Before talking of the features of a specific Mosque I would like to mention that there are three most important Mosques in the world which the Quran has mentioned. They are the Mosque of Haram in Makkah (Ka’aba), the Mosque of the Prophet in Medina and the Dome of the Rock (Al Aqsa) in Jerusalem.
The first Mosque in history of Islam was the Mosque of Quba near Medina. The Prophet during his migration to Medina erected this.
The specific mosque whose features I have chose to discuss is called Masjid-e-Anisul Islam, which is situated in Blackburn on Troy Street.
The Muslim community was not very large at the time of the purchase of the Mosque. However, according to the residents at the time, there was a feeling that the community will increase significantly in the coming years due to the reason that the local council had proposed demolition plans for the Daisyfield area, which was densely populated by Muslims and also there was a local Mosque on Daisy St. (off Moss St.) which was also under demolition orders. Therefore, they contemplated the need of a Mosque and hence the purchase of the building.
A few local people identified the need of a Mosque in the Bastwell area, as the nearest Mosque at that time for the local residents was the one situated on Bicknell Street. At that time (1979), one house situated on Whalley Range was temporarily used to serve as a Mosque.
The present Mosque building was purchased in 1979. It had originally been built as a church and before conversion to a Mosque, it had been used as a theatre.
I will now commence by discussing the main features of the Masjid-e-Anisul Islam in Blackburn.
The Mosque is set at an angle to other buildings on the street. This is to allow the main prayer hall to point in the direction of Makkah, the focal point of all Muslims prayer.
Islamic architecture often incorporates windows and entrances carved in arch shapes and domes as in this purpose-built Mosque.
Namaz is a word used for prayer. The clocks from right to left are: the five prayer times, Friday prayer, noon, sunrise and a clock showing the latest time for saying the night prayers.
The floor is carpeted and the pattern is designed to provide individual prayer mats for each worshipper. Prayer mats are also put on the walls for decoration.
The niche in the wall is known as the Mihrab. It marks the direction of Makkah. Prayers are offered whilst facing in this direction. During congregational prayers, the leader is able to use the prayer mat in the Mihrab itself.
These are the male ablutions. Toilet and shower facilities are provided but this area is used for Wudhu, the ceremonial washing before prayer.
Friday congregational worship is compulsory for Muslim men. Note that the days marked red on the calendar on a regular basis are Fridays.
In most Muslim lands Friday is a holiday rather than Sunday. It is not, however, prescribed as a day of rest but rather of obligatory worship. Work and business transactions are permitted as usual before and after the time of the Friday noon-prayer.
In the upstairs hall the evening classes takes place. Pupils (children) sit or kneel at low benches with Qurans or primers. They recite in Arabic.
Subha or Tasbih beads are hung around the Mosque for worshippers. Ninety-nine beads are divided into thirty-three by slightly larger beads.
Spare head coverings are kept just inside the prayer hall, as it is customary to cover the head for prayer.
The Mosque library contains books and tapes help the congregation learn more about Islam. Note the Qurans at the top, carefully wrapped in material covers. On the floor are two ra’els, wooden stands to hold the Quran whilst reading.
This rack is for leaflets and newsletters for the public. Leaflets are distributed to inform the public of special programmes or even to make them more aware of their religion.
The mimbar is the pulpit from where the Friday sermon is delivered by the imam.
Below is a brief summary of the Mosque.
The Mosque building was purchased in 1979 and is wholly and fully owned by the Mosque. The building is valued at five hundred thousand pounds. The capacity of the main prayer hall is of four hundred. On average seventy-five worshippers come to prayers as a congregation on a daily basis five times a day. The main prayer hall is full for the Friday prayers. On the festival days many of the classrooms have to be used for congregational prayers. The Mosque has ten classrooms where two hundred children from the ages of 5 to 16 attend evening classes daily from Monday to Friday. The Mosque also employs ten teachers who look after the education of these children. The Mosque library consists of nearly a thousand books, which are borrowed out to the children and adults alike. A mortuary is situated in the basement for the ritual washing of the deceased and a side room for the shrouding. This room also houses the coffins and a specially purchased freezer coffin, which can be manoeuvred as per need. A community hall situated on the ground floor can accommodate unto 350 people for weddings, conferences and seminars. There is also a large room adjacent to this for the ladies, which has a capacity of 150. Kitchen facilities are also available for functions and programmes. For the convenience of the congregation, an ablution area consisting of 20 taps and spaces, 8 washrooms and 1 bathroom are available. The Mosque also has its own laundry washing facilities as well as volunteer cleaners who clean the Mosque twice weekly as well as looking after the outside surrounding garden.
