Mosque

A modern-style mosque built on water in Jeddah , Saudi Arabia . A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam . Muslims often refer to the mosque by its Arabic name, masjid ( — (pl. masājid , — [mæˈsæːdʒɪd] ))which literally means place of prostration. The word "mosque" in English refers to all types of buildings dedicated for Islamic worship although there is a distinction in Arabic between the smaller, masjids dedicated for daily five prayers and the larger masajid where the daily five prayers and the Friday congregation sermons are held (مسجد جامع, masjid jāmi‘ ), which is attended by more people and play more roles such as teaching Qur'an. The mosque serves as a place where Muslims can come together for salat (prayer) ( , ṣalāt ) as well as a center for information, education, and dispute settlement. The Imam leads the prayer. They have developed significantly from the open-air spaces that were the Quba Mosque and Al-Masjid al-Nabawi in the 7th century. Many mosques have elaborate domes, minarets , and prayer halls. Mosques originated on the Arabian Peninsula , but are now found in all inhabited continents.

The Masjid al-Haram is the first mosque, and it is the holiest site in Islam A mosque ( / m ɒ s k / ; and masjid , plural مساجد masājid ) is a place of worship for followers of Islam . There are strict and detailed requirements in Sunni fiqh for a place of worship to be considered a mosque, with places that do not meet these requirements regarded as musallas . There are stringent restrictions on the uses of the area formally demarcated as the mosque (which is often a small portion of the larger complex), and, in the Islamic Sharia law, after an area is formally designated as a mosque, it remains so until the Last Day . Many mosques have elaborate domes , minarets , and prayer halls, in varying styles of architecture. Mosques originated on the Arabian Peninsula , but are now found in all inhabited continents. The mosque serves as a place where Muslims can come together for salat ( صلاة ṣalāt , meaning "prayer") as well as a center for information, education, and dispute settlement. The imam leads the congregation in prayer.

"Masjed" and "Musjid" redirect here. Place of worship for followers of Islam A mosque ( / m ɒ s k / ; from , ; literally "place of ritual prostration") is a place of worship for Muslims . Any act of worship that follows the Islamic rules of prayer can be said to create a mosque, whether or not it takes place in a special building. Informal and open-air places of worship are called musalla , while mosques used for communal prayer on Fridays are known as jāmiʿ . Mosque buildings typically contain an ornamental niche ( mihrab ) set into the wall that indicates the direction of Mecca ( qiblah ), ablution facilities and minarets from which calls to prayer are issued. The pulpit ( minbar ), from which the Friday ( jumu'ah ) sermon ( khutba ) is delivered, was in earlier times characteristic of the central city mosque, but has since become common in smaller mosques. Mosques typically have segregated spaces for men and women. This basic pattern of organization has assumed different forms depending on the region, period and denomination. Mosques commonly serve as locations for prayer, Ramadan vigils, funeral services, Sufi ceremonies, marriage and business agreements, alms collection and distribution, as well as homeless shelters. Historically, mosques were also important centers of elementary education and advanced training in religious sciences . In modern times, they have preserved their role as places of religious instruction and debate, but higher learning now generally takes place in specialised institutions. Special importance is accorded to the Great Mosque of Mecca (centre of the hajj ), the Prophet's Mosque in Medina (burial place of Muhammad ) and Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem (believed to be the site of Muhammad's ascent to heaven ). In the past, many mosques in the Muslim world were built over burial places of Sufi saints and other venerated figures, which has turned them into popular pilgrimage destinations. With the spread of Islam , mosques multiplied across the Islamic world. Sometimes churches and other temples were converted into mosques, which influenced Islamic architectural styles . While most pre-modern mosques were funded by charitable endowments , modern states in the Muslim world have attempted to bring mosques under government control. Increasing government regulation of large mosques has been countered by a rise of privately funded mosques of various affiliations and ideologies, many of which serve as bases for different Islamic revivalist currents and social activism. Mosques have played a number of political roles. The rates of mosque attendance vary widely depending on the region. The Oxford Dictionary of Islam . In Juan Eduardo Campo (ed.). Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World .

