‘’A woman is closest to God’s face, if she is found in the core of her house. And the prayer of the woman in the house is better than her prayer in the mosque.’’(Qur’an 28)
Muslims who have difficulties going to a mosque are freed from the duty to attend a mosque. The niyyah, which is the intention, is considered to be far more important. If a Muslim willing to attend the mosque cannot do so because of a valid reason, he would still gain the full spiritual credit by praying at home. As the Hadith states, ‘Wherever the hour of prayer overtakes you, you shall perform it. That place is a mosque.’ The place of prayer is not too important, as long as the niyyah is correct.
Although it is not compulsory for a Muslim to go to the Mosque, going to a Mosque does have more advantages than gaining more spiritual credits. Mosque is not simply a place of worship; it is also a community centre, a school and a law court. It is the heart of a Muslim community and it is certainly valued highly by the Muslim teachings, as Hadith states, ‘From whatsoever place thou comest forth, turn thy face towards the Sacred Mosque; and wherever you are, turn your faces towards it.’ The sacred Mosque is the first mosque on earth, and this quotation shows the importance of mosques. It is a place where the Ummah, the one family which everyone belongs to, can gather together. This becomes more significant especially in non-Muslim countries, where Muslims can take comfort in the company of the fellow Muslims. It is where men can pray without distraction and children can learn about their faith. By gathering together and pray without distraction, Muslims can strengthen their faith in Allah.
It is certainly not true to state that one cannot become a Muslim unless he attends the Mosque. However, the apparent advantages of attending a Mosque make it unlikely that a Muslim would not want to pray at a Mosque unless they were unable to. Muslims who are too lazy to attend a mosque should not regard themselves as Muslims, as their faith could not even provide the motivation to make the effort to attend a mosque.
