The Three Sacred Mosques
Al-Masjid al-Haram (Mecca): The largest mosque and the most sacred. Surrounds the Ka’ba. The qibla direction toward which all mosques and all prayers are oriented. Reward for prayer here: 100,000 times the reward of prayer elsewhere (per hadith).
Al-Masjid al-Nabawi (Medina): Built by the Prophet himself immediately after the Hijra (622 CE). Initially a simple mud-brick structure expanded many times over the centuries. Contains the Prophet’s grave. Reward: 1,000 times.
Al-Masjid al-Aqsa (Jerusalem): The farthest mosque (al-aqsa = the farthest). The Prophet’s destination in the Night Journey (Isra’). The first qibla direction before the command changed to Mecca. Reward: 500 times. Sacred to both Muslims and Jews (the Temple Mount above).
The Historical Mosque as Community Institution
The mosque in Islamic civilization was never only a prayer hall. The Prophet’s mosque in Medina served as:
- Prayer space (primary function)
- Political council (consultations happened there)
- Court of justice (the Prophet heard legal cases)
- School (halqa circles of learning)
- Shelter for the poor (the Ahl al-Suffa — the people of the bench — lived in the mosque’s covered area)
- Hospital (the Prophet sent a wounded fighter to be treated in the mosque during the Battle of the Trench)
- Reception hall for delegations from other tribes and nations
This multi-function character persisted through Islamic history — the great mosques of Damascus, Baghdad, Cairo, Cordoba, and Istanbul were centers of intellectual and social life alongside worship.
Etiquette of the Mosque
Upon entering:
- Enter with the right foot
- Say: “Allahumma iftah li abwab rahmatik” (O Allah, open for me the gates of Your mercy)
- Pray Tahiyyat al-Masjid (2 rak’at greeting prayer) before sitting
Inside:
- Lower the voice — “Do not raise voices in the mosque” (the Prophet)
- Maintain cleanliness — shoes outside, wudu maintained
- Avoid buying and selling transactions inside the mosque
- Avoid disturbing those in prayer
Upon leaving:
- Exit with the left foot
- Say: “Allahumma inni as’aluka min fadlik” (O Allah, I ask You of Your favor)
The Mosque in Bohra Tradition
In Dawoodi Bohra communities, the primary gathering place is the masjid/masjid-e-Imam — often a large hall that serves both as a masjid and a jamaat-khana (community hall). The distinctive features of Bohra mosques include Arabic calligraphy based on the Fatimid aesthetic, the minbar (pulpit) as the Da’i al-Mutlaq’s symbolic seat, and the gathering for waaz (sermon/discourse) that is central to Bohra religious life.
See also: Masjid Al Haram, Masjid Al Nabawi, Understanding Namaz, Salat Jumua, Wudu, Taharah