rached@ee.eng.ohio-state.edu (Rached Zantout) (05/07/91)
The Masjid in Islam The Purpose of the Masjid in Islam: The Masjid(Mosque) is the most beloved place for Allah . It is the fortress of belief and good manners. It is the first school that a Muslim graduates from. It is the house of those who fear Allah, the place where Muslims meet everyday, the center of their conventions and the place where they consult and give advice to each other. It is the place where they meet, make friends and help each other to do good. From the Masjid, Muslims armies went out and opened the East and the West. To it the traveler first comes when he returns to his town . From it the Ulama (Knowledgeable people) graduated and in it the injured were given help. In it people used to judge and be judged, caliphs used to be asked about their deeds. In summary the Masjid is the place where the Ummah meets, makes Shurah (Consultation) and learns. The Masjid is not only a place where someone makes salaat (prayer). Children and Masjids: The children are the men and women of the future so it is forbidden on us to lead them astray and prevent them from the blessings of coming to the Masjid. The Masjid, the house of Allah, is also the nest of the believers and the school of the Muslims. Islam put a great importance on caring for the children and on raising them up according to the Islamic way and the manners of the Quran. The prophet (Peace be Upon Him) said what can be translated to :SOrder your children to pray when they get to the age of seven and hit them if they don't pray at age of ten. Also when boys and girls reach the age of ten, don't let them sleep together in the same bed. The right school to teach prayer is the Masjid. The companions of the prophet (Peace be Upon Him) used to hang in the Masjid parts of palm trees full of dates, so that children and others eat from it. They used to do that to encourage children to come to the Masjid in order to learn Islam from its sources. The child that is raised up according to a certain way will follow it all his life, that's why the hadith specified that one of the seven categories who will be shaded by the shade of Allah, in the day where there is no other shade, is a youngster who grew up on obeying Allah (Bukhari and Muslim). Parents should bring their children with them to the Masjid so that they will be raised up obedient to Allah. At the prophet's time (Peace be Upon Him) children used to come to the Masjid and the prophet (Peace be Upon Him) used to personally care for them and be kind to them. The prophet (Peace be Upon Him) once was giving Khutbah (speech) on the Minbar, when he saw his grand sons Hassan and Hussein walking and stumbling in their shirts. The prophet (Peace be Upon Him) stopped, went down and carried them on his hands and said what can be translated to: R Allah tells the Truth TYour possessions and your progeny are but a trial ... I looked at those two children walking and stumbling, so I stopped my talk and picked them up. Another time the prophet (Peace be Upon Him) was prostrating (Making Sujud) leading the Muslims in the prayer. He took long in his Sujud to the extent that people thought that he died. The reason was that one of his grand children climbed on the back of the prophet (Peace be Upon Him) who waited for that child until he went down. Once the prophet (Peace be Upon Him) didn't take long making fajr prayer, when asked about the reason he replied in what could be translated to: I heard a child crying, and I thought that his mother is praying with us, so I didn't want him to wait long for her. The prophet (Peace be Upon Him) said also what can be translated to: I begin with the prayer with the intention to make it long, but after I hear a child crying, I make my prayer short, because I know that his mother is hurting because of his crying. Abu-Kutada narrated that he saw the prophet (Peace be Upon Him) leading the prayer and holding Umama the daughter of Abi-Alass. When the prophet (Peace be Upon Him) used to go to Rukuu, he used to put her down and he used to go up from Sujud (prostrating) he used to pick her up again . This how the prophet (Peace be Upon Him) used to treat children in the Masjid. It is forbidden to be tough on the children even with words or to kick them out of the Masjid. This will only grow in their hearts hatred for Prayer, the Masjid and Islam which will grow up with them until they become the founders of the new Islamic society. As for the hadith prevent small children and crazy people from coming to the mosque it is a weak hadith (it has no basis, la asla lahu) according to Shawkani and Alaban and many others. One of the elementary school teachers in Syria once took the children of his class in a trip. On their way they passed by a church, the Nun their welcomed them warmly, gave them sweets and took them on a tour of the church explaining its history and answering all their questions. Their next stop was the Masjid of the town. The teacher took the children in order to offer the prayers inside the Masjid. The minute they set foot inside, the man who takes care of the Masjid screamed at them and kicked them out of it claiming that "This is a Masjid not a childrens' playground." This ignorant man did not know that preventing children from coming to the Masjid is Bidaa (Innovation in religion) because it contradicts what the prophet (Peace be Upon Him) used to do. -- "I bear witness that there is only one god, and that Muhammad is his messenger"