ASK MAULANA

ASK MAULANA Your Questions Answered What is the role of a Mosque in Islam? Mosque or ‘Masjid’, literally means a place for self-prostration; that is, a place formally designated for the saying of prayers. According to a teaching of the Prophet, “The mosque is a house of God-fearing people”. This means in effect, that it is a centre for the inculcation of reverence, where individuals learn what is meant by piety and are thus prepared for a life of devotion to the Almighty. The Masjid is built so that people may visit it to read the Book of God, to remember their Creator, silently and in prayer, and to hear His commandments on how they should lead their lives, that is, how to conduct themselves according to His will. The most important of all these activities is the saying of prayers, a ritual to be carried out five times a day as prescribed by Islam. The mosque, initially intended as a place of worship, has come to be built to serve other related purposes, such as housing a seminary, library, lecture hall, guest house, dispensary etc. The Prophet advised the building of mosques in a simple style, so that there should be no dissipation or dilution of the true religious and spiritual atmosphere. What is the meaning of Azaan which we hear from the Mosque five times a day? Azaan is the call for prayer which is used to notify the Muslims about the prayer times of the five compulsory prayers which are supposed to be observed by Muslims daily. Following are the words of the Azaan in Arabic with their translation: Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar God is Great, God is Great, God is Great, God is Great Aashhadu Allaa ilaaha Illal-Laah, Aashhadu Allaa ilaaha Illal-Laah, I bear witness that there is no god except Allah, I bear witness that there is no god except Allah Aashhadu Aanna Muhammadur Rasoolul-lah, Aashhadu Aanna Muhammadur Rasoolul-lah I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah