there united by the love of Allah (swt) and His (swt) obedience. Allah (swt) says, “Those that turn (to Allah) in repentence, those that serve Him, and prase Him, those that wander in devotion to the Cause of Allah, those that bow down and prostrate themselves in prayer, those that enjoin good and forbid the evil, and observe the limits set by Allah (these do rejoice).” [TMQ 9:112] There is also a weekly meeting which is compulsory and designed to study the affairs of the Muslims and perform the obligation of Friday prayer. The mosque is therefore a meeting place and a council which never closes, either on a public holiday or on any other day. The mosque holds people of all walks of life together.

The mosque is the best place to be and the best place for i‘tikaf. Evidence about the fact that those who frequently go to the mosque are among the best people is extracted from the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (saw) where he (saw) exhorts us to testify the belief of he who frequently goes to the mosques. The Messenger of Allah (saw) said, “If you see a man going frequently to the mosque, do bear witness that he is a believer.” He (saw) made it mandub for us to perform i‘tikaf in the mosques, and this has been mentioned in all the books of hadith and there is no difference about this.

The leading Imams of hadith have consented about what has been reported on the authority of Sahl ibn Sa‘d that he witnessed the Messenger of Allah (saw) carrying out the penalty of mula’ana or li‘an (the oath of condemnation or the sworn allegation of adultery committed by either a husband or a wife), in the mosque between Hilal ibn Umayyah who accused his wife of adultery without having any proof. The li‘an is part of the penal code, however, the Hanafi School have forbidden for the penal codes to be executed in the mosques.

Allah (swt) says, “The first House (for worship) appointed for mankind was that at Bakkah (Makkah).” [TMQ 3:96] And He (swt) says, “Do they not see that We made a sanctuary secure, and that mankind is being snatched away from all around them?” [TMQ 29:67] He (swt) also says, “And We gave the site to Ibraheem of the (Sacred) House, saying: Associate not anything (in worship) with Me, and sanctify My House for those who compass it round, or stand up, or bow, or prostrate themselves (in prayer).” [TMQ 22:26]