Mosque is a holy place of worship called Majid. Masjid is an Arabic word that means a place where people prostrate putting forehead down when performing five mandatory prayers called salah.
A Mosque is permanently build in one place where people come and gather for prayers five times a day on prescribed time determined by movement of the sun and changing from day to night as follows:
- Subhi: Prescribed time for mandatory prayer in morning during dawn is called Subh. This time begins when dawn approaches and end when the sun rises.
- Dhuhur: Prescribed time for mandatory prayer in the day during lunch time called Dhuhuri. This begins when the sun is in the middle of the sky and ends when the Sun takes direction towards setting out from the middle of the sky.
- Asr : Prescribed time for mandatory prayer before sunset in the evening. This begins when the sun is on its way to set out of middle of the sky when the shadow of the sun is longer and ends when the sun sets.
- Maghrib: Prescribed time for mandatory prayer at the beginning of the night immediately after the sun set , and ends as soon as the yellowish or reddish color after sunset disappear and darkness of night comes.
- Isha: Prescribed time for mandatory prayer when darkness of the night comes and last the entire night until close to dawn in the morning.
Muadhin is a Person who calls people to come for prayers at the mosque loudly, his call wakes up believers of Islam to stop everything they are doing and come immediately to join prayer congregation as soon as they hear the call.
Imam is the leader of prayer congregation who begins leading the mandatory prayer by standing in his special position called minbar while all others stands behind him facing in the direction of the holy Kaaba of Majdil Haram in Makkah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. in the mandatory prayer congregation, every one follows Imam, no one is allowed to supersede him in reading of prayers and all actions of bowing and prostrations.
NOTICE: In case of a journey and reach in places where there is mosque or Masjid identified, the Sharia of Islam allows Muslims to pray any where on earth as long as they face in the direction of Holy kaaba Shareef of Masjidil Haram as Mecca in kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Those who want to perform mandatory prayers in their journey, they choose among them a man who becomes the leader of the prayer. I
IMPORTANT for WUDTHU OR TAHARA:
No one is allowed to enter mosque or come near any place of worship either at home or in the journey unless He or She is clean. There is special cleanliness purposely for mandatory prayers and any act of worship called Wudhu or Tahara done by cleaning the following parts of your body in a clean place.:
- Private parts must be cleaned with water thoroughly until no smell is cumming.
- Reading that: Bismillah Rahman Raheem ” in the Name of Allah Most Merciful the Compassionate. seated or standing. facing Qibla , that is direction of holy kabah in Makkah Saudi Arabia which is in the North of the earth where ever you go.
- Washing both thumbs three times
- Washing the mouth and spite out, then nose and face three times
- Washing hands standing with right hand and then left hand three times.
- Using wet right thumb to smear on hair from fore head to back three times.
- Washing feet thoroughly until they are clean to the uncle or to the knee.
This special cleanliness for Worship is only done in a clean not in a dirty place, clean place does not mean free from dirty no, it means free from wastes of toilet or bath. in Islam, dirty is what comes from our bodies for toilet and blood.
TAYAMUM: Tayamum is an Arabic word that means using soil dust for special cleanliness purposely for mandatory prayers as an alternative for water. in case there is not enough water because its not enough, or water is too cold, or there is no water at all. Steps taken doing Tayamum are as follows:
- A thick dry piece of soil , anything comes soil such as plant leaves, dry pieces of fire wood, toilet paper or any type of paper which does not have holy Quran verses and Islamic literature, a piece of cloth, is used to clean private parts.
- Read : Bismillah Rahman Raheem ( In the name of Allah Most Merciful the compassionate) facing in the direction of Kaabah in Makkah Saudi Arabia which is in the north where ever your on earth.
- Stretch thumbs touching the ground where the soil dust is, or the wall if your in a hotel or inside house where there is no dust of soil, or on the leaves, or on the chairs of your car if your driving and parked the car, may be its raining can not get out of the car.
- Rub the thumbs in the face and the hands only. Caution: must be very careful not to check anything harmful in for your eyes and remove it before you Rub the face.
- As soon as you get water, or you can use water, immediately you must make Wudhu with water.