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Mosque

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Religious movements,
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   The Masjid al-Haram in Mecca as it exists today
   Enlarge
   The Masjid al-Haram in Mecca as it exists today

   A mosque is a place of worship for followers of the Islamic faith.
   Muslims often refer to the mosque by its Arabic name, masjid (pl.
   masajid) (Arabic: مسجد — pronounced: /ˈmas.ʤid/ or /ˈmas.ˈɡʲid/). The
   word "mosque" in English refers to all types of buildings dedicated for
   Islamic worship, although there is a distinction in Arabic between the
   smaller, privately owned mosque and the larger, "collective" mosque
   (masjid jami) ( Arabic: جامع), which has more community and social
   amenities.

   The primary purpose of the mosque is to serve as a place where Muslims
   can come together for prayer. Nevertheless, mosques are known around
   the world nowadays for their general importance to the Muslim community
   as well as their demonstration of Islamic architecture. They have
   developed significantly from the open-air spaces that were the Quba
   Mosque and Masjid al-Nabawi in the seventh century. Today, most mosques
   have elaborate domes, minarets, and prayer halls. Mosques originated on
   the Arabian Peninsula, but now exist on all the world's inhabited
   continents. They are not only places for worship and prayer, but also
   places to learn about Islam and meet fellow believers.
   Part of a series of articles on

   Islam


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   Academics • History
   Philosophy • Science
   Art • Architecture • Cities
   Calendar • Holidays • Women
   Leaders • Politics • Islamism
   See also

   Vocabulary of Islam

Etymology

   The Arabic word masjid means place of worship and is a noun of place
   from the verb sajada (root "s-j-d," meaning "to bow" or "to kneel") in
   reference to the prostrations performed during Islamic prayers. Either
   the word masjid itself or at least the verb from which it is derived
   was borrowed from Aramaic. The word "m-s-g-d" is attested in Aramaic as
   early as the 5th century BCE, and the same word is later found in
   Nabataean inscriptions with the meaning "place of worship"; apparently,
   this Aramaic word originally meant " stele" or "sacred pillar".

   The modern-day English word "mosque", just like its equivalents in many
   other European languages, derives from the word masjid via Spanish
   mezquita. The pre-cursors of the word "mosque" appeared during the
   15th, 16th, and 17th centuries and "Moseak", "muskey", "moschy", and
   "mos'keh" were just some of the variations that came into use until it
   was decided that "mosquee", imitating Middle French, Italian, and Old
   Spanish, would become the standard. In the early 18th century, the
   modern spelling became the most popular and standard spelling of the
   word.

Mosque in Islamic texts

   The word "masjid" is found throughout the Qur'an, most frequently with
   the reference to the sanctuary of Kaaba in the city of Mecca. The
   Qur'an applies the term "masjid" to places of worship of different
   religions, including Judaism and Christianity; in the same general
   meaning of a place of worship, the word is used in the hadith,
   collections of Muslim traditions about the deeds and saying of their
   prophet Muhammad and his companions.

History

   Grand entryways and tall towers, or minarets, have long been and
   continue to be closely associated with mosques. However, the first
   three mosques were very simple open spaces on the Arabian Peninsula.
   Mosques evolved significantly over the next 1,000 years, acquiring
   their now-distinctive features and adapting to cultures around the
   world.

The first mosques

   According to Islamic beliefs, the first mosque in the world was the
   Kaaba, which was built by Abraham upon an order from God. The oldest
   Islamic-built mosque is the Quba Mosque in Medina. When Muhammad lived
   in Mecca, he viewed Kaaba as his first and principal mosque and
   performed prayers there together with his followers. Even during times
   when the pagan Arabs performed their rituals inside the Kaaba, Muhammad
   always held the Kaaba in very high esteem. The Meccan tribe of Quraish,
   which was responsible for guarding Kaaba, attempted to exclude
   Muhammad's followers from the sanctuary, which became a subject of
   Muslim complaints recorded in the Qur'an. When Muhammad conquered Mecca
   in 630, he converted Kaaba to a mosque, which has since become known as
   the Masjid al-Haram, or Sacred Mosque. The Masjid al-Haram was
   significantly expanded and improved in the early centuries of Islam in
   order to accommodate the increasing number of Muslims who either lived
   in the area or made the annual Hajj, or pilgrimage, to Mecca, before it
   acquired its present shape in 1577 in the reign of the Ottoman sultan
   Selim II.

   The first thing Muhammad did upon arriving with his followers near
   Medina (then named Yathrib) after the emigration from Mecca in 622 was
   build the Quba Mosque in a village outside Medina. Muslims believe he
   stayed at the Quba Mosque for three days before moving on to Medina.
   The Masjid al-Nabawi in Medina as it exists today
   Enlarge
   The Masjid al-Nabawi in Medina as it exists today

   Just days after beginning work on the Quba Mosque, Muhammad went on to
   establish another mosque in Medina, known today as the Masjid
   al-Nabawi, or the Prophet's Mosque. The location of the mosque was
   declared as such after it hosted Muhammad's first Friday prayer.
   Following its establishment, the Masjid al-Nabawi continued to
   introduce some of the practices now considered common in today's
   mosques. For example, the adhan, or call to prayer, was developed in
   the form still used in mosques today. The Masjid al-Nabawi was built
   with a large courtyard, a motif common among mosques built since then.
   Muhammad would stand up at one end of the arcade to preach. Later on,
   he would develop a three-step pulpit as a platform from which he would
   give sermons. The pulpit, now known as a minbar, is still a common
   feature of mosques.

