In addition, the Prophet said that one prayer
in the Madina "was better than one thousand prayers in any other
Masjid except Masjid Al-Haram." Clearly, the Masjid has been
designated as a place of primary importance for the Muslims to worship
God {Allah}.
Since
the introduction of Islam, the Masjid is the centre of worship and
other activities of the Muslim community. It is the
Masjid
more than any other institution that contributes strongly
toward the completeness of a community. Throughout history of Islam,
the mosque has always played an important social role. It has been a
place of prayer, a centre of political activities, an educational
institution, and a focal point of communal life.
Mihrab {niche};
dating back to the 700's,
is the
position of the person leading the congregation in prayer &
marks the direction of
Mecca, prayers are offered whilst
facing in this direction. The
Mihrab is the most decorated part of the structure, often with lamps
symbolizing the divine presence on earth.
Minbar
{elevated
pulpit};
placed
next to the Mihrab. The Minbar is used in
the sermons, such as
the Friday-Sermon, two Eid's of Islam (Eid
Al Fitr) & (Eid ul-Adha),
where the khatib (the person performing the sermon) stands on
one of the lower steps, as the top of the Minbar is restricted
to the Prophet only.
Qibah
{Dome}; an
outstandingly prominent feature of the mosque is the Qibah {Dome}.
Structurally speaking, the Dome helps echo the sound inside a
structure. Best example of the earliest Qibah {Dome} is
Qubbat Al
Sakhrah - Al Quds {Dome of the Rock - Jerusalem} is considered to be
one of the greatest religious structure world wide as it marks the
location where Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) embarked upon
Miraj.
Minarat;
first minaret (Tower-like from where the Muazzin (Person
calling for prayer) stood) came probably in 700's however written
material suggest that Minarats were erected as early as 665 AD.
While it's not seen in early mosques,
the implementation of Minarats was both for functionality &
inspiration. The muezzin called for prayer (the calling for
prayer is Adhan) from the top of the Minarat, it could be heard
more than a few blocks away from the mosque. Read more about Minaret Types here |
