Mosques: A Safe Haven

Haven on Earth

There is this peace, a sense of tranquility that one can never describe. The senses are unable to comprehend this timeless belonging. As one enters its gates into the chambers, the only thing felt is submission, in front of the One worthy of reverence. There is no other place fitting of this virtue, and from the time of the Prophet SAW until this day, it will remain and shall remain until the end of times. This place is the mosque, the house of the Almighty Allah SWT.

The mosque, though growing insignificant to many today, will forever remain relevant despite how much progress and modernity has blanketed the lives of mankind. The feeble human race, in spite of the emergence of tall buildings and technological advancements will truly never replace the sanctity of the mosque. This is a safe haven; for the youths who love the religion, to the protectors of the Book of Allah SWT, to the children who yearn to play and learn and the golden-agers who sit in solace praying to their Lord with absolute sincerity. 

The Heart of It All

What makes the mosque for people, in their various forms and personalities come together to congregate in a unified place? The mosque is truly the heart of it all. For centuries and in every era, the mosque was a focal point of worship, learning, gathering and discourse. Putting aside how and what nature the gatherings were like, it can be extracted that the mosque was a functional hub to which people grew, educated and seeked refuge in. There are many examples from the annals and history; one of which was the Qarawiyyin Mosque, in Morocco that served and still serves many functions. It was first and foremost a place of worship, where the Imam would recite the Qur’an melodiously, lead the prayer, where the Jamaah (congregation) would follow during the five daily prayers. 

Alongside the five daily prayers, therein resided scholars of the Islamic Sciences ranging from the experts of Hadith (the Prophetic Narrations), Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence) and the luminaries of Akhlak & Tazkiyyatun Nafs (the science of morality and purification of the soul). In the lands of Saudi Arabia, in the two holiest mosques; Masjid Nabawi and Masjidil Haram, circles of knowledge and Qur’an would fill the prayer halls and at times, the entire chamber would be able to hear the wisdoms of the Mashayikh, benefitting unconsciously and unintentionally to the array of lectures. In the comfort of our own country, we witness the same in both our neighborhood mosques and city ones, to which it continues to move and prosper, with classes and workshops to lure the community back to God-consciousness and piety. More than just a place of worship, the mosques have been the birthplace of professionals, souls contributing to the society and more importantly, the Ulama’ who will bear the torch of the religion until the end of times. This is in tandem with the spirit that Allah SWT has mentioned in the Qur’an and the mosque, in its different forms and nature has upheld for generations. Allah SWT mentions in Surah Ali-Imran verse 110: 

كُنتُمۡ خَيۡرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخۡرِجَتۡ لِلنَّاسِ تَأۡمُرُونَ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَتَنۡهَوۡنَ عَنِ ٱلۡمُنكَرِ وَتُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِۗ

You are the best nation produced [as an example] for mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and believe in Allah. 

Allah SWT has conferred upon the title of the best nation, and the mosques have been the pillar of producing this type of nation. In the next part of the verse; Allah SWT also mentions the importance of enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, which is also part of the role of the mosque and what it should be to uphold the eminence of Allah SWT and His Messenger SAW in developing this best nation. 

A True Mosque 

There are numerous Hadith that speak of the virtue of the mosques. In an authentic Hadith, the Prophet SAW says: 

أَحَبُّ البِلَادِ إلى اللهِ مَسَاجِدُهَا، وَأَبْغَضُ البِلَادِ إلى اللهِ أَسْوَاقُهَا

“The dearest parts on the face of the earth to Allah are its mosques, and the most hated parts to Allah are its markets.” (Sahih Muslim)

This Hadith denotes that the mosque is indeed a sanctuary that is not only the most loved to Allah SWT without reason, rather it is truly due to the spiritual benefits it brings to the people. On the contrary, the markets are the total opposite, a place that brings people together to evil (though not in its entirety), however it is a place that brings people away from Allah SWT, concerning them with worldly matters and to gain as much profit, at times in unlawful ways. For this reason, many scholars disliked going to the markets unless needed, and invested much of their time at places of worship and knowledge. This Hadith also reminds us of an additional reminder; that the mosques should always remain a place of spirituality and morality and never the opposite. This is why the guardians of the mosques (be it its workers, patrons and those who safekeep it) should also be people of caliber and not people who seek to destroy the religion and its tenets. Allah SWT explains of this group of people in a befitting verse: 

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

The mosques of Allah should only be maintained by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, establish prayer, pay alms-tax, and fear none but Allah. It is right to hope that they will be among the ˹truly˺ guided. (Surah At-Tawbah Verse 18)

This verse should serve as a reminder that any dweller and upholder of the mosques must be people who fear Allah SWT. Fearing Allah SWT includes being people who are responsible, acting upon their trusts, and having good moral conduct. A true people of the mosque should always view this verse as an anchor to beliefs, acts and conduct.  It is not befitting for any true upholder of the mosque to be one that only comes and sees it as a mere role or only seeing it as a monument. Instead, the mosque should be a place where our hearts are cleansed and its people take their responsibilities seriously, be it as a worker in the mosque or as a regular patron. The mosque, especially in a world of trials and tribulations, is one of the few safe spaces left to turn to for religious guidance and spiritual revival. This sacrosanct space must always be safeguarded by its people, strong values and an unwavering commitment to the hereafter. 