Place of prayer for followers of Islam "Masjed" and "Musjid" redirect here. A mosque ( / m ɒ s k / MOSK ) or masjid ( / ˈ m æ s dʒ ɪ d , ˈ m ʌ s -/ MASS -jid, MUSS - ; both from , ; lit. ' place of ritual prostration ' ) is a place of prayer for Muslims . Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( salah ) are performed, including outdoor courtyards . The first mosques were simple places of prayer for Muslims, and may have been open spaces rather than buildings. In the first stage of Islamic architecture , 650-750 CE, early mosques comprised open and closed covered spaces enclosed by walls, often with minarets from which calls to prayer were issued. Mosque buildings typically contain an ornamental niche ( mihrab ) set into the wall that indicates the direction of Mecca ( qiblah ) and ablution facilities. The pulpit ( minbar ), from which the Friday ( jumu'ah ) sermon ( khutba ) is delivered, was in earlier times characteristic of the central city mosque, but has since become common in smaller mosques. Mosques typically have segregated spaces for men and women. This basic pattern of organization has assumed different forms depending on the region, period and denomination. Mosques commonly serve as locations for prayer, Ramadan vigils, funeral services, marriage and business agreements, alms collection and distribution, as well as homeless shelters. Historically, mosques have served as a community center , a court of law , and a religious school . In modern times, they have also preserved their role as places of religious instruction and debate. Special importance is accorded to the Great Mosque of Mecca (centre of the hajj ), the Prophet's Mosque in Medina (burial place of Muhammad ) and Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem (believed to be the site of Muhammad's ascent to heaven ). With the spread of Islam , mosques multiplied across the Islamic world . Sometimes churches and temples were converted into mosques , which influenced Islamic architectural styles . While most pre-modern mosques were funded by charitable endowments , increasing government regulation of large mosques has been countered by a rise of privately funded mosques, many of which serve as bases for different Islamic revivalist currents and social activism . Mosques have played a number of political roles. The rates of mosque attendance vary widely depending on the region. The Oxford Dictionary of Islam . The Sacred Inspiring Form, Function and Design in Islamic Architecture, Lonaard Journal. This 'place' is not a building per se but what is evidenced by the etymology of the word 'mosque' which derives from the Arabic 'masjid' meaning 'a place of sujud (prostration).' Colledge, R. It is not necessary to have a building to do this. Muhammad said that 'Wherever the hour of prayer overtakes you, you shall perform the prayer. That place is the mosque'. To my knowledge, twenty-seven masjids from this period are archaeologically definable… All mosques had a certain relationship between open and closed covered spaces. The problems posed by this relationship pertain primarily to the history of art, except on one point, which is the apparent tendency to consider the covered parts as the bayt al-salat, i.e. place of prayer, and the rest of the building as an overflow area for prayer. All these buildings were enclosed by walls and did not have an exterior façade. Their orderly form appeared only from the inside where the balance between open and covered spaces served, among other things, to indicate the direction of qibla. Their only outward symbol was the minaret, a feature which appeared early in mosques built in old cities with predominantly non-Muslim populations and only later in primarily Muslim ones." Nuha N. In Juan Eduardo Campo (ed.). Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World .

Place of worship for Muslims "Masjed" and "Musjid" redirect here. The Prophet's Mosque ( al-Masjid an-Nabawi ) in Medina , one of the holiest mosques in Islam A mosque ( / m ɒ s k / MOSK ), also called a masjid ( / ˈ m æ s dʒ ɪ d , ˈ m ʌ s -/ MASS -jid, MUSS - ), is a place of worship for Muslims . The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were simple places of prayer for the early Muslims , and may have been open spaces rather than elaborate buildings. In the first stage of Islamic architecture (650–750 CE), early mosques comprised open and closed covered spaces enclosed by walls, often with minarets , from which the Islamic call to prayer was issued on a daily basis. It is typical of mosque buildings to have a special ornamental niche (a mihrab ) set into the wall in the direction of the city of Mecca (the qibla ), which Muslims must face during prayer, as well as a facility for ritual cleansing ( wudu ). The pulpit ( minbar ), from which public sermons ( khutbah ) are delivered on the event of Friday prayer , was, in earlier times, characteristic of the central city mosque, but has since become common in smaller mosques. To varying degrees, mosque buildings are designed so that there are segregated spaces for men and women . This basic pattern of organization has assumed different forms depending on the region, period, and Islamic denomination . In addition to being places of worship in Islam , mosques also serve as locations for funeral services and funeral prayers , marriages ( nikah ), vigils during Ramadan , business agreements, collection and distribution of alms , and homeless shelters. To this end, mosques have historically been multi-purpose buildings functioning as community centres, courts of law, and religious schools . In modern times, they have also preserved their role as places of religious instruction and debate. Special importance is accorded to, in descending order of importance: al-Masjid al-Haram in the city of Mecca, where Hajj and Umrah are performed; the Prophet's Mosque in the city of Medina , where Muhammad is buried; and al-Aqsa Mosque in the city of Jerusalem , where Muslims believe that Muhammad ascended to heaven to meet God around 621 CE. There's a growing realization among scholars that the present-day perception of mosques doesn't fully align with their original concept. Early Islamic texts and practices highlight mosques as vibrant centers integral to Muslim communities, supporting religious, social, economic, and political affairs. During and after the early Muslim conquests , mosques were established outside of Arabia in the hundreds; many synagogues , churches , and temples were converted into mosques and thus influenced Islamic architectural styles over the centuries. While most pre-modern mosques were funded by charitable endowments ( waqf ), the modern-day trend of government regulation of large mosques has been countered by the rise of privately funded mosques, many of which serve as bases for different streams of Islamic revivalism and social activism. There are <ref group=note> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a template (see the help page ). The Oxford Dictionary of Islam . The Sacred Inspiring Form, Function and Design in Islamic Architecture", Lonaard Journal . This 'place' is not a building per se but what is evidenced by the etymology of the word 'mosque' which derives from the Arabic 'masjid' meaning 'a place of sujud (prostration).' Colledge, R. It is not necessary to have a building to do this. Muhammad said that 'Wherever the hour of prayer overtakes you, you shall perform the prayer. That place is the mosque'. To my knowledge, twenty-seven masjids from this period are archaeologically definable... All mosques had a certain relationship between open and closed covered spaces. The problems posed by this relationship pertain primarily to the history of art, except on one point, which is the apparent tendency to consider the covered parts as the bayt al-salat, i.e. place of prayer, and the rest of the building as an overflow area for prayer. All these buildings were enclosed by walls and did not have an exterior façade. Their orderly form appeared only from the inside where the balance between open and covered spaces served, among other things, to indicate the direction of qibla. Their only outward symbol was the minaret, a feature which appeared early in mosques built in old cities with predominantly non-Muslim populations and only later in primarily Muslim ones." Nuha N. In Juan Eduardo Campo (ed.). Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World . "The Concept of Mosque Based on Islamic Philosophy: A Review Based on Early Islamic Texts and Practices of the Early Generation of the Muslims" . Advances in Environmental Biology . 9 (5): 371– 375.