At present, the main building of the Mosque is undergoing major renovation and improvements.
The basic elements of Mosque furnishings are: -
- A demarcated space – partly roofed and partly open to the sky to give lodgings for the congregation at prayer. The size of the enclosed prayer-hall or sanctuary (haram) differ in relation to the area of the courtyard (sahn), the latter often being surrounded on three of its sides by arcades (riwaqs), with the fourth side giving right of entry to the prayer hall. The main issue concerning the relative scope is the numbers of worshippers to be housed and the nature of the customary climate district by district. The prayer hall – typically rectangular or square in arrangement – may be of the hypostyle type, i.e. having a roof supported by a large number of evenly dispersed posts (sometimes with horizontal beams or systems of arches forming part of the structures). Otherwise, the hall may be enclosed by a single large dome (one of the greatest contributions made by Islam to architecture) or by a roof punctuated by one or more small domes.
- The Qiblah wall and the Mihrab: - The prayer hall must have one hall facing Makkah i.e. at right angles to a fantasy line pointing in the route of Makkah. At the centre of this wall, known as the Qiblah wall, the Mihrab is placed, an alcove or bay, which is the chief and most decorated feature of any Mosque. Dissimilar to the altar in a church, however, the Mihrab is not observed as sacred; what is imposed or sacred is the direction of prayer, which its presence indicates. It is said that the spot by the wall where Muhammad used to stand when at prayer in his house in Medina was marked after his death by a stone (Qibla.) The form of the Mihrab is essentially that of the Roman niche – crescent in plan and having a semicircular arched top – set in the wall. The Qibla wall and the Mihrab are essential mechanisms for all Mosques other than the Haram Al-Shareef itself. Since all worshippers when at prayer must face Makkah and should in theory be equidistant from the Qibla wall, they form rows parallel to it – a practice that also explains the standard rectangular plan of most Mosques.
- The Minbar or Pulpit: - is always divided to the right of the Mihrab and entail of a staircase of altering height, with or without banisters. A cupola-type roof, usually in some appealing shape often caps guiding to a small platform. Its source was the small set of steps (not unlike those made later for use in libraries) which was familiarised in Muhammad’s house in Medina at a time when his followers had amplified in numbers, so making it sensible for him to situate himself above the heads of his addressees in order to make his words more easily heard. Later, the Minbar became a necessary piece of equipment for use in any Mosque where Muslims convened in large numbers for Friday prayers; the Imam leading the prayers would also deliver the Khutbah (oration) from it. In procedure the Imam reads or speaks from a step below the top platform, which is figuratively reserved for the Prophet – varying in size from a sheer three steps to examples on a epic scale with rich decoration, the Minbar is a feature of almost all outsized Mosques, but is often missing from smaller structure used for exclusive worship. The weekly address in a Friday Mosque may be part sermon and partly a political public statement or address of municipal, and the Minbar was used in previous times for ‘coronations’ (in the sense of the investiture of a new caliph.) While in Christendom the ideas of Church and State may be measured separate. In Islam the Mosque can assist both as a house of worship and as a platform for official government or state pronouncements.
- The Dikka: - A wooden platform of compliment of ‘single strong height’ and situated in line with the Mihrab, the Dikka reached by its own stairs. From this lifted platform the respondents (qadi) of the Mosque replicate the ritual postures of the Imam and speak the retorts so that the stages of prayer can be broadcasted to a large congregation. Conditional on its size and current climate, the Dikka may also be located in the quad outside.
- The Kursi: - This is lectern on which the Quran is sited and from which the Qadi reads and recites; it is usually placed next to the Dikka.
- The Maqsura: - This was initially the place set apart to preserve the life of the Imam who, in the early centuries of Islam, was also the caliph or governor and often in danger of elimination. In the launch the Maqsura comprised of a raised platform with defensive wooden display. In the early period the Daar Al-Imaara (governor’s place) was often established neighbouring to the Qibla wall and provided direct private access to the Mihrab area and the Maqsura to present utmost safety. The extended central nave – a feature which commenced at an early stage – could also function as a special processional area for the complete attendants of the caliph. The introduction of a dome over the Mihrab bay may be donated to the fact that the company of the caliph called for special emphasis architecturally. In appendage, a separate enclosure for princely use was often shown. Pleasing the twin purpose of certifying the rulers’ safety and at the same time providing a means of encircling his entourage with suitable finery often providing a special prospect for architectural amplification.
- The Pool: - This feature may be with or without a fountain and may be anticipated for the laid down habitual ablutions before prayers, but is sometimes merely ornamental. When used for ablutions, it is designed an authorised number of worshippers to wash concurrently under running water, and is placed at or close to the centre of the courtyard. Fountains, often-present creative designs, especially in the form of domed, small marquee – like roofs. In cases where the fountain accomplishes a decorative role the mandatory washing amenities are often situated in a room near the shoe-storage racks.
- The Minaret: - The original objective of this tower-like feature, apart from serving as a community attraction was to certify that the voice of the Muezzin making the adhan could be heard at an utmost distance. Throughout the existence of Muhammad the call to prayer was given from the roof of his house in Medina, and it was not until the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries that the construction of Minarets became widespread. The source of the Minaret as an architectural form may be based on one of a variety of sources ranging from Zoroastrian symbolic fire towers to Roman watch-towers, coastal lighthouses or church towers. A single Minaret was usually supplied, though under the Ottoman and Mughal Empires twin Minarets (signifying royal patronage) were often built. Infrequently, four are found, however in some Mosques the number of Minarets surpasses as in the Haram in Makkah. In general, yet, the significance of the Minaret at a point when broadcasting the adhan via loudspeakers has become the custom, now lies in the kingdom of figurative.
- The Portal: - A general attribute of the architecture of the Muslim world is the disguise of the core of a building from the outside view; thus high walls almost perpetually encircle the Mosque. The single imposing main doorway establishes the entry between municipal bustle and the serene environment within; as such, the entryway to the Mosque takes on a powerful psychosomatic significance, which is often argumentated by luxurious embellishment premeditated to pay respect to God’s existence, as well as to stress the liberality of Mosques investor. A major Mosque was usually specially made by a patron gifted with great power and wealth, such as a caliph or sultan.
I further require myself to quote the Imam. The factual leader in the Mosques is the ruler, who holds the title Imam. Local rulers had a similar position of Khatib, is a result of the Imam being unable to perform the salat of Fridays sermon. The Khatib could be the Qadi too.
The word Imam means ‘a leader’. The Imam’s function is as a teacher and prayer leader at the Mosque. He has no celestial power today, but as a man of knowledge. The Muslims seek his advice on everyday matters, and they are perfectly at liberty to accept or reject it.
It is suggested that the selection of the Imam should be:-
Having a strong relationship with Allah, good example for others, commanding what is good, forbidding what is bad, able to declare the word of truth. He should also be seeking by his actions the pleasure of Allah and the Hereafter, away from hypocrisy or expediency in saying the word of truth, not interested in flattery or praise. The Imam should also connect himself thoroughly with the two clean springs: the Book of Allah and the Sunna of his Messenger, studying, reflecting and working accordingly. The Imam should be a man of deep understanding, extensively reading, aware of the environment around him, the ideologies and the challenges surrounding him. The Imam should also study the Islamic and human history and be aware of the developments in the field of knowledge and sciences. Besides all these factors the Imam should also be a man of good morality, of patience, forbearance, capable of presenting his ideas and defending them, aware of what his opponents write about his faith, with a commanding ability to speak the language of the society in which he lives, with a respectable personality and good appearance, content with what Allah gives him, not running after what is in the hands of other people.
However when it comes to an Imam in a western society, being an Imam is more than a full-time job.
“The Imam has to be like the Christian priest in that he must be a friend, a teacher, a counsellor, a parent,” says Waheed Mustapha, a youth advisor with the Muslim Youth of North America (MYNA) for the past twelve years. “I know that most Imams can’t fill many of these roles. However a good Imam should be able to call on other community members to work along with him.”
However when it comes to Muslim teens, an Imam must go way beyond occasionally leading them to prayer (when and if they come to the Mosque). The Imam has to be a role model for Muslim youth, who inspires confidence and trust.