A Safe Space: No Judgements

In recent times, the mosque is seen to be only for the ‘pious’ and ‘religious’ and that people who fall short in their religious commitments are not allowed to enter, participate, or partake in activities that happen in the mosque. This exclusive-pass mindset is one that has plagued so many of us; be it people who want to safeguard the mosques and the other camp who do not feel worthy to enter the mosques because they are to their own estimation ‘not pious enough’.

It should not be denied that the mosque must and should always be safeguarded and upheld as a place of principle and spirituality, so while there are morals of conduct to comply to, a mosque should also not disallow patrons who may seem strange or hold on to differing principles to enter the mosque. The essence is that Islam is not one that is totally inclusive, unguided, or malleable to every single matter; it is, however, a religion that embraces everyone, while still standing with principles and maxims governed by the Qur’anic texts and authentic Prophetic sayings and practices (also known as the Sunnah).

A mosque and its people must be open and accepting to any group into the mosque and should not ostracize anyone who subscribes to something different. It is after all, supposed to be a place of worship, self-improvement and more importantly, spiritual enhancement, and this process is in itself, evergreen for all; no matter how much a particular person falls short or sins. The mosque, should be a safe haven and space for anyone, and if the mosques were to be this way, we would see many people understanding the true message of Islam, and would perhaps pull people closer to the religion. There should be no ‘I am better than thou’ mindset or ‘you do not belong in the mosque’ mentality as the mosque is for everyone, regardless of gender, race, belief or background, so long as the moral conducts are complied to within the fraternity of the mosque. This is a notion that should be made clear to all; the key to achieving a successful mosque is to have a balance of upholding the morals and principles of Allah SWT while also not marginalising any group from entering it.

More than just a place of worship

The mosques are not merely a station to perform the five daily prayers. It should be one that is bustling; of endless circles of knowledge to campaigns that promote goodness and piety, to allow it to be a hub where like-minded individuals striving for Allah’s pleasure meet to spark love and motivate one another to better themselves and the Ummah. It is not befitting for a successful mosque to remain dormant. This is where the society should support, exert, and devise ways and means to make the mosques an entire ecosystem of activities (that are aligned with the values of the Syariah) so that it continues to prosper in many ways possible, with the movement of the time and context. A successful mosque leads to successful communities and give birth to a plethora of information and religious guidance for the community to benefit from.

Empowering the young

More pressingly, the mosques should be at the forefront of inviting the young to this sanctuary, and never to drive them away from it. The youths are the beacons of hope for every society, and through youth’s involvement in the mosque, will it lead to further sparks of change of the future. Part of Allah’s promise is also that these youths will, if they grow well and learn to love the mosque will be part of the seven groups of people under the shade of Allah SWT, as mentioned by the Prophet SAW’s sayings:

Abu Hurairah r.a. reported that the Prophet s.a.w. said in a famous long hadith;

“There are seven whom Allah will shade on a day when there is no shade but His. They are a just ruler; a youth who grew up in the worship of Allah; one whose heart is attached to the Mosques; two who love each other, meet each other, and depart from each other for the sake of Allah; a man who is tempted by a beautiful woman of high status but he rejects her, saying, ‘I fear Allah’; and one who spends in charity and hides it such that his right hand does not know what his left hand has given; and one who remembered Allah in private and he wept” (Authenticity is agreed upon)

From this Hadith, we can derive two possibilities if youths were to be involved in the mosque; one being that they would be amongst those whose hearts are attached to the mosque, while also being youths who taste the sweetness of Iman through involvement in the mosque. This then leads us to the most ideal situation; nurturing youths who are ‘akhirah-minded’, anchored by Islamic values, strength in faith and zeal to be of benefit to the community. This is why every mosque should be the most welcoming to the young; ranging from children as they learn the Quran and play in the mosques to the youths who spend their time searching for their purpose within the walls of this special place. In a volatile age, the mosques serve as a shield for these youths, allowing them to spend their nascent stage of life away from trials and tribulations of elements that may threaten their faith. To obtain this goal, the mosques and its people must adopt an approach that allows youth and the young to utilize and be accustomed to the space without judgment, followed by proper guidance from more seniors of the mosque; perhaps through activities, events and initiatives closer to the hearts of the younger generation.

To the Real Haven

The mosque is a haven on this Earth before entering the eternal Haven, Jannah (paradise). It was mentioned in a Hadith, Abu Hurairah r.a. reported that the Prophet s.a.w. said:

مَنْ غَدَا إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ وَرَاحَ أَعَدَّ اللَّهُ لَهُ نُزُلَهُ مِنْ الْجَنَّةِ كُلَّمَا غَدَا أَوْ رَاحَ

“Whoever goes to the mosque at dawn or dusk (for Solat), Allah prepares a hospitable abode for him in Paradise, every time when he walks to or comes back from it” (Agreed upon as Authentic)

If our community were to see the mosque as an important place, a place that brings them goodness, peace in this world and the next, we would achieve immense success. Truly, this only comes with strenuous efforts, maintenance and continuous support from its people, and the Muslims at large. 

May Allah SWT make our mosques our home here, where we visit and use it to the best of our abilities, towards the eternal abode, in paradise.