Transcript The MosqueREFX

The Mosque
The words 'Mosque'
comes from the word
Masjid which means
to 'prostrate oneself'
(to bow before
Allah). A Mosque is a
place where Muslims
bow before Allah to
keep one of the Five
Pillars of Islam.
Muhammad (pbuh)
taught that 'Wherever
the hour of prayer
overtakes you, you
shall perform the
prayer. That place is a
Mosque'. This tells
us that for a Muslim
prayer is much more
important than just a
building.
Mihrab
Mosques are generally
rectangular in shape, the
walls define the sacred
area that should only be
entered by people who
have removed their
shoes.
On the outside of the
mosque there will be a
structure called a Mihrab,
on a wall of the mosque
called the Qibla wall
(qibla means direction).
Mihrab
When you enter the
mosque you will see
the other side of the
mihrab. It is an
alcove or indentation
in the mosque wall.
It tells the Muslim
which way Mecca is
when they are
standing in the prayer
hall. Muslims must
always pray facing
Mecca.
Mosques will
often have a
minaret visible
from the
outside. is a tall
tower used by
the Muezzin to
call Muslims to
prayer.
A Minaret from a
Mosque in
Mecca
This serves the same
purpose as a bell in a
church, for Christians
they can tell when it is
time to worship by
their watches but for a
Muslim the prayer
times are fixed by the
sun and therefore
change daily.
Shoe Racks
• When a Muslim enters the
Mosque, he will be
required to remove his
shoes. This tells the
Muslim that he is entering
a religious place and helps
the Muslim focus his mind
on the act of worship he is
about to perform.
• The removal of shoes also
has the advantage that it
keeps the prayer hall clean
for Muslims to bow as they
perform Salah.
The washroom
When a Muslim has
removed his shoes he
enters the washroom to
perform Wudu, washing
to remove sins and
prepare for prayer). The
washing always follows a
set pattern. Once again
this is to focus the mind
on what is actually being
done.
The right hand is washed to the
wrist and then the left hand.
The mouth and throat are rinsed
with water by gargling. This
ensures that the mouth is clean
when it addresses Allah in prayer.
The nose and face are washed.
The arms up to the elbow, right
arm first.
T
he hands are then passed over
the head from the forehead to the
neck
The ears are washed next and
finally the feet up to the ankles,
again the right one first.
Cold water is usually
used for wudu, this helps
to make the Muslim alert
and ready for prayer.
Many of the actions of
wudu are performed three
times, once again this
helps a Muslim to
concentrate on what he is
doing rather than what
has gone on before.
Inside the Mosque
The main room of the mosque may be carpeted
as in this mosque, the patterns on the carpet
help the worshippers assemble in neat rows
when they are praying.
Each of the patterns on the carpet is just large
enough for a person to complete the rakahs
(prayer positions).
The building will be very plain, there will be
no pictures, statues, stained glass
windows or anything that will distract the
worshippers from Allah.
The only decoration will be Arabic text from
the Koran.
The Prayer Positions
Takbir- Shutting out
the world and its
distractions.
Muslims stand to
attention with their
hands raised to the
level of their
shoulders.
Ruku- Bowing.
Muslims bend their
bodies forward and
place their hands on
their knees. This is to
show that they
respect Allah.
Sujud- The prostration.
Muslims kneel,
touching the ground
with their head and
hands. This is the
lowest position and
shows submission to
the will of Allah, this
is what the word
'Islam' means.
Salam- Kneeling.
Final position,
prayers are said for
the prophet, and
the forgiveness of
sins. He looks over
the right and then
left shoulder to
acknowledge his
fellow Muslims.
Features in a Mosque
A Muslim needs to
pray five times a
day (except during
Ramadan - the
month of fasting
when he prays six
times). The prayer
times are as
follows
Fazar (morning after
dawn
Zohar (noon)
Asar (mid - afternoon but
before sun-set)
Magrib (between sunset
and twilight)
Isha (before midnight)
The Mihrab and Minbar
The Mihrab is the alcove in
the Qiblah wall. It points in
the direction of Mecca so
that when a Muslim is
standing in the mosque he
knows which direction to
face when praying, a
Muslim must always face
the Ka'bah in Mecca (cube
shaped building
representing the house of
Allah).
The seat is called the Minbar. It is like a
pulpit in a church and is the seat for the
Imam. Here he gives a sermon (talk) to
the congregation on Friday's, the Islamic
holy day.