   Muhammad lived beside the mosque in Medina, which doubled as both a
   religious and political centre for the early Muslim community.
   Negotiations were conducted, military actions planned, prisoners of war
   held, disputes settled, religious information disseminated, gifts
   received and distributed among his companions. His followers treated
   the wounded there and some people even lived in the mosque permanently
   in tents and huts.
   The Badshahi Masjid in Lahore, Pakistan with an iwan at center, three
   domes, and five visible minarets
   Enlarge
   The Badshahi Masjid in Lahore, Pakistan with an iwan at centre, three
   domes, and five visible minarets

   Today, the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, the Masjid al-Nabawi in Medina and
   Al Aqsa in Jerusalem are considered the three holiest sites in Islam.

Diffusion and evolution

   The minaret at the Great Mosque of Xi'an, China
   Enlarge
   The minaret at the Great Mosque of Xi'an, China

   Mosques were built outside the Arabian Peninsula as Muslims moved to
   other parts of the world. Egypt became occupied by Muslim Arabs as
   early as 640, and since then so many mosques have appeared throughout
   the country that its capital city, Cairo, has acquired the nickname of
   city of a thousand minarets. Egyptian mosques vary in amenities, as
   some have Islamic schools ( madrassas) while others have hospitals or
   tombs. Mosques in Sicily and Spain do not reflect the architecture of
   Visigoth predecessors, but instead reflect the architecture introduced
   by the Muslim Moors.

   The first Chinese mosque was established in the eighth century in
   Xi'an. The Great Mosque of Xi'an, whose current building dates from the
   eighteenth century, does not replicate many of the features often
   associated with traditional mosques. Instead, it follows traditional
   Chinese architecture. Mosques in western China incorporate more of the
   elements seen in mosques in other parts of the world. Western Chinese
   mosques were more likely to incorporate minarets and domes while
   eastern Chinese mosques were more likely to look like pagodas.

   Mosques diffused into India during the reign of the Mughal empire in
   the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The Mughals brought their own
   form of architecture that included pointed, onion-shaped domes, as seen
   in Delhi's Jama Masjid.
   The Sultan Ahmed Mosque / Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey with its
   tall, slender minarets is considered a classic example of Ottoman
   architecture
   Enlarge
   The Sultan Ahmed Mosque / Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey with its
   tall, slender minarets is considered a classic example of Ottoman
   architecture

   Mosques first arrived in the Ottoman Empire (mostly present-day Turkey)
   during the eleventh century, when many of the Turks in the region began
   to convert to Islam. Several of the first mosques in the Ottoman
   Empire, such as the Hagia Sophia in present-day Istanbul, were
   originally churches or cathedrals in the Byzantine Empire. The Ottomans
   created their own design of mosques, which included large central
   domes, multiple minarets, and open façades. The Ottoman style of
   mosques usually included elaborate columns, aisles, and high ceilings
   in the interior, while incorporating traditional elements, such as the
   mihrab. Today, Turkey is still home to many mosques that display this
   Ottoman style of architecture.
   The Glasgow Central Mosque in Scotland
   Enlarge
   The Glasgow Central Mosque in Scotland

   Mosques gradually diffused to different parts of Europe, but the most
   rapid growth in the number of mosques has occurred within the past
   century as more Muslims have migrated to the continent. Major European
   cities, such as Rome, London, and Munich, are home to mosques that
   feature traditional domes and minarets. These large mosques in urban
   centers are supposed to serve as community and social centers for a
   large group of Muslims that occupy the region. However, one can still
   find smaller mosques in more suburban and rural regions throughout
   Europe where Muslims populate. Mosques first appeared in the United
   States in the early twentieth century, the first of which was built in
   the late 1920s in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. However, as more immigrants
   continue to arrive in the country, especially from South Asia, the
   number of American mosques is increasing faster than ever before.
   Whereas only two percent of the country's mosques appeared in the
   United States before 1950, eighty-seven percent of American mosques
   were founded after 1970 and fifty percent of American mosques founded
   after 1980.
   Hagia Sophia, an Eastern Orthodox church converted into a mosque on the
   day of the Fall of Constantinople. Now it is a museum.
   Enlarge
   Hagia Sophia, an Eastern Orthodox church converted into a mosque on the
   day of the Fall of Constantinople. Now it is a museum.

Conversion of places of worship

   Conversion of non-Muslim houses of worship into mosques began during
   the life of Muhammad, who turned the pagan sanctuary of Kaaba into a
   mosque, and continued during subsequent Islamic conquests and under the
   Muslim rule. As a result, numerous churches, synagogues, Zoroastrian
   and Hindu temples became Muslim places of worship. According to Islamic
   law, non-Muslims should not continue to use their places of worship for
   their intended purposes if they are conquered by Muslims and if there
   exists no treaty of surrender that explicitly mentions the right of
   non-Muslims to continue to use their places of worship. According to
   early Muslim historians, towns that surrendered without resistance and
   made treaties with the Muslims received permission to retain their
   churches and synagogues, while in towns taken by conquest, Jewish and
   Christian places of worship were seized by the Muslims.
   Al-Aqsa Mosque (pictured) was built on the Temple Mount, the holiest
   site in Judaism. It is the third holiest mosque in Islam.
   Enlarge
   Al-Aqsa Mosque (pictured) was built on the Temple Mount, the holiest
   site in Judaism. It is the third holiest mosque in Islam.

