Men must wear skull caps inside the building and must all take in their prayer mats. No food or drink may be consumed in the Mosque too.
There is no furniture in the Mosque because there needs to be room to perform the prayer ritual which involves kneeling. If there is no clean floor, the prayer ritual is performed on a prayer mat. To know in which direction to pray, Muslims face the mihrab, which is a recess in the Qibla (direction) wall so that they may face Mecca. The mihrab reflects the voice of the Imam.
There are also no statues or pictures as Muslims must not be distracted into worshipping idols. The interior walls are decorated with flowers, geometric designs and Arabic inscriptions of the name Allah, as there are many different ways. Within the Mosque there is made to be a feeling of peace as Islam itself comes from the word Salam that translates as “make peace”.
On the wall there is a list of the great prophets including Jesus. Muhammad is at the bottom in larger writing as he is the greatest prophet. There are also 6 clocks, 5 telling the times of day when prayer is needed and the sixth for the special Friday service.
The imam preaches on a Friday service from the Minbar, which is a raised platform. The imam is chosen by other Muslims for his knowledge of the Qur’an and he must explain the Qur’an’s teachings and talk about life as a Muslim. He also looks after the Mosque, leads services, leads birth/wedding/funeral services and is responsible for organising and distributing the Zakat money. Imams may be paid for their work but it is not always their main job.
The Imam also teaches children about the Qur’an (the lesson is called Islamiat) after their school day at the Mosque school, called the madressa.
Muslims do not have to be in a Mosque to worship, but the most important time of worship is the lunchtime prayers on a Friday, which is the Muslim holy day. When men and women go to the Mosque, they are separated from each other. This is so they are not distracted when they pray and they can concentrate on Allah.
Here is an example of a layout of a Mosque. The two cloakrooms are kept far apart.
Offices are there for administration and also for organising the zakat money that all Muslims must pay. Zakat, one of the five pillars of faith, is where Muslims must pay 2.5% of their total wealth per year to help the poor, clear debts, help needy travellers, free captives, win people over to the cause of Allah and pay those who collect it. The Qur’an teaches:
“Sadaqa shall be used only for the advancement of Allah’s cause, for the ransom of captives, debtors and for distribution among the poor, destitute, the wayfarer, those that are employed in collecting alms and those that are converted to the faith.”
Surah 9:60
2. Explain how Muslim practices reflect Muslim teaching on equality
A valuable aspect to the Islam religion is the Ummah, that all Muslims are seen as one large family. The idea of Ummah means that all Muslims should be concerned about all other Muslims, regardless of their ethnic background. The Qur’an says that the idea of family life comes from Allah.
Many customs display Islam’s views on equality. The fact that Mosques can be used as law courts show that Islam is all about fairness. Everybody worships together, poor and rich so there are no class divides. Wudu makes all Muslims as clean as each other.
The prayer ritual is identical for everyone, and everyone must do it at the same time, side by side once again with all types of people. Also, there must be no prejudice against poor people, and this is seen by the Zakat and by the praying for the people.
When Muslims follow Sawm and fast for Ramadan, everyone must do it. This brings about a feeling of unity, strength and equality as they are all doing it together. They do this because Muhammad told them to.
If Muslims go on the Hajj, they must all wear the same clothes and everyone travels together. Nobody will know who you are, so your background won’t matter.
During the festival of Eid Ul Fitr, everyone celebrates the fast breaking together and must give money to the poor so they can eat a meal. Also, during the festival of Eid ul Adha, (where Muslims sacrifice a sheep or goat or larger animal in remembrance of Ibrahim nearly sacrificing his son Isma’il because he believed that was what Allah wanted) Muslims give meat to the poor so that they may celebrate also. The animal is cut into three parts: one for the family and two for the poor.
The act of saying that everyone tries to say Shahadah (which makes up the adhan) before death shows that they are equal in Allah’s eyes. It shows unity within the Islam family. The first words a baby hears is the Shahadah welcoming it to the Ummah.
In a lot of these points, the poor are mentioned. This is because it was very close to Muhammad’s heart, as he was poor a lot of his life.
The Qur’an is very clear about respecting members of the family, particularly elderly members. Muslims believe that there should be no old people’s homes, as looking after old people is thought to be a blessing and an aid to spiritual growth. This is because Muhammad taught that “Paradise lies at the feet of mothers”. Parents are to be respected, but mothers in particular as when their children were very young they preferred their babies to themselves. In Islam, this respect is seen as second only to prayer. It is wrong to become irritated when old people become difficult to manage.
Men are said to be guardians of the family and breadwinners.
“Be thy men or women, to those that embrace the faith and do what is right, we will surely grant a happy life; we shall reward them according to their noblest deeds.”
Qu’ran
As to roles of women, the Qur’an says that women are equal to men in the sight of God in terms or rights and responsibilities.
It says
“I will not suffer to be lost the work of any of you whether male of female. You proceed one from another…”
Qu’ran 3:195
They are supposed to create a harmonious family atmosphere and bring up their children. Women should feel they only need to work if money is needed.
In marriage, a dowry, in money or goods, must be paid by the groom or his father in return for marital rights. This makes it fair for the wife so that if the couple divorce, she has money and is still equal in society.
Another example of equality is that when a Muslim dies, their coffin is not elaborate as it would be unfair if rich people could get better coffins as it would seem that they loved the deceased more than a poor person could. In some Muslim countries, bodies are buried without coffins.
All these things are there to maintain a peaceful Ummah. Muslims must have respect for themselves and everyone else.
3. “You can’t be a Muslim unless you go to a Mosque.” Do you agree?
Some Muslims would say that it is essential to go to a Mosque. It is where you would meet with other Muslims and share faith. You worship with each other and pray to Allah. Some would say that this strengthens your faith. In a country where Islam is a minority, the Mosque may be the only place where you are taught the Qur’an, and told how to live as a Muslim. Also, it could be said that going to the Mosque should be part of your faith, because it shows discipline and respect to the religion. Muslims may believe that not attending a Mosque would lead to be distractions that could damage their faith. Attending a Mosque on a regular basis ensures that you keep in mind the religion, and lead your life by it. Encouraging people to join the faith can be made easier by inviting them to the Mosque to show them what Islam is all about.
However, some Muslims will say that going to the Mosque is not an essential part of Islam because you do not need to be in a specific building to pray or learn about Allah and the religion. It may be that going to the Mosque interferes with a person’s job, in which case they would find it hard to attend. In parts of the world today, there are no Mosques and people living there still call themselves Muslims. Also, in the early days of the religion there were no Mosques yet followers of Muhammad still called themselves Muslims. Muslims can worship at their home and pray there too, they can also meet with other Muslims and it doesn’t have to be in a Mosque.
I believe that Muslims should attend the Mosque, especially here in Britain where is Islam is not the major religion. I think Muslims should meet together to keep their faith strong, as it is good to spend time with people of the same religion – it makes it easier knowing that there are other people who think the same way. Muslims can share experiences with each other, and celebrate festivals together. In modern times, there are a lot of things that can tempt Muslims from their religion, and going to a Mosque would help keep their life on track with their religion. Going to a Mosque enables the Qur’an to be taught to them, so that they understand it, and therefore their religion, better.
Bibliography
Books:
Examining Four Religions – Michael Keene
Islam – Sue Penney
Understanding Islam Basic Principles – Garnet Publishings
Internet:
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