The Mosque

Whereas there is a plethora of old forts in most countries, they are remarkably scarce in Muslim lands. The skyline of Muslim towns is dominated more by the lofty minarets of mosques. This shows the difference between the Islamic and non-Islamic temperament. Non-Muslims rely on their own strategies; Muslims place total trust in God. This explains why non-Muslims have always erected forts for their own protection and security, while Muslims have built mosques wherever they achieved supremacy. Massive castles testify to man’s greatness, whereas mosques, in which Muslims glorify God, are a reminder to present and future generations of the greatness of God.

A mosque is, locally, a focal point for Muslims, just as the Ka‘bah in Makkah is for Muslims all over the world. The Ka‘bah is a world religious centre and the mosque a local one. That is why the same word for the direction in which one faces to pray—qiblah has been used in the Qur’an for both the Holy Ka‘bah and also local mosques. Prayer is a symbol of a life of faith, and houses of worship, mosques, are for the performance of that act of faith on a local level and, in the case of Makkah and Madinah, on an international level.

Muslims gather five times a day to pray in the mosque. The mosque is their natural religious centre. That is why the Prophet encouraged us to build mosques in the centres of towns. The situation of mosques, and the activities which are conducted in them, are in themselves an invitation to people to come together for worship of their Lord.