Chapter Two: The Mosques

باب المساجد

Bab al-Masajid — The Sanctity and Merits of Mosques

The mosque (masjid, literally 'a place of prostration') holds a position of supreme sanctity in Islam. It is the house of Allah upon the earth, the centre of communal worship, and the institution around which Muslim spiritual and social life has always been organised. The Quran and Sunnah are rich with guidance on the building, maintenance, and proper use of mosques.

قُلْ أَمَرَ رَبِّي بِالْقِسْطِ ۖ وَأَقِيمُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ عِندَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ وَادْعُوهُ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ

"Say: My Lord has commanded justice. Set your faces (in sincere devotion) at every place of worship, and invoke Him, sincere to Him in religion." (Sūrah al-Aʿrāf 7:29)

This verse commands the believers to come to the mosque with purity of intention, directed wholly toward Allah, worshipping Him with sincerity and without any element of ostentation or association of partners.

يَا بَنِي آدَمَ خُذُوا زِينَتَكُمْ عِندَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ

"O children of Adam! Take your adornment (i.e., wear your proper clothing) at every mosque." (Sūrah al-Aʿrāf 7:31)

This verse establishes the obligation of covering one's awrah (the parts of the body that must be covered) when coming to the mosque for prayer. The 'adornment' referred to is not luxurious dress but rather decent, modest attire that befits the act of standing before Allah. The author notes that in the modern era, some Muslims have adopted Western-style clothing at the mosque, and while the basic requirement is covering the awrah, it is more befitting to wear traditional Islamic dress — such as a thobe, qamees, or similar garment — as an expression of the reverence owed to the mosque.

إِنَّمَا يَعْمُرُ مَسَاجِدَ اللَّهِ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَأَقَامَ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَى الزَّكَاةَ وَلَمْ يَخْشَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ ۖ فَعَسَىٰ أُولَٰئِكَ أَن يَكُونُوا مِنَ الْمُهْتَدِينَ

"Only those shall maintain the mosques of Allah who believe in Allah and the Last Day, establish the prayer, pay the Zakat, and fear none but Allah. It is they who are likely to be among the rightly guided." (Sūrah al-Tawbah 9:18)

This noble verse makes clear that the true custodians of Allah's houses of worship are the believers who combine correct faith with righteous action. The building and maintaining of mosques — and the regular attendance of congregational prayer within them — are marks of true faith.

The Reward for Building a Mosque

عَنْ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ عَفَّانَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ: مَنْ بَنَى مَسْجِدًا يَبْتَغِي بِهِ وَجْهَ اللَّهِ بَنَى اللَّهُ لَهُ مِثْلَهُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ

On the authority of Uthman ibn Affan (may Allah be pleased with him), he said: 'I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, say: Whoever builds a mosque seeking by it the Face of Allah, Allah will build for him its like in Paradise.' (Agreed upon: Bukhari and Muslim)

The scholars note that this reward is not limited to those who build an entire mosque alone; contributing to a mosque's construction — even if one builds only a small portion of it — is included in this promise, as long as the intention is sincerely for the sake of Allah.

The Superiority of Congregational Prayer

عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ: صَلَاةُ الْجَمَاعَةِ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ صَلَاةِ الْفَذِّ بِسَبْعٍ وَعِشْرِينَ دَرَجَةً

On the authority of Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: 'The congregational prayer is superior to the prayer of an individual by twenty-seven degrees.' (Agreed upon: Bukhari and Muslim)

In another narration the figure is given as twenty-five degrees. The scholars reconcile these by saying that twenty-five is the minimum and twenty-seven is the maximum, with the actual degree depending on factors such as the size of the congregation, the closeness of the mosque to one's home, the quality of one's wudu and walking to the mosque, and similar considerations.

The Three Sacred Mosques

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ: لَا تُشَدُّ الرِّحَالُ إِلَّا إِلَى ثَلَاثَةِ مَسَاجِدَ: الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ، وَمَسْجِدِ الرَّسُولِ ﷺ، وَمَسْجِدِ الأَقْصَى

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'Journeys (for the purpose of religious merit in prayer) are not to be undertaken except to three mosques: the Sacred Mosque [in Makkah], the Mosque of the Messenger [in Madinah], and the Aqsa Mosque [in Jerusalem].' (Agreed upon: Bukhari and Muslim)

This hadith establishes the exceptional status of these three mosques. Prayer in Masjid al-Haram in Makkah carries a reward of 100,000 times that of prayer elsewhere; prayer in Masjid al-Nabawi in Madinah carries a reward of 1,000 times; and prayer in Masjid al-Aqsa carries a reward of 500 times (per other authenticated narrations).

Women and the Mosque

The author addresses the question of women attending the mosque. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'Do not prevent the female servants of Allah from [attending] the mosques of Allah.' However, it was Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) who later observed that if the Prophet were to see the innovations introduced by women in her time — regarding adornment, fragrance, and conduct — he would have forbidden them from the mosque as the women of the Children of Israel had been forbidden. The ruling therefore depends on the condition: women may attend the mosque, but only when they go out modestly dressed, without perfume, and without creating any fitnah (temptation or disruption).

Tahiyyat al-Masjid — The Two Rak'ats of Greeting the Mosque

عَنْ أَبِي قَتَادَةَ السُّلَمِيِّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ: إِذَا دَخَلَ أَحَدُكُمُ الْمَسْجِدَ فَلَا يَجْلِسْ حَتَّى يُصَلِّيَ رَكْعَتَيْنِ

On the authority of Abu Qatadah al-Sulami (may Allah be pleased with him), the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: 'When one of you enters the mosque, let him not sit until he has prayed two rak'ats.' (Agreed upon: Bukhari and Muslim)

These two rak'ats are known as Tahiyyat al-Masjid (the greeting of the mosque). They are a sunnah mu'akkadah (confirmed sunnah) according to the majority of scholars. The Maliki school holds that they are not obligatory but merely recommended. If one enters during a time when nafl prayers are forbidden (e.g., after Asr), the obligation is lifted according to the majority.

Du'a Upon Entering and Leaving the Mosque

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَانَ يَقُولُ إِذَا دَخَلَ الْمَسْجِدَ: اللَّهُمَّ افْتَحْ لِي أَبْوَابَ رَحْمَتِكَ، وَإِذَا خَرَجَ قَالَ: اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): 'When the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, entered the mosque, he would say: "O Allah, open for me the doors of Your mercy." And when he left, he would say: "O Allah, I ask You from Your bounty."' (Sahih Muslim)

It is also narrated that upon entering the mosque, one should send blessings upon the Prophet (Durood) and then recite the above supplication. Upon leaving, likewise send blessings upon the Prophet, and then recite the supplication for bounty. These brief remembrances transform the act of entering and leaving the mosque into acts of worship.