   One of the earliest examples of these kinds of conversions was in
   Damascus, Syria, where in 705 Umayyad caliph Abd al-Malik took the
   church of St. John from the Christians and had it rebuilt as a mosque,
   which is now known as Umayyad Mosque; overall, Abd al-Malik is said to
   have transformed 10 churches in Damascus into mosques. The process of
   turning churches into mosques was especially intensive in the villages,
   with the gradual conversion of the people to Islam. During his
   persecution of the Copts, Abbasid caliph al-Ma'mun turned many churches
   into mosques, both in Cairo and in Egyptian villages, which had no
   mosques in the earlier generations of Islam. Ottoman Turks converted
   into mosques nearly all churches, monasteries, and chapels in
   Constantinople, including the famous St. Sophia cathedral, immediately
   after capturing the city in 1453. In some instances mosques have been
   established on the places of Jewish or Christian sanctuaries associated
   with Biblical personalities who were also recognized by Islam. For
   example, Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock are built on the
   Temple Mount, the most sacred site in Judaism. Muslim rulers and war
   commanders in India destroyed many Hindu temples and built mosques in
   their stead, seeing their actions as fulfillment of religious duty of
   asserting Islamic superiority. The same fate awaited many Zoroastrian
   temples after the Islamic conquest of Persia.

   On the other hand, mosques have also been converted for use by other
   religions, notably in southern Spain, following the conquest of the
   Moors in 1492. The Iberian Peninsula, Southeast Europe, and India are
   other regions in the world where such instances occurred once no longer
   under Muslim rule.

Religious functions

Prayers

   All adult Muslims are required to offer prayer, or salah, at least five
   times each day. Although some smaller mosques with smaller
   congregations will offer only a few prayers, most mosques offer all
   five required prayers daily: before sunrise ( fajr), at midday (
   dhuhr), in the afternoon ( asr), after sunset ( maghrib), and in the
   evening ( isha'a). Muslims are not required to offer prayer inside a
   mosque, but according to hadith, offering prayer in congregation at a
   mosque is considered more virtuous than offering prayer alone.
   Muslims performing salat (prayer)
   Enlarge
   Muslims performing salat (prayer)

   In addition to holding the five obligatory daily prayers, mosques hold
   jumuah prayers, or Friday prayers, which replace the midday prayer as
   the second required prayer on Fridays. While the ordinary daily prayers
   can be performed at any location, it is required that all adult men
   attend Friday prayers at the mosque.

   A funeral prayer, or salat ul-janazah, is held for a deceased Muslim at
   the mosque, with all congregants present, including the imam,
   participating. Unlike with the daily prayers, the funeral prayers are
   normally held outdoors in a courtyard or square close to the mosque.
   During solar eclipses, mosques will host another special prayer called
   salat ul-kusuf.

   There are two large holidays, or eids, in the Islamic calendar: Eid
   ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha. On both of these days, there are special
   prayers held at mosques in the morning. The eid prayers are supposed to
   be offered in large groups, and so larger mosques will normally host
   eid prayers for their congregants as well as the congregants of smaller
   local mosques. Some mosques will even rent convention centers or other
   large public buildings to hold the large number of Muslims who attend
   the eid prayers. Mosques, especially those in countries where Muslims
   are the majority, will also host eid prayers outside in courtyards or
   town squares.

Ramadan events

   A mosque in Afghanistan
   Enlarge
   A mosque in Afghanistan

   Islam's holiest month, Ramadan, is observed through many events. As
   Muslims must fast during the day during Ramadan, mosques will host
   iftar (break-fast) dinners after sunset and the fourth required prayer
   of the day, maghrib. Food is provided, at least in part, by members of
   the community, thereby creating nightly potluck dinners. Because of the
   community contribution necessary to serve iftar dinners, mosques with
   smaller congregations may not be able to host the iftar dinners daily.
   Some mosques will also hold suhoor meals before dawn to congregants
   attending the first required prayer of the day, fajr. As with iftar
   dinners, congregants usually provide the food for suhoor, although able
   mosques may provide food instead. Mosques will often invite poorer
   members of the Muslim community to share in beginning and breaking the
   fasts as providing charity during Ramadan in Islam is especially
   honorable.

   Following the fifth and final required prayer of the day, isha,
   special, optional tarawih prayers are offered in larger Sunni mosques.
   Shi'a mosques, however, do not observe tarawih prayers. During each
   night of prayers, which can last for up to two hours each night, a
   member of the community who has memorized the entire Qur’an will recite
   a segment of the book. During the last ten days of Ramadan, larger
   mosques will host all-night programs to observe Laylat al-Qadr, the
   night Muslims believe the Islamic prophet Muhammad first began to
   receive the Qur'an. On that night, between sunset and sunrise, mosques
   will employ speakers to educate congregants in attendance about Islam.
   Mosques or the community usually provide meals periodically throughout
   the night.

   During the last ten days of Ramadan, larger mosques within the Muslim
   community will host i'tikaf, a practice in which at least one Muslim
   man from the community must participate. Muslims performing i'tikaf are
   required to stay within the mosque for ten consecutive days, often in
   worship or learning about Islam. As a result, the rest of the Muslim
   community is responsible for providing the participants with food,
   drinks, and whatever else they need during their stay.