Below are a few suggestions from Imams, activists and Muslims who have grown up in the West for Imams on how they can help young Muslim teenagers, especially, maintain their deen.
- Conduct a survey by youth and for youth to get an accurate picture of their concerns and needs in your community.
- Find out how much of the budget is devoted to youth activities and needs.
- Talk about relevant issues in Khutbahs.
- Present Islam to them as you would to a non-Muslim.
- Learn to speak and public speak well in English.
- Call the youth up when there is good news.
- Call and visit when times are rough
- Have the first ever Imam and parents vs. youth basketball game.
- Be especially sensitive to young women’s concerns.
(10) Keep the Youth’s secrets.
(11) Make five of the youth assistant Imams.
(12) Appoint senior youth as board members of the Mosque or
Islamic association.
(13) Help the youth from their own group under the Masjid or
Islamic association’s umbrella.
(14) Establish a Muslim community or Mosque website.
(15) Establish a parent’s committee to monitor public schools.
(16) Make dua in congregation.
(17) Form social work task force.
(18) Hold parenting seminars at the Mosque.
The picture of the Imam is an ideal, not practical one. But the main stress should be that the institutions, which care for preparing these personalities, are of the highest in staffing, programs, of resources and of selecting those who are to be trained for the vocation. So far, this is the situation as far as Islamic societies are concerned.
However not everyone and anyone deserves to be the Imam, they are a few specific people which are listed below:-
- That person who knows the Masaa’il rules of salat well provided he is not a faasiq (an open sinner).
- Then a person who can recite the Holy Quran well.
- Thereafter a person who is pious.
- Then the oldest person.
- Then the good mannered and kind. However, if there is a fixed Imam in a Masjid, then he will still deserve the honour to be the Imam.
Similarly salat of any person will not be accepted if the Imam is: -
- Insane (mad).
- Drunk.
- Kaafir (disbeliever).
- Mushrik (associates partners with Allah).
- If the Imam is not baaligh (mature), then the salat of the baaligh will not be accepted.
- If the Imam is a woman, salat of males will not be accepted.
It is reported by Abu-Hurairah that the prophet (saw) has said:
“When one of you is leading the congregational prayer he should make it as short as possible as there is behind him the sick, weak and old, and when one of you is praying for himself then he should make his prayers as long as he wishes.” (Bukhari & Muslim).
The Mosque in Arabic is known as Masjid, which means ‘a place of prostration’. The Mosque is a place where Muslims pray and worship Allah. In addition, the Mosque is a gathering and crucial point of the community. In practice, a Muslims society life centres on the Mosque, and there is frequently a Mosque in walking distance. Congregational prayers, educational classes, meetings where the affairs of the community are discussed, marriages, and burials all take place within the Mosque.
There are two types of Mosques:-
- The main Mosque is called Jama’a, and is one where the Friday prayer is performed. The Jama’as are often richly festooned.
- The other type of Mosque is called Masjid, and is local and smaller Mosques. While these can be richly festooned, they can infrequently be contrasted to the Jama’as.
The Mosques have often been constructed by rulers, and the management of the Mosques sponsored by Waqfs, donations bringing in profits.
The Mosque is unlike any other place of worship. It is a sole establishment which moulds the demeanour of worship to the foundations of everyday life. The unity of God reflected in His creation is represented in the structure of the Mosque. The characteristic architectural nature helps the worshipper to surrender to God without any go-between. The use of the Mosque for other reasons helps the association of the Muslim community.
Before the progress of society the utilities of the Mosque were more varied than they are today. Contrasted with town Mosques, we find Mosques in rustic areas performing different purposes. The Mosque is however, the heart of the Muslim community, where people meet and converse their problems. It is also used as an educational institution and as a place for Muslims in quest of refuge. In the early days of Islam, the Mosque was the managerial centre where the Prophet, and the caliphs after him, used to sit and direct the administration of the state. It was a place where overseas delegates were received and housed, and the command headquarters of the army.
One of the most important functions of the Mosque is that of acting as a school for the Muslim community. The Prophet himself used to teach and sequence the Muslims and today the function is continuing. Everywhere in the Muslim world you come across the Quranic School for teaching the Quran and the ritual of the Prophet Muhammad.
In Britain today we find these Quranic Schools in every Mosque. Although they are old fashioned in their methods of teaching and differ a great deal from those in the Muslim world, they are the only resource of religious instructions in this country for Muslim children.
