The Importance of Masjid in the Muslim Community

 السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

إنَّ الحَمْدَ لله، نَحْمَدُه، ونستعينُه، ونستغفرُهُ، ونعوذُ به مِن شُرُورِ أنفُسِنَا، وَمِنْ سيئاتِ أعْمَالِنا، مَنْ يَهْدِه الله فَلا مُضِلَّ لَهُ، ومن يُضْلِلْ، فَلا هَادِي لَهُ.
أَشْهَدُ أنْ لا إلَهَ إلا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وأشهدُ أنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عبْدُه ورَسُولُه.
اَللَّهُمَّ صَلِّى عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَلَى اَلِهِ وَأَصْحَابِهِ وَمَنْ تَبِعَ هُدًى
يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ
يَاأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالا كَثِيرًا وَنِسَاءً وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ الَّذِي تَسَاءَلُونَ بِهِ وَالأرْحَامَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيبًا
يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَقُولُوا قَوْلا سَدِيدًا * يُصْلِحْ لَكُمْ أَعْمَالَكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَمَنْ يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا

All Praise is due to Allah; we praise Him and we seek help from Him. We ask forgiveness from Him. We repent to Him; and we seek refuge in Him from our own evils and our own sins. Anyone who is guided by Allah, he is indeed guided; and anyone who has been left astray, will find no one to guide him. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, Only One without partners; and I bear witness that Muhammad SAW is His messenger.

 

Dear Muslims:

When the Prophet SAW migrated to Medina, the first thing he did, even before building a home for himself, was to start building a Masjid with his companions. He SAW personally joined in the building process, even though his companions would have been sufficient for the job. But Rasullullah SAW wanted to show us all the importance of the Masjid in the Muslim community.

 Dear Muslims:

The Masjid in Islam has a great importance, because it is where the five daily prayers are prayed in congregation, and it is where the Jum’ah Friday prayer is prayed every week to gather the Muslims. So, they can learn about all aspects of their lives and religion. 

The masjid is also the meeting point for Muslims, where they come together to get to know each other and share each other’s moments of happiness and sadness, especially in a country like this.

The messenger of Allah SAW encouraged the building of the Masjid and made it one of the most rewarding acts anyone can do. 'Uthman b. 'Affan (RAA) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) say: Whoever builds a mosque for Allah, Allah would build a house for him like it in Paradise.

Also Messenger of Allah SAW said: (The parts of land dearest to Allah are its mosques, and the parts most hateful to Allah are markets.

 

Dear brothers and sisters:

Masaajid are where the angels meet the people, so that they may intercede for them in front of Allah (SWT) on the Day of Judgement, and pray for them with all the blessings in life.

Rasulullah SAW also said: “When you see a man regularly going to the mosque, testify that he is a faithful servant because Allah, (SWT) has said: Allah's (Mosques are visited only by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day.”

 

Dear Muslims:

If the Masjid has all this significance and importance in Islam, then what are the rights of the Masjid over us? And what is our responsibility towards the Masjid?

The Masjid has many rights, but most importantly of all, it is that all visitors abide by the manners which Allah (SWT) tells us about in the verse:

إِنَّمَا يَعْمُرُ مَسَاجِدَ اللَّهِ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخَر وَأَقَامَ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَى الزَّكَاةَ وَلَمْ يَخْشَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ ۖ }

The Mosques of Allah shall be maintained only by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day; perform As-Salât and give Zakât and fear none but Allah. It is they who are expected to be on true guidance.

So, the visitor of the Masjid must make sure that in his heart, he believes in only one God, Allah (SWT), and awaits the Day of Judgement and makes sure that every action should be for the sake of Allah.

Also, some of the characteristics that Allah (SWT) has mentioned and ordered that the visitors of the Masjid are mentioned in the verse:

 

{يَا بَنِي آدَمَ خُذُوا زِينَتَكُمْ عِنْدَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ}

“O Children of Adam! Take your adornment (by wearing your clean clothes), while praying and going to the Masjid).”