Charity

   The third of the Five Pillars of Islam states that Muslims are required
   to give approximately one-fortieth of their wealth to charity as zakat.
   Since mosques form the centre of Muslim communities, they are where
   Muslims go to both give zakat and, if necessary, collect zakat. Prior
   to the holiday of Eid ul-Fitr, mosques also collect a special zakat
   that is supposed to assist in helping poor Muslims attend the prayers
   and celebrations associated with the holiday.

Social functions

Centre of Muslim community

   Imam Mosque, formerly Shah Mosque along Naghsh-i Jahan Square in
   Isfahan, Iran
   Enlarge
   Imam Mosque, formerly Shah Mosque along Naghsh-i Jahan Square in
   Isfahan, Iran

   Many Muslim rulers after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad,
   emulating him, established their domains by first building a mosque. In
   the same way Mecca and Medina are built around the Masjid al-Haram and
   the Masjid al-Nabawi, Karbala, in present-day Iraq, was built around
   the Shi'ite Imam Hussain Shrine. Isfahan, Iran is especially notable
   for its use of mosques to form the centre of the city. In the eighth
   century, a mosque was established within the city which three centuries
   later was described by theologian and philosopher Naser Khosrow as "a
   magnificent Friday Mosque built in the city centre." At the dawn of the
   seventeenth century, Shah Abbas I of the Safavid Dynasty led an effort
   to establish Isfahan as one of the largest and most beautiful cities in
   the world. As part of his plan, he ordered the building of Shah Mosque
   and Sheikh Lotf Allah Mosque which border Isfahan's Naghsh-i Jahan
   Square, which, as one of the largest city squares in the world, hosted
   sports and trade.

   Mosques built more recently, especially in countries where Muslims are
   not the majority, tend to be away from the center of major cities.
   Nevertheless, even a mosque in a less densely populated area often
   influences Muslims to relocate their homes and businesses so they are
   close to the mosque. Thus, mosques form the focal points of Muslim
   communities, even if they do not form the centre of the entire
   community as a whole. In the United States, the growth in the number of
   mosques and congregants in suburbs is much greater than that in densely
   urban areas.

Education

   Another primary function of a mosque is to house educational
   facilities. Some mosques, especially those in countries where
   state-funded Islamic schools are not present, will have full-time
   schools that teach both Islamic and general knowledge. These full-time
   schools normally have students in elementary school and middle school,
   although there are also a few full-time schools available to high
   school students. Most mosques will also have part-time schools, either
   on the weekends or in the evenings. Whereas full-time schools are meant
   for children who depend on the mosque to provide an Islamic education
   as well as a general education, weekend and nightly schools are meant
   to provide only Islamic education for students of all ages, young and
   old. Some mosques, however, will also provide general educational help
   to Muslim students as a way of bringing young Muslims closer to the
   mosque. The subjects at the Islamic evening and weekend classes vary.
   Qur'an reading and Arabic are commonly found at mosques that are
   located in countries where Arabic is not widely spoken. Classes for new
   Muslims about the basics of Islam are also common, especially in Europe
   and the United States, where it is the fastest-growing religion.
   Mosques will also go into more depth about Islam by providing
   congregants with classes on Islamic jurisprudence. Madrassas are also
   available for Muslims to study 'alim to become Islamic scholars or
   imams. However, as their primary purpose is not to serve as a place of
   worship or community centre, madrassas are normally separate from
   neighbourhood mosques.

Events and fundraising

   The Great Mosque of Djenné is host to an annual festival.
   Enlarge
   The Great Mosque of Djenné is host to an annual festival.

   Mosques will host events and dinners either for raising money for
   mosque activities or simply to bring the community together. Young
   people are often attracted to mosques that have sports facilities such
   as basketball courts or fields for soccer or American football.
   Courtyards at mosques are often used for hosting social gatherings;
   bazaars where community members can shop for Islamic merchandise are
   common among mosques. Mosques will also host weddings, much like other
   places of worship.

   One particularly interesting Illustration of this community involvement
   is that of the mosque in Djenné, Mali where, during an annual festival,
   the community takes part in the re-applying of plaster to the exterior
   of the mud brick building (the largest of its kind in the world).

Contemporary political roles

   The late twentieth century saw an increase in the number of mosques
   used for political purposes. Today, civic participation is commonly
   promoted in mosques in the Western world, Because of the importance in
   the community, Masajid (Mosques) are used for preaching peaceful
   co-existence with other non-believers even in times of adversity.

Advocacy

   Countries where Muslims comprise only a minority of the population are
   more likely than the Muslim-majority countries of the Greater Middle
   East to use mosques as a way to promote civic participation. American
   mosques host voter registration and civic participation drives that
   promote involving Muslims, who are often first- or second-generation
   immigrants, in the political process. As a result of these efforts as
   well as attempts at mosques to keep Muslims informed about the issues
   facing the Muslim community, regular mosque attendants are more likely
   to participate in protests, sign petitions, and otherwise be involved
   in politics.

   Nevertheless, a link between political views and mosque attendance can
   still be seen in other parts of the world. A study done in May 1999 by
   an Israeli group Jerusalem Media and Communications Centre indicated
   that Palestinians are more likely to advocate suicide bombings and
   rebellions against Israeli occupation. Following the al-Askari Mosque
   bombing in February 2006, imams and other Islamic leaders used mosques
   and Friday prayers as vehicles to call for calm and peace in the midst
   of widespread violence. During the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons
   controversy in February 2006, leaders at mosques determined the
   reaction of their congregants. While some leaders in South Asia and the
   Middle East called for more violent reactions to cartoons irreverently
   depicting the Islamic prophet Muhammad, other leaders within the region
   and around the world called for more restrained anger; in both
   situations, the congregants of their respective mosques reacted
   accordingly.

   Beginning in the late twentieth century and continuing into the early
   twenty-first century, a small number of mosques have also become the
   platforms of some extremist imams to advocate terrorism and extreme
   Islamic ideals. Finsbury Park Mosque in London is exemplary of a mosque
   that has been used in this manner. The mosque has been linked to
   several convicted and suspected terrorists, including Zacarias
   Moussaoui, Richard Reid, and Abu Doha. The mosque's former imam, Abu
   Hamza al-Masri, preached support for al-Qaeda and its leader Osama bin
   Laden even after al-Masri was banned from preaching at the mosque in
   February 2003. At least two of the bombers in the 7 July 2005 London
   bombings also met at another mosque in London, the Stratford Street
   mosque. Similarly, Omar Abdel-Rahman, who often delivered sermons at
   New York City area mosques, was convicted of masterminding the 1993
   World Trade Centre bombing.

Social conflict

   As they are considered important to the Muslim community, mosques are
   often at the heart of social conflicts.
   Babri Mosque, India destroyed by Hindu extremists in December 1992
   Enlarge
   Babri Mosque, India destroyed by Hindu extremists in December 1992

   Babri Mosque was the subject of such a conflict up until the early
   1990s when it was demolished. Built during the sixteenth century, the
   mosque was built over a Hindu holy temple used to commemorate the
   birthplace of Ram, an incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu. Even long
   after the mosque's completion, Hindus had continued to worship on the
   site of the former temple. Soon after the mosque stopping hosting daily
   prayers sometime between 1936 and 1949, the local community and
   government began to propose returning the land to the Hindus, who would
   replace the dilapidated mosque with a Hindu temple. However, before a
   mutual solution could be devised, the mosque was destroyed by
   approximately 75,000 Hindus on December 6, 1992. The controversy
   surrounded the mosque was directly linked to rioting in Bombay
   (present-day Mumbai) as well as bombings in 1993 that killed 257
   people. The violence claimed more than 15000 people across India

   Today, social conflicts conducted through mosques are especially
   noticeable in Iraq, which is highly populated with both Sunni and
   Shi'ite Muslims. Violence between the two branches of Muslims has led
   to a number of mosque bombings. A February 2006 bombing that seriously
   damaged Iraq's al-Askari Mosque, a holy Shi'a mosque, exacerbated
   tensions that had already existed between Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims.
   Other mosque bombings in Iraq, both before and after the February 2006
   bombing, have been part of the conflict between the country's groups of
   Muslims. However, mosque bombings have not been exclusive to Iraq; in
   June 2005, a suicide bomber killed at least 19 people at an Afghan
   mosque. In April 2006, two explosions occurred at India's Jama Masjid.
   Regardless, the clear divide between Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims as well
   as the War in Iraq have made the mosque attacks in Iraq the most
   visible.

   Some mosques have also been targeted by hate crimes initiated by
   non-Muslims. Following the September 11 attacks, several American
   mosques were targeted in attacks ranging from simple vandalism to
   arson. Furthermore, the Jewish Defense League was suspected of plotting
   to bomb the King Fahd Mosque in Culver City, California. Similar
   attacks occurred throughout the United Kingdom following the 7 July
   2005 London bombings. Outside the Western world, in June 2001, the
   Hassan Bek Mosque was the target of attacks involving hundreds of
   Israelis angry at Arabs for a previous attack.

   The proliferation of mosques has also caused concerns with some
   European residents who feel intimidated by the presence of Muslims in
   mostly white and Christian neighborhoods.

Saudi influence

   King Faisal Mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan,by Turkish architect Vedat
   Dalokay, was financed by approximately 1976 SAR130 million (2006
   US$120 million) from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
   Enlarge
   King Faisal Mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan,by Turkish architect Vedat
   Dalokay, was financed by approximately 1976 SAR130 million (2006
   US$120 million) from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

   Although the Saudi involvement in mosques around the world can be
   traced back to the 1960s, it was not until later in the twentieth
   century that the government of Saudi Arabia began to become a large
   influence in foreign mosques. Beginning in the 1980s, the Saudi Arabian
   government began to finance the construction of mosques in countries
   around the world. An estimated US$45 billion has been spent by the
   Saudi Arabian government financing mosques and Islamic schools in
   foreign countries. Ain al-Yaqeen, a Saudi newspaper, reported in 2002
   that Saudi funds may have contributed to building as many as 1,500
   mosques and 2,000 other Islamic centers in countries where Muslims are
   not the majority. Saudi citizens have also contributed significantly to
   mosques in the Islamic world, especially in countries where they see
   Muslims as poor and oppressed. Following the fall of the Soviet Union,
   in 1992, mosques in impoverished Afghanistan saw many contributions
   from Saudi citizens. The King Fahd Mosque in Culver City, California
   and the Islamic Cultural Centre of Italy in Rome represent two of Saudi
   Arabia's largest investments in foreign mosques as former Saudi king
   Fahd bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud contributed US$8 million and US$50 million
   to the two mosques, respectively.

   The majority of Muslims and the government in Saudi Arabia adhere to a
   form of Islam known as Wahhabism that promotes a strict adherence to
   Islamic law. As a result, many countries where funding from Saudi
   Arabia is going to Islamic centers believe Saudi Arabia is exporting
   extreme fundamentalist views. Since the September 11, 2001 attacks,
   countries have also paid more attention to Saudi funding as they fear
   part of the funding may be going to terrorist groups through foreign
   mosques.

Architecture

Styles

   The general structure of mosques are a continuation of the pre-Islamic
   Sassanian architecture of Persia (Iran) as mentioned in the book
   "Persian architecture; the triumph of form and colour" by Arthur Upham
   Pope. After the introduction of Islam to Persia, this architecture was
   adopted to be used for mosques by what was to later become the Muslim
   World. Many forms of mosques have evolved in different regions of the
   Islamic world. Notable mosque types include the early Abbasid mosques,
   T-type mosques, and the central-dome mosques of Anatolia. The
   oil-wealth of the twentieth century drove a great deal of mosque
   construction using designs from leading non-Muslim modern architects
   and promoting the careers of important contemporary Muslim architects.
   Interior of the Mezquita, a hypostyle mosque with columns arranged in
   grid pattern, in Córdoba, Spain
   Enlarge
   Interior of the Mezquita, a hypostyle mosque with columns arranged in
   grid pattern, in Córdoba, Spain

   Arab-plan or hypostyle mosques are the earliest type of mosques,
   pioneered under the Umayyad Dynasty. These mosques are a square or
   rectangular in plan with an enclosed courtyard and a covered prayer
   hall. Historically, in the warm Mediterranean and Middle Eastern
   climates, the courtyard served to accommodate the large number of
   worshippers during Friday prayers. Most early hypostyle mosques have
   flat roofs on top of prayer halls, which resulted in the need to use
   numerous columns and supports. One of the most notable hypostyle
   mosques is the Mezquita in Córdoba, Spain, as the building is supported
   by over 850 columns. Frequently, hypostyle mosques have outer arcades
   so that visitors could enjoy some shade. Arab-plan mosques were
   constructed mostly under the Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties;
   subsequently, however, the simplicity of the Arab plan limited the
   opportunities for further development, and as a result, these mosques
   gradually fell out of popularity.
   The ruins of Menüçehr Camii near Kars, Turkey, believed to be the
   oldest Seljuk mosque in Anatolia.
   Enlarge
   The ruins of Menüçehr Camii near Kars, Turkey, believed to be the
   oldest Seljuk mosque in Anatolia.

   The Ottomans introduced central dome mosques in the fifteenth century
   and have a large dome centered over the prayer hall. In addition to
   having one large dome at the center, a common feature are smaller domes
   that exist off-centre over the prayer hall or throughout the rest of
   the mosque, where prayer is not performed. This style was heavily
   influenced by the Byzantine religious architecture with its use of
   large central domes.

   Iwan mosques are most notable for their domed chambers and iwans, which
   are vaulted spaces open out on one end. In iwan mosques, one or more
   iwans face a central courtyard that serves as the prayer hall. The
   style represents a borrowing from pre-Islamic Iranian architecture and
   has been used almost exclusively for mosques in Iran. Many iwan mosques
   are converted Zoroastrian fire temples where the courtyard was used to
   house the sacred fire. Today, iwan mosques are no longer built. The
   Shah Mosque in Isfahan, Iran is a classic example of an iwan mosque.

Minarets

   A common feature in mosques is the minaret, the tall, slender tower
   that usually is situated at one of the corners of the mosque structure.
   The top of the minaret is always the highest point in mosques that have
   one, and often the highest point in the immediate area. The tallest
   minaret in the world is located at the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca,
   Morocco.

   The first mosques had no minarets, and even nowadays the most
   conservative Islamic movements, like Wahhabis, avoid building minarets,
   seeing them as ostentatious and unnecessary. The first minaret was
   constructed in 665 in Basra during the reign of the Umayyad caliph
   Muawiyah I. Muawiyah encouraged the construction of minarets, as they
   were supposed to bring mosques on par with Christian churches with
   their bell towers. Consequently, mosque architects borrowed the shape
   of the bell tower for their minarets, which were used for essentially
   the same purpose — calling the faithful to prayer.

   Before the five required daily prayers, a muezzin calls the worshipers
   to prayer from the minaret. In many countries where Muslims are not the
   majority, mosques are prohibited from loudly broadcasting the call to
   prayer ( adhan), although it is supposed to be said loudly to the
   surrounding community. The adhan is not required before every prayer.
   However, nearly every mosque assigns a muezzin for each prayer to say
   the adhan as it is a recommended practice or sunnah of the Islamic
   prophet Muhammad. At mosques that do not have minarets, the adhan is
   called instead from inside the mosque or somewhere else on the ground.
   The iqama, which is similar to the adhan and said immediately before
   the start of prayer, is usually not said from the minaret even if a
   mosque has one.
   The domes of the Khatem Al Anbiyaa Mosque in Beirut, Lebanon
   Enlarge
   The domes of the Khatem Al Anbiyaa Mosque in Beirut, Lebanon

