The internal features of a mosque consist of the prayer hall. The prayer hall is a large hall with no seats. There are no seats because everyone is believed to be equal before God and that there is space needed for prayer movement. Muslims sit side by side and the women and men are separated. There are designs on the carpet of the prayer hall of prayers mats and they point in the direction of the Ka’ba in Mecca. There are no images of God or any other prophets in the prayer hall as they are considered idolatry and would interfere with worship and Muslims would not be able to concentrate and focus on Allah. Another internal feature of the mosque is the mihrab. The mihrab is an alcove in the wall of the mosque and points in the direction of Mecca. It is beautifully decorated with coloured tiles and passages from the Quran. The mihrab amplifies the voice of the Imam who stands in front of it when praying. The minbar is the only piece of furniture required in a mosque. It is similar to a pulpit and can be beautifully decorated or plain and simple. It is raised so that the Imam can be seen heard when he preaches his sermon.
Also, in a mosque there is calligraphy writing that decorates the walls of the mosque with passages from the Quran and the Shahadah. It is a reminder to the Muslims of the importance of Allah’s words. It also expresses the divine presence of God. Another feature of the mosque is the arabesque decoration. It consists of geometric designs and reminds the worshipper that Allah has created an ordered and balanced universe. It also reminds worshippers of the unity of Muslims around the world.
b) Explain why there are no pictures of Muhammed or Allah in a mosque. (7 marks)
In Islam, there are no pictures in a mosque of Muhammed as he is seen as the prophet of Allah and is respected. There are no pictures in a mosque of Allah as it is seen as idolatry and Allah cannot be seen because he is everywhere and is beyond human imagination. Allah is too perfect to be copied and it is a sin for someone to portray what Allah is through a picture (shirk). No statues of anything or anyone are in a mosque because it interferes with worship. However, calligraphy, Arabic writing, and arabesque, geometric designs are seen in mosques. They cover the walls and ceilings with passages from the Quran and intricate designs using colour. The calligraphy shows Allah’s presence in a mosque through the word of the Quran and the arabesque shows hoe Allah created and ordered world.
c) ‘You must attend the mosque every Friday to be a true Muslim’. Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view. (5 marks)
Some Muslims would agree with this statement because Friday is the holy day for Muslims because it is the congregational prayers which are known as Salat-ul-Jumah in Arabic. It is also a very important day and people do not rest on that day. Also, the day is and opportunity to unite Muslims and strengthen the faith and keep the traditions of the faith alive.
Some Muslims would disagree with this statement because being a Muslim is to submit yourself to God and going to the mosque every Friday does not show that. Practicing and observing the five pillars is how to submit oneself to God and being a true Muslim is not all about just going to the mosque. Men usually always go to the mosque whereas women hardly ever because they practice the faith at home and have the duty of teaching the children the faith, but by doing this, it does not make the women any less of a true Muslim than men because they do not go to Friday prayers.
However, I think that being a true Muslim is not about going to the mosque and performing the Friday prayer. There is more to the religion, because Islam, like any other religion, is a 24 hours 365 day religion and submitting yourself to God is not necessarily shown by going to the mosque every Friday but by observing the five pillars.