However the most important functions of the Mosque of the prototype Mosque, the Mosque of the Prophet were:-
- A centre of learning
- Receiving dignitaries and delegates
- Charity distribution centre
- The Mosque as a shelter for the homeless
- The Mosque as a Nursing Home
- A place of amusement on special events.
In Islam just as Muhammad is the representative for all human behaviour, just as Medinah under his rule is the Model society, so is his Mosque at Medinah the prototype for all Mosques. As the Muslim domain stretched, Mosques advanced in many different forms. However they all resembled the humble arrangement and characteristics of Muhammad’s Mosque in Medinah. For example, although much decorative, the Mihrab is based on the simple stone representing the Qibla in the Prophet’s Mosque, while the Minbar developed from the elementary wooden stage from which Muhammad preached. Conceivably the tree-trunks supporting the unique roof were later stylised into the graceful columns, or charming arches, of the later epic Mosques. The typical drudgery courtyard, too, often contained fountains for ablution. In these very courtyards Muhammad also taught, spent time with his friends and also passed judgements. Deficient though was the minaret, which fast emerged towards the end of the first Hijrah century. The characteristic dome or cupola as well which Muslims frequently see as signifying how the elegance of heaven falls on the worshippers.
The dome’s ‘undifferentiated plenitude’ evolves ‘peace and submission’, while the minaret ‘leaping audaciously towards the sky…is sheer watchfulness, and active testimony (shahadah) to divine unity (Burckhardt 1976:159.)
Apart from being beautiful in a saintly sense, a Mosque has architectural beauty as well.
Due to Islam dispiriting any form of imagery, calligraphy, geometric patterns, reflecting the forms and language of the innocent kingdom, beautify the Mosque.
Arches, concentric circles, geometric patterns, all symbolize the ‘point’ that is both nowhere and everywhere, or that which has no beginning and no end: ‘The circle surpasses all other geometric patterns as the symbol of cosmic unity, its inner core or hidden centre becoming the timeless moment of the revolutions of time and the dimensionless point of the encompassing space’ (Critchlow 1976:58.) This also implies harmony, unity, equilibrium – all of which reflect the belief of Tawhid (the oneness of God.)
I will further proceed by discussing the foregone characteristics of a Mosque in detail.
To begin with, I will firstly outline the basic rules of a Mosque.
When entering the Mosque, a person should take off his shoes or sandals and heads must be covered, clearly showing Islam is a religion of peace and purity. Entering the Mosque shall be done with the right foot first, while one expresses blessings to Muhammad and his family. Once inside the Mosque, two rak’as shall be performed. A person inside the Mosque shall talk softly, not loudly, so that he or she does not disturb people praying. For the Friday prayers, pleasant clothes and perfumes are suggested.
Women are not prevented by neither the Quran nor Sunnah to enter Mosques, but there are policies on how a woman in a Mosque shall act. Mosques can be isolated, either in time or in space. But through most of Muslim history, women entering Mosques have not been greeted by men. Mosques have in many cases been closed to women, either regulated by local rulers or by habit. Women have therefore resorted to pray in their homes.
The Friday prayer or sermon, khutbah, is considered to be compulsory for all male Muslims. The system for the khutbah developed over a long period, approximately two centuries. With the strong increase in Jam’as (main Mosques) from the 9th century, the term ‘Masjid’ was more and more used for small and irrelevant Mosques.
It is habitual for the sacred space to be dazzling. Indirect sunlight may well gush down from openings.
Mosques should be kept clean and shoes should be removed. Eating and drinking should be prevented as a precaution against spillage and litter. While sitting in the prayer hall, feet should not point towards the direction of the Qiblah.
People should not talk in loud voices or shout as this would most certainly disrupt those in worship. Children should therefore be taught and told to behave in a Mosque for the same reason.
There are no pictures or statues in a Mosque. Instead they often have verses from the Quran and beautiful designs.
Most Mosques are rectangular in shape so that more people can pray contentedly. There is no furniture apart from shelves for the Quran, and prayer mats on the floor.
There are two central points about the space in which a Muslim prays. Firstly, it is necessary to be facing towards Makkah in Saudi Arabia. Secondly, it is important that the space is clean and dry.
“You do not need to go to Mosque to be a good Muslim.”