Domes

   According to the book "Persian architecture; the triumph of form and
   colour" by Arthur Upham Pope, two important contributions to
   architecture by the pre-Islamic Parthian and Sassanian Persians were
   domes and arches. Domes have long been a hallmark of mosques and
   Islamic architecture in general since the seventh century. Moreover, it
   was in this century that Islam was introduced to Persia. The domes,
   which often are placed directly above the main prayer hall, may signify
   the vaults of heaven and the sky. As time progressed, the sizes of
   mosque domes grew, from occupying only a small part of the roof near
   the mihrab to encompassing all of the roof above the prayer hall.
   Although domes normally took on the shape of a hemisphere, the Mughals
   in India popularized onion-shaped domes in South Asia and Persia. Some
   mosques will have multiple, often smaller, domes in addition to the
   main large dome that resides at the centre.
   The prayer hall, or musalla, in a Turkish mosque, with a minbar
   Enlarge
   The prayer hall, or musalla, in a Turkish mosque, with a minbar

Prayer hall

   The prayer hall, also known as the musalla, has no furniture; chairs
   and pews are absent from the prayer hall so as to allow as many
   worshippers as possible to line the room. Prayer halls contain no
   images of people, animals, and spiritual figures as Muslims in prayer
   are supposed to only be focusing on Allah. Instead, mosques will have
   Arabic calligraphy and verses from the Qur'an on the walls to assist
   worshippers in focusing on the beauty of Islam and its holiest book,
   the Qur'an, as well as for decoration.

   Usually opposite the entrance to the prayer hall is the qibla wall,
   which is the visually emphasized area inside the prayer hall. The qibla
   wall should, in a properly oriented mosque, be set perpendicular to a
   line leading to Mecca, the location of the Ka'bah. Congregants pray in
   rows parallel to the qibla wall and thus arrange themselves so they
   face Mecca. In the qibla wall, usually at its centre, is the mihrab, a
   niche or depression indicating the qibla wall. Usually the mihrab is
   not occupied by furniture either. Sometimes, especially during Friday
   prayers, a raised minbar or pulpit is located to the side of the mihrab
   for a khatib or some other speaker to offer a sermon ( khutbah). The
   mihrab serves as the location where the imam leads the five daily
   prayers on a regular basis.

Ablution facilities

   As ritual purification precedes all prayers, mosques often have
   ablution fountains or other facilities for washing in their entryways
   or courtyards. However, worshippers at much smaller mosques often have
   to use restrooms to perform their ablutions. In traditional mosques,
   this function is often elaborated into a freestanding building in the
   centre of a courtyard. This desire for cleanliness extends to the
   prayer halls where shoes are disallowed to be worn anywhere other than
   the cloakroom. Thus, foyers with shelves to put shoes and racks to hold
   coats are commonplace among mosques.

Contemporary features

   Modern mosques have a variety of amenities available to their
   congregants. As mosques are supposed to appeal to the community, they
   may also have additional facilities, from health clinics to libraries
   to gymnasiums, to serve the community.

Rules and etiquette

   Mosques, in accordance with Islamic practices, institute a number of
   rules intended to keep Muslims focused on worshipping Allah. While
   there are several rules, such as those regarding allowing shoes in the
   prayer hall, that are universal, there are many other rules that are
   dealt with and enforced in a variety of ways from mosque to mosque.

Prayer leader

   Appointment of a prayer leader is considered desirable, but not always
   obligatory.. The permanent prayer leader ( imam) must be a free honest
   man, who has learned the Qur'an by heart and is authoritative in
   religious matters. In mosques constructed and maintained by the
   government, the prayer leader is appointed by the ruler; in private
   mosques, however, the appointment is done by the members of the
   congregation through majority voting. According to the Hanafi school of
   Islamic jurisprudence, the man who built the mosque has a stronger
   claim to the title of imam, but this view is not shared by the other
   schools.

   Leadership at prayer falls into three categories, depending on the type
   of prayer: five daily prayers, Friday prayer, or optional prayers.
   According to the Hanafi and Maliki school of Islamic jurisprudence,
   appointment of a prayer leader for Friday service is mandatory because
   otherwise the prayer is invalid. The Shafi'i and Hanbali schools,
   however, argue that the appointment is not necessary and the prayer is
   valid as long as it is performed in a congregation. A slave may lead a
   Friday prayer, but Muslim authorities disagree over whether the job can
   be done by a minor. An imam appointed to lead Friday prayers may not
   also lead at the five daily prayers; however, Muslim scholars disagree
   as to whether the leader appointed for five daily services may lead the
   Friday service as well.

   All Muslim authorities hold the consensus opinion that women may not
   lead prayer. Recently, the rule was relaxed in some places in China,
   where women have been allowed to lead prayer in front of all-female
   congregations. There have been a few women, most notably Amina Wadud,
   who have defied the ruling and have opted to lead mixed-gender prayers
   and Friday prayers.

Cleanliness

   All mosques have rules regarding cleanliness, as it is an essential
   part of the worshipper's experience. Muslims before prayer are required
   to cleanse themselves in an ablution process known as wudu. However,
   even to those who enter the prayer hall of a mosque without the
   intention of praying, there are still rules that apply. Shoes must not
   be worn inside the carpeted prayer hall. Some mosques will also extend
   that rule to include other parts of the facility even if those other
   locations are not devoted to prayer. Congregants and visitors to
   mosques are supposed to be clean themselves. It is also undesirable to
   come to the mosque after eating something smelly.

