There is an unsaid important rope you hold, while you stand to serve a cure to humanity, a cord named Imaan (Belief), that connects to a string of Amaal (Deeds), while these attached help us with our Niyyah (Intention).
It’s simple,
It’s simple,
Service through the Mosque
“In Maharashtra, a gurdwara (the Sikh place of worship) fed two million people in 10 weeks last year. Other gurdwaras in India melted the Gold they had collected in the previous 50 years to set up hospitals and medical colleges. Sikh NGOs set up “oxygen langars” – langars are the community kitchens in the gurdwaras – providing free oxygen to people as India gasped and reeled through its deadly second wave of coronavirus.”
– BBC Viewpoint: Why Sikhs celebrate kindness
– BBC Viewpoint: Why Sikhs celebrate kindness
“Righteousness is not in turning your faces towards the east or the west. Rather, the righteous are those who believe in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Books, and the prophets; who give charity out of their cherished wealth to relatives, orphans, the poor, ˹needy˺ travelers, beggars, and for freeing captives; who establish prayer, pay alms-tax, and keep the pledges they make; and who are patient in times of suffering, adversity, and in ˹the heat of˺ battle. It is they who are true ˹in faith˺, and it is they who are mindful ˹of Allah.”
-Surah Baqarah
-Surah Baqarah
Is it enough to ponder? Mosque is more+++
Not just a place of worship, but a place of justice, kindness, patience, service, brotherhood, empathy, discipline, & Simplicity.
“To carve his name in Gold, rise it so high,
& Slowly lower the ranks of remembering it.
In the glimmer of Gold, we forgot the creator of it.
We resonate with the color, the stones, the carpets.
But fail to remember, we are but slaves,
walking every step in the house of worship,
not as slaves, but as rich as kings.”
-Unknown Poet
& Slowly lower the ranks of remembering it.
In the glimmer of Gold, we forgot the creator of it.
We resonate with the color, the stones, the carpets.
But fail to remember, we are but slaves,
walking every step in the house of worship,
not as slaves, but as rich as kings.”
-Unknown Poet
Re-interpreting = Re-structuring
To begin the process of re-structuring, we need to unlearn the concept of a mosque just confined for Salaah and begin re-learning the functionalities of a mosque through Prophet Muhammed (May peace & blessing be upon him).
The Prophet’s Mosque, the courtyard of the Prophet Muhammad (May peace & blessing be upon him). In Medina, Arabian Peninsula, the model for later Islamic architecture. The home of Prophet Muhammad (May peace & blessing be upon him) and his family was a simple structure, made of raw brick, that opened on an enclosed courtyard where people gathered to hear him.
With time, Mosques became a hub for many discussion gatherings —social, political, educational and much more. In addition, schools and libraries were often attached to mosques to teach the purpose of being & the purpose of living.
A mosque was a place of Salaah and a place where the distribution of responsibility would take place. The purpose of a mosque was not just to be lit with the perfect chandeliers but to be a flaming torch of justice.
A structure that welcomed people who lacked the informal/formal information of how Muslims cope in times of crisis and walked the path of life.
At that time, it was safe to say that the beauty of a mosque was praying lips & doing hands, not the carving.
With time, Mosques became a hub for many discussion gatherings —social, political, educational and much more. In addition, schools and libraries were often attached to mosques to teach the purpose of being & the purpose of living.
A mosque was a place of Salaah and a place where the distribution of responsibility would take place. The purpose of a mosque was not just to be lit with the perfect chandeliers but to be a flaming torch of justice.
A structure that welcomed people who lacked the informal/formal information of how Muslims cope in times of crisis and walked the path of life.
At that time, it was safe to say that the beauty of a mosque was praying lips & doing hands, not the carving.
Regaining The Essence of Simplicity
With a belief, we intend to strive harder to regain the essence of a Mosque, so people can expand their knowledge of a mosque & work together to dispose of their social responsibilities and supply the cultural and social knowledge required for the generation & generations to come. This approach will help bridge the gap between local-religious and Western intervention models.
To achieve this, we will have to begin re-structuring a Mosque with Belief & Intention, not only Money!
While we try to decode the need for a specific place to pray, we begin with a simple yet profound question.
Why would the creator of skies, galaxies, humans want a plot of land just dedicated for his worship (Prayer)?
While it is clear.
Abu Sa’id al-Khudri reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said,
“The entire earth has been made a place of prayer, except for graveyards and washrooms.”
“If you see a man committed to the mosque, bear witness to his faith. Verily, Allah Almighty said:
The mosques are only maintained by those who have faith in Allah and the Last Day, establish prayer and give charity.”
-Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2617
The mosques are only maintained by those who have faith in Allah and the Last Day, establish prayer and give charity.”
-Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2617