Some people may talk in favour of this statement as they may think they have good morals without attending the Mosque or may even be practicing Muslims.
However this could also be the specific view of onlookers on a Muslim, for example a Christians view. However on the other hand it could also be the specific view of Atheists as these people do not attend Mosques, Churches, or even at Synagogues etc. and still think of themselves very highly and as good people with good morals.
It is also said that, “Whether a Mosque exists or not…a Muslim can construct a sacred place set apart for prayer in any place – in his own or another’s house, or outside in the street if he wishes” (Gilsenan 1990:179).
Another view to the above view is that on one occasion the Prophet (saw) said that, “The whole Earth has been made a place of prostration for me.” This is the reason why many Muslims pray at any clean place on the Earth.
Such people may hold such a view as it is also said in the Quran, “To Allah belong the East and the West: whithersoever ye turn, there is Allah’s face. For Allah is All-Embracing, All-Knowing.” And thus say that is not necessary to attend the mosque to be a good and practising Muslim, but we can worship wherever we want.
These people may also claim that women, sitting at home, not attending the Mosque living in a westernised country, are still better than those men who attend the Mosque regularly in their actions, thoughts, manners and their deeds.
If the words Mosque school wrere meant by the word Mosque in the statement then those who agree with the statement would claim that parents can teach children at home, without having the worry of what their child is doing, if he was to attend a Mosque school.
Some people may also be against this view as they may think that attending a Mosque shows a sign of brotherhood. There man rekindles his spiritually, strengthens his relationship with his creator, meets his fellow Muslim brothers and renews his message of belonging to the creator through the Mosque and the recitation of the Quran done there.
Congregational prayer is also encouraged rather than the individual prayer because during the prayer everyone stands in straight lines close to each other. No-one has any specific place with everyone being equal. A physical closeness is felt which is an aspect which reminds a person of the importance of the community.
However, the Mosque itself is a centre of learning as sermons are held in the Mosque, which gives others a better understanding of their faith. Attending the Mosque also brings one closer to God and think more of the life after death, thus although doesn’t make you a practising Muslim, however helps you to practice in becoming a good Muslim. The Mosque is also described to be a focal point for all Muslims.
In the social and religious duty of Muslims to care for everyone within their neighbourhood, whether or not their neighbours are Muslims. A neighbour is anyone who lives within forty houses in any direction. The Mosque is the focus of Muslim community life.
It is also said in a hadith that the reward of a congregational prayer holds a reward, which is twenty-seven times greater than that prayer, which is prayed alone (i.e. not in congregation).
However, if the words Mosque school were meant by the word Mosque in the statement, then those who disagree with the statement, would claim that without going to a Mosque school, the child would lack the basic teachings of Islam. Such Education would be hard to receive at home as the bond of teacher and student cannot be formed between parent and child. Also to teach children the parents themselves must be educated in this field which not many parents are.
Also in the Mosque everyone is equal, amongst these some may be learned and some uneducated, and thus the educated can tell the uneducated their mistakes. This will as a result educate the uneducated.
It could also be argued that just as there is a need for medical centres to cure illnesses and medical services, the Mosque also can assist immensely in curing illnesses, whether they may be bodily or spiritually.
Argumentatively I am completely against the view of, “You do not need to go to a Mosque to be a good Muslim.” This is due to many of the above reasons and the fact that, attending the Mosque shows the unity of all Muslims throughout the world. It also helps each Muslim develop his own life of prayer.
It is also fardh (compulsory) to attend the Mosque for Friday prayers and the Eid namaaz, so not attending the Mosque would mean that you are not practising on a fardh and compulsory act, and thus you would be counted as a faasiq (sinner). It is also said in a hadith that whosoever gives up three Friday prayers, by means of neglecting them, then Allah will seal up his heart. (Bukhari & Muslim). This means to say his heart would be sealed up, so then not to guide yourself to the truth and not be aware of advice.
Congregational prayer, to me, is a constant reminder to Muslims to uphold unity, equality, brotherhood and concerns for others. It is also said in a hadith that whosoever reads forty prayers in congregation then the fire of hell will not touch him.
The Mosque is also purposely built and so not attending the Mosque means the purpose being neglected.
To me the Mosque is also a place where Muslims can enjoy contact with the divine.
“And the Mosques are for Allah (alone), so involve not anyone along with Allah” [72:18].