Dress

   Islam requires that its adherents wear clothes that portray modesty. As
   a result, although many mosques will not enforce violations, both men
   and women when attending a mosque must adhere to these guidelines. Men
   are supposed to come to the mosque wearing loose and clean clothes that
   don't reveal the shape of the body. Likewise, it is recommended that
   Muslim women wear loose clothing, shirts, and pants that cover to the
   wrists and ankles. Many mosques will require that non-Muslim female
   visitors also wear a scarf to cover the head in the style of the
   Islamic hijab. Middle eastern clothing often associated with Islam is
   not necessary, although many Muslims, regardless of their ethnic
   background, will wear them to special occasions and prayers at mosques.

Concentration

   As mosques are places of worship, those within the mosque are required
   to remain respectful to those in prayer. Loud talking within the
   mosque, as well as discussion of topics deemed disrespectful, is
   forbidden in areas where people are praying. In addition, it is
   disrespectful to walk in front of or otherwise disturb Muslims in
   prayer. The walls within the mosque have few items, except for possibly
   Arabic calligraphy, so Muslims in prayer are not distracted. Muslims
   are also discouraged from wearing clothing with distracting images and
   symbols so as not to divert the attention of those standing behind them
   during prayer.

Gender separation

   Islamic law requires men and women to be separated in the prayer hall;
   ideally, the women must occupy the rows behind the men. Muhammad
   preferred women to pray at home rather than at a mosque, and according
   to the hadith Muhammad said: "The best mosques for women are the inner
   parts of their houses." The second caliph Umar went so far as to
   prohibit women from attending mosques and required them to pray at
   home. Sometimes a special part of the mosque was railed off for women;
   for example, the governor of Mecca in 870 had ropes tied between the
   columns to make a separate place for women. Many mosques today will put
   the women behind a barrier or partition or in another room. Mosques in
   South and Southeast Asia put men and women in separate rooms, as the
   divisions were built into them centuries ago. In nearly two-thirds of
   American mosques, women pray behind partitions or in separate areas,
   not in the main prayer hall; some mosques do not admit women at all.
   Almost a quarter of the mosques do not offer programs for women, and a
   third do not allow women on governing boards. The large crowds present
   at the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, especially during the annual
   pilgrimage, often result in unintended mixing between genders. Some
   Islamic jurists would prefer to exclude women from prayer halls
   altogether.

   Women are subjected to other restrictions in mosques. According to some
   hadith, they must not be perfumed; according to others, they must leave
   the mosque before the men.

Non-Muslims in mosques

   The Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca is one of two mosques in Morocco
   open to non-Muslims.
   Enlarge
   The Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca is one of two mosques in Morocco
   open to non-Muslims.

   Under most interpretations of Islamic law, non-Muslims may be allowed
   into mosques, as long as they do not sleep or eat there; the dissenting
   opinion is presented by the followers of the Maliki school of Islamic
   jusrisprudence, who argue that non-Muslims may not be allowed into
   mosques under any circumstances.

   The Qur'an addresses the subject of non-Muslims, and particularly
   polytheists, in mosques in two verses in its ninth chapter, Sura
   At-Tawba. The seventeenth verse of the chapter prohibits those who join
   gods with Allah — polytheists — from entering mosques:

          It is not for such as join gods with Allah, to visit or maintain
          the mosques of Allah while they witness against their own souls
          to infidelity. The works of such bear no fruit: In Fire shall
          they dwell. ( Yusuf Ali 9:17)

   The twenty-eighth verse of the same chapter is more specific as it only
   considers polytheists in the Sacred Mosque, the Masjid al-Haram in
   Mecca:

          O ye who believe! Truly the Pagans are unclean; so let them not,
          after this year of theirs, approach the Sacred Mosque. And if ye
          fear poverty, soon will Allah enrich you, if He wills, out of
          His bounty, for Allah is All-knowing, All-wise. ( Yusuf Ali
          9:28)

   According to Ahmad ibn Hanbal, these verses were followed to the letter
   at the times of Muhammad, when Jews and Christians, considered
   monotheists, were still allowed to the Masjid al-Haram. However, the
   Umayyad caliph Umar II later forbade non-Muslims from entering mosques,
   and his ruling remained in practice in Saudi Arabia. Today, the
   decision on whether non-Muslims should be allowed to enter mosques
   varies. With few exceptions, mosques in the Arabian peninsula as well
   as Morocco do not allow entry to non-Muslims. For example, the Hassan
   II Mosque in Casablanca and the Moulay Ismael Mosque in Meknes are the
   only two mosques in Morocco currently open to non-Muslims. However,
   there are also many other places in the west as well as the Islamic
   world where non-Muslims are welcome to enter mosques. Most mosques in
   the United States, for example, report receiving non-Muslim visitors
   every month. Many Mosques throughout the United States welcome
   non-Muslims as a sign of openness to the rest of the community as well
   as to encourage conversions to Islam.

   In modern-day Saudi Arabia, the Masjid al-Haram and all of Mecca are
   open only to Muslims. Likewise, the Masjid al-Nabawi and the city of
   Medina that surrounds it are also off-limits to those who do not
   practice Islam. For mosques in other areas, it has most commonly been
   taken that non-Muslims may only enter mosques if granted permission to
   do so by Muslims and if they have a legitimate reason. All entrants
   regardless of religious affiliation are expected to respect the rules
   and decorum for mosques.

   At different times and places, non-Muslims living under Muslim rule
   were required to demonstrate deference to mosques. In most cities of
   Morocco, Jews were required to remove their shoes when passing by a
   mosque Danish traveler Carsten Niebuhr wrote that in 18th-century Egypt
   Jews and Christians had to dismount before several mosques in
   veneration of their sanctity.

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