So, whoever comes to the Masjid should wear nice clothes and try to put on some musk or perfume, because that’s what the messenger (PBUH) used to do.

 Dear Muslims:

Also from the rights of the Masjid, is that we prepare it to receive visitors and make sure it is welcoming. This will attract other people to come here regularly and not repel them; otherwise we might fall under the category described by Allah (SWT) as:

وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن مَّنَعَ مَسَاجِدَ اللّهِ أَن يُذْكَرَ فِيهَا اسْمُهُ وَسَعَى فِي خَرَابِهَا أُوْلَـئِكَ مَا كَانَ لَهُمْ أَن يَدْخُلُوهَا إِلاَّ خَآئِفِينَ

“And who is more unjust than those who forbid that Allah’s Name be glorified and mentioned much in Allah’s Mosques and strive for their ruin? Such people will never to be able to enter them except in fear, they will have disgrace in the dunya and in the hereafter they will have terrible punishment.”

Dear Muslims:

The Masjid belongs to Allah (SWT), and will remain open for his slaves who come to worship their Lord.  Severe punishment from Allah (SWT) awaits anyone who does something in a Masjid that makes others unwilling to attend the prayers or makes them feel uncomfortable or unsafe.

 May Allah (SWT) make this place gather all Muslims to become united.  Ameen.

 

·      أقول قولي هذا وأستغفر الله ولكم

الحَمْدُ للهِ وَكَفَى، وَأُصَلِّيْ وَأُسَلِّمُ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ الْمُصْطَفَى، وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَأَصْحَابِهِ أَهْلِ الْوَفَا. أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَّا إِلهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيْك لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ سَيِّدَنَا مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُوْلُهُ.

أَمَّا بَعْدُ،

فَيَا أَيُّهَا الْمُسْلِمُوْنَ، أُوْصِيْكُمْ وَنَفْسِيْ بِتَقْوَى اللهِ الْعَلِيِّ الْعَظِيْمِ وَاعْلَمُوْا أَنَّ اللهَ أَمَرَكُمْ بِأَمْرٍ عَظِيْمٍ، أَمَرَكُمْ بِالصَّلَاةِ وَالسَّلَامِ عَلَى نَبِيِّهِ الْكَرِيْمِ فَقَالَ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ، يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا، اَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا إِبْرَاهِيْمَ وَعَلَى آلِ سَيِّدِنَا إِبْرَاهِيْمَ وَبَارِكْ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا إِبْرَاهِيْمَ وَعَلَى آلِ سَيِّدِنَا إِبْرَاهِيْمَ، فِيْ الْعَالَمِيْنَ إِنَّكَ حَمِيْدٌ مَجِيْدٌ. اَللّٰهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِلْمُسْلِمِيْنَ وَالْمُسْلِمَاتِ والْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ الْأَحْيَاءِ مِنْهُمْ وَالْأَمْوَاتِ، اللهم ادْفَعْ عَنَّا الْبَلَاءَ وَالْغَلَاءَ وَالْوَبَاءَ وَالْفَحْشَاءَ وَالْمُنْكَرَ وَالْبَغْيَ وَالسُّيُوْفَ الْمُخْتَلِفَةَ وَالشَّدَائِدَ وَالْمِحَنَ، مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ، مِنْ بَلَدِنَا هَذَا خَاصَّةً وَمِنْ بُلْدَانِ الْمُسْلِمِيْنَ عَامَّةً، إِنَّكَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيْرٌ عِبَادَ اللهِ، إنَّ اللهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالْإحْسَانِ وَإِيْتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَى ويَنْهَى عَنِ الفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنْكَرِ وَالبَغْيِ، يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُوْنَ. فَاذكُرُوا اللهَ الْعَظِيْمَ يَذْكُرْكُمْ وَلَذِكْرُ اللهِ أَكْبَرُ

Khatib: Dede Falahudin