The Role of the Mosque

[Al-ghurabah]

Throughout history the Mosque has played an important role in the life of Muslims, it has not only been a place of worship, but it was also a centre from where the Islamic state's affairs were run. The Mosque was regarded as an important centre for Islamic information, since it was the scene of political, social, cultural and ritual life. All the important news relating to vital issues were announced in the mosque and it also ensured direct contact between the Imaam and the Ummah.

However, nowadays this is no longer the case because some people carry the notion that the mosque only exists for the performance of Salaah, and that no other activities are permitted in it. Anyone talking about contemporary issues in the mosque, such as the political corruption of the apostate rulers, or issues relating to the economic or the social system of Islam, are looked down upon and even stopped. Notice boards prohibiting gatherings which discuss the affairs of the Muslim Ummah are placed in many mosques. Furthermore, some Muslims have even gone as far as writing constitutions not only prohibiting discussions in the Mosque, but also to keep Muslims of certain nationalities out of the mosque committees. Also in certain mosques the Imams have been forced to take the back seat and are no longer allowed to address certain Islamic issues, out of fear of being sacked by the mosque committee. The problem we are facing today is that the mosque is no longer controlled by the Muslim community; rather it is now in the hands of certain individuals or organizations that have their own personal agenda.

All of these man-made practices are forbidden in Islam. The very nature of the mosque dictates that it is central to the affairs of the Muslims. Furthermore, the Islamic Sharee'ah has determined that the mosque is expected to play many important roles within the Muslim community, and classical scholars have devoted considerable sections in books of Islamic fiqh (jurisprudence) highlighting these roles. This will become clearer when the tasks which the mosque is expected to be central to, are examined.

The Mosque is the headquarters of the Islamic State's supreme leadership

The mosque is the headquarters of the Islamic State's supreme leadership. Since the Messenger of Allah (saw) used to meet envoys, sign agreements, judge between disputing parties and so on in the mosque. The Khaleefah, i.e. the head of the Islamic State, would outline his policies and methods, and address and debate with his subjects directly without fear of reprisals in the mosque. The speech of Khaleefah Abu Bakr, delivered in the mosque of the Messenger of Allah (saw), once he had accepted the bay'ah (oath of allegiance), has perhaps gone down in history as being the shortest political speech delivered by a ruler.

Abu Bakr said: "O people! I have been given authority over you but I am not the best of you. If I do well, help me, and if I do wrong, then put me right. Truth consists in loyalty and falsehood in treachery. The weak among you shall be strong in my eyes until I secure their right if Allah wills; and the strong among you should be weak in eyes until I wrest the right from them. If a people refrain from fighting in the way Allah, Allah will smite them with disgrace. Wickedness is never widespread in a people but Allah brings calamity upon them all. Obey me as long as I obey Allah and His Messenger (saw), and if I disobey them you owe me no obedience. May Allah forgive me and forgive you."

The Mosque is a section of the Department of Information and Culture

All the important news relating to vital issues are announced in the mosque and it also ensures direct contact between the carrier and the receiver of the message. It is considered to be one the most effective and successful means of da'wah and of giving information. The adhaan, for instance, is information about the time of prayer and at the same time it is also a means of campaigning for Islam and spreading it. The pulpit is a place for information about the campaign and on it the principles of the campaign are explained and its rules are announced. Prayer is another tangible method of giving information, especially the group prayer. Circles for studying the Qur'aan and Fiqh, meetings and conferences are considered to be successful methods of departing information about Islam.

The Messenger of Allah (saw) used the mosque as a place of worship, as centre of information, as a meeting place for Muslims where they hold their prayers, for studies, for consultations and for training the Mujaahideen (those who fight in the way of Allah [swt]). Preparation of equipment, plans for Jihad, as well as strategies for the campaigns would also take place in the mosque.

The Mosque is a Judiciary Court

The mosque used to be a place where judges would sit and settle disputes. There is much evidence showing this and there is no difference of opinion among the various Schools of Thought.

The Mosque is a university for learning and teaching

The mosque teaches the basics of the 'Aqeedah (creed), acts of worship and the Sharee'ah rules in all their types - political, economical, social, judicial etc. Its policy is based on the Qur'aan and the Sunnah with the aim of building and educating Islamic personalities by way of study circles, debates and conferences. Such meetings will be engulfed by compassion; the mercy of Allah (swt) descends on them, and they are surrounded by the angels. The mosque is a university that welcomes everyone by day or night, in summer or winter, not turn anyone away be they young, old, male, female, Muslim, Non-Muslim, black, white, Arab or non- Arab.

Moreover entry into the mosque does not require any fee, insurance or permission. There are no hindrances or obstacles, and the mosque does not differentiate between a Scholar and a non-scholar, or between a ruler and his subject.

The management of the mosques is under taken by the Director of the Department of Information and Culture, who is to be appointed by the Khaleefah once what is known nowadays as the Ministry of Education and Arts in the Muslim countries have been dissolved, since they promote nothing but secular viewpoints about life. In addition to his duties as Director of Information and Culture, the appointed person would be responsible for providing public libraries in the mosques, colleges and markets.

It is this department that would be in charge of the mosques, rather than the Ministries of Awqaaf that exist in Muslim countries at present. The Department of Information and Culture would sincerely work towards restoring the role of the mosque as being a centre where Usool al-Fiqh, Seerah and other Sharee'ah sciences are taught and support would be given to the smaller mosques as well as the Jaami'ah i.e. the central ones.

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[Al-ghurabah]

The Mosque is a platform for oratory, eloquence and poetry

At-Tirmidhi and al-Haakim extracted a hadeeth upon the authority of 'Aa-ishah who said, "The Messenger of Allah (saw) used to provide Hasan with a pulpit in the mosque from which he would lampoon the disbeliever's.”

Narrated Hassaan bin Thaabit al-Ansaari, "I asked Abu Hurayrah: By Allah! Tell me the truth as to whether you heard the prophet (saw) saying, 'O Hassaan! Reply on behalf of the Messenger of Allah (saw), O Allah! Help him with al-Quds'. Abu Hurayrah said, 'Yes'.”

Imaam Ahmed reported on the authority of Jaabir bin Samrah, who said, "I witnessed the Messenger of Allah (saw) more than once sitting in the mosque while his Sahaabah would recollect poetry and things from the time of jaahiliyyah, he (saw) would sometimes share a smile with them.”

At- Tirmidhi also reported on the authority of Jaabir bin Samrah, who said, "I sat with the Messenger of Allah (saw) more than once, his Sahaabah would recite poetry and recollect from the times of jaahiliyyah, he (saw) would keep silent, and sometimes he would share a smile with them.”

The Mosque is a detention centre for the prisoner of war

Al-Bukhaari reported that Abu Hurayrah said, "The prophet (saw) sent some horsemen to Najd and they brought a man called Thumaamah bin Uthal from Banu Haneefah (as a prisoner of war). They fastened him to one of the pillars of the mosque. The prophet (saw) came and ordered them to release him. He (Thumaamah) went to a (garden of) date-palms near the mosque, took a bath and entered the mosque again and said, "I bear witness there is non worthy of worship except Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah (i.e. he embraced Islam)' ".

The Mosque is a hospital where casualties of war are treated

Al-Bukhaari reported on the authority of 'Aa-ishah that she said, "Sa'd bin Mu'aadh was injured in the battle of the Trench, being hit on the medial arm vein by a man from Quraysh called Habban ibn Arqa, and the Messenger of Allah (saw) pitched a tent in the mosque for Mu'aadh so that he could be near him and visit him. However his wound was bleeding profusely and he died after spending a month in the tent." In this hadeeth, there is an indication that it is permitted to sleep in the mosque and for the sick to be nursed there even if they are badly wounded.

The Mosques, past and present

A brief comparison between the present state of our mosques and that of the righteous ancestors reveals that in the past they used to concentrate on their essence and not the appearance, whereas today we tend to concentrate on the physical appearance and disregard the essential role of the mosque. Everything seems to be the opposite - the role of the mosque has become restricted to establishing the five prescribed prayers, and then it shuts its doors. Consequently, the mosque has become isolated by from everyday life, under the banner of separating the deen from temporal life. Government preachers and councillors take centre stage and have begun acting according to guidelines issued by the rulers to reiterate their slogan of 'no politics in religion', claiming that the clergymen have nothing to do with politics even though Islam is a deen and that the political, economic, social and judicial systems are an integral of Islam.

Finally, the mosque is the place from which the Message of Islam was launched, and the place from where Muslim leaders began their glorious journeys, carrying the Message of Allah (swt) to the whole world. It was a modest mosque, its carpet was of pebbles, it was lit at night and its roof was made of the branches of palm trees. Therefore, we should not occupy ourselves with decorating the mosque at the expense of disregarding its real role and turning it into a place of strife, dispute and racism. We have sunk to a level today where we are witnessing our mosques being placed into the hands of the disbeliever's who are dividing us into nationalists.

For example, today we have Pakistani mosques, Bengali mosques, Syrian mosques, Persian mosques, Kurdish mosques, Turkish mosques and so on. We also have mosques belonging to various Islamic groups, parties and Schools of Thought, and each one prevents others from carrying the Message with excuses, concerning the real person which is the yearning for power, leadership, and authority, and the satisfaction of the instinct of survival. All this is taking place in our mosques today despite the fact that the mosques are solely for Allah (swt) and not for any group or party or for any particular nationality or race. Allah (swt) says, “And the mosques are for Allah, so invoke not anyone besides Allah." [EMQ 72: 18]

Therefore it must be stressed, especially to Islamic groups, parties and Imams, that they should fear Allah in His mosques and open the doors of the mosques to sincere Muslims, to learned scholars, to those who prostrate, to those who give advice on the deen and those who are engaged in re-establishing the Islamic way of life. Only then will the name of Allah (swt) reign supreme in mosques, and people will enjoin good, forbid what is evil, and take concern about the Ummah's affairs. Then we can safely say that the mosques have resumed their rightful role, where the deen and the name of Allah (swt) are once again, the highest. Allah (swt) says, "Allah is the one who authorises in establishing a mosque (house) in order to convey his deen." [EMQ 24: 36]