What’s Inside A Masjid?

The masjid of Allah shall be visited and

maintained by such as believe in Allah and

the Last Day, establish regular

prayers, and practice regular charity, and

fear none (at all) except Allah. It is they who are expected to be on true guidance."

[9:17-18]

The Call To Prayer

• “God is great. There is not God but God.” These are the last words of the adhan, which calls all Muslims to prayer 5 times a day.

• A man known as a muezzin used to call the adhan from the minaret. Nowadays, you will hear the adhan broadcast over loudspeakers.

Minaret of the Koutoubia Masjid Marrakech, Morocco

Allâhu akbar Allâhu akbarAllâhu akbar Allâhu akbarash-hadu al-lââ ilâha illa-llâhash-hadu al-lââ ilâha illa-llâhash-hadu anna muhammadan rasûlu-llâhash-hadu anna muhammadan rasûlu-llâhhayya ‘ala-s-salâhhayya ‘ala-s-salâhhayya ‘ala-l-falâhhayya ‘ala-l-falâhAllâhu akbar, Allâhu akbarlââ ilâha illa-llâh

The Adhan The Muezzin

The Call to Prayer by Jean-Léon Gérôme -1879

Types of Minarets

Ottoman Minaret

Minaret of the Great Masjid of

Qairawan

Minaret of the Taj Mahal

Spiral Minaret Al Mutawakil

Masjid

Minaret of the Great Masjid in

Seville

YemeniMinaret

Source: www.islamicarchitecture.org

Front Entrance and Shoe Racks

Assalam Alaikum. The first thing we have to do when entering a masjid is taking off our shoes and place them on a shoe rack. We want to keep the building clean so that we can do our prayers without worrying that the floor might be dirty.

Front Entrance and shoe rack at the Yateem Masjid in Bahrain.

London Central Masjid -Main Prayer Hall

The Minbar and the Mihrab

The minbar is the raised set of steps from which the Imam gives the sermon at the Friday juma’a prayer. Sometimes the Imam stands at the podium next to the steps to give the sermon.

A mihrab is a niche in the wall that indicates the qibla, i.e. the direction of the Ka’bah that Muslims should face when praying.

.

                            

Minbar and mihrab.Masjid of Sultan Barquq

Prayer Clocks

In the masjid, there are six clock faces. These are not real clocks that work. The first five clock faces show the five times of prayer each day. The sixth clock face shows the time of the Friday service. 

1. Prayers before dawn - fajr 2. Prayers just after midday – ‘asr3. Mid afternoon prayers - zuhr4. Prayers after sun set - maghrib5. Prayers after dark - isha6. The Friday service – juma’a

There are no pictures or statues in a mosque. Mosques are decorated with patterns and words from the Qur'an.

Carpets

• There are no chairs or benches in a masjid, only carpets. A masjid is often covered "from wall to wall" with several layers of carpets.

• To deed a carpet to a masjid is an act of piety and many Muslims do so.

Yemeni masjid in Cardiff.The carpet is in the shape of individual prayer mats.

Ablution Facilities

Masjids have special areas for men and women to perform wudhu in privacy. In traditional masjids, this function is often elaborated into a freestanding building in the center of a courtyard. Ablution room at the Hassan II Masjid,

Casablanca, Morocco

Inside the Masjid(picture taken from David Macaulay’s book “Mosque”)

Inside the Masjid(picture taken from David Macaulay’s book “Mosque”)

Sharing What God Gives

Every masjid has a place where Muslims can donate money to give to the poor or needy and also to help pay the expenses of the masjid. Zakat, which is Arabic for “charity”.

Zakat box in Richmond, BC, Canada by Sumayya Kassamali

The Library

Bookshelves are found in most masjids. They contain works of Islamic philosophy, theology and law, as well as collections of the traditions and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad. Copies of the Qur’an, Islam's revealed text, are always available to worshippers.

Preserving Tradition

Many masjids have schools where children are taught to respect the holy books and prophets. In the classrooms, children learn about the traditions and laws of Islam. They learn to read Arabic and say their prayers. They also learn about the holidays we celebrate in the Islamic year.

Boys reading the Qur’an at the Amsterdam Masjid.