Importance of the Masjid

Importance of the Masjid

Opening

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Khutbat al-Hajah (Opening Sermon)

"[All praise is due to Allah, all praise is due to Allah, the One who has guided us to this, and we would not have been guided if not that Allah had guided us. And I seek refuge in Allah from the evils of our souls and from the wickedness of our deeds. Whomever Allah guides, there is none who can misguide him, and whomever Allah misguides, there is none who can guide him. And I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone, without any partners. He is the Lord of the worlds. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger, His chosen one, His beloved, and the best of His creation. May the blessings and peace of my Lord be upon him and upon his family and his noble companions. As for what follows, fear Allah, O servants of Allah, and fear a Day in which you will be returned to Allah. Then every soul will be recompensed for what it has earned, and they will not be wronged.]"

Main Khutbah

My brothers and sisters in Islam, the first piece of advice is that it is important for us to build our consciousness of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. For indeed it is those who are conscious of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala who will be able to achieve closeness to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. It is those who are conscious of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala who will be able to fulfill their duties unto Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. They are the ones who will be able to abstain from the prohibitions that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has made clear.

Thereafter we should know that acts of worship have been determined by Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. They have not been left for us to imagine or to make up. And this is the reason why Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala sent messengers to us. The reason is to show us how he wanted to be worshipped.

So the duty of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was also to show us how Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala wanted to be worshipped. And this is why any act of worship that we innovate from our own selves is considered unacceptable. Whoever engages in an act of worship, doing a deed, trying to worship Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in a way that the instruction is not upon, then indeed that deed will be rebounded in terms of sin to the same person.

Therefore, we should only engage in acts of worship that are taught by Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. From this, the scholars have made it quite clear that a person who claims to know more than Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam has brought in terms of acts of worship has actually insulted Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and has found fault with the prophethood and the finality of it. So we ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to make us from those who are conscious of the way we worship Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

The Virtue of Prostration

That having been said, one of the most powerful ways of getting close to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is to increase prostration. The hadith of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he says:

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 482)

"The closest that a worshipper can be to his Rabb or to his Lord or his maker is when he is in the position of prostration." This prostration solely and only being for the sake of the one who made us, the one who owns us, the one whom we shall be returning to, Allah, Rabbul Izzati wal Jalal.

The Meaning of Masjid

This act of worship is so great that the place that a person engages in prostration in is known as a masjid. Masjid being derived from the root sajada which means to prostrate for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. A masjid is a place of prostration.

Not only is it the house of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala such as this beautiful house known as a masjid, but any place of prostration may also linguistically be known as a masjid, which means a place of prostration. So what is this that we find huge buildings, subhanallah, where people worship Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala known as a masjid. It is a deeper meaning of the term and Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has taught this to us not only through the blessed lips of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, but even in his own beautiful words known as the Quran.

The Reward for Building a Masjid

And Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, if we were to look at the words of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, has taught us:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 450)

"Whoever builds a masjid," and here it is referring to the building where people get together in order to worship Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Whoever does this for the sake of Allah, this is the condition. It must not be for name or fame or for dividing the community or the nation.

It must be for the pleasure of Allah, for people to be able to come, those who are muslimin, to be able to come to the house of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and worship Allah freely. To be able to prostrate to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in a congregation as brothers and sisters in Islam. And this is why whoever does it for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, Allah says, he will build a house for them in Jannah.

The condition, as I said, you need to do it for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, not for any other ulterior motive, may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala make us sincere. So if it is so important to bring or to

build a house for Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, where people can prostrate, what do you think is the importance of this place? It has to be really high. It has to be very great.

The Importance of Salah

Indeed it is a place where people are engaging in one of the greatest pillars of Islam known as As-Salah. Salah meaning the five daily prayers that we engage in. Linguistically the term Salah may refer to supplication or it may refer to Dua.

But at the same time that Dua is included in what is known as Salah in the Shari context, in the deeper context of the Sharia. If I were to say fulfill your Salah, you would immediately know that I'm referring to one of the five daily prayers or a unit that may be voluntary yet similar. But when it comes to the linguistic meaning, we barely use it to refer to Dua.

We would rather use the term Dua or supplication. So if we were to look carefully at the Salah of a Mu'min, it would actually be one of the deepest or strongest pillars of Islam. And at the same time to facilitate for people to read and fulfill that pillar of Islam in a way that would please Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is so great that not only does Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala promise a person a house in Jannah, but at the same time, you would receive a reward for anyone and everyone who uses that facility to engage in prayer for Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

For example, if a person was to build a Masjid with the correct intention, everyone who benefits from that Masjid, the person who built it will receive a similar reward, no less than the person who came in. This is why it is so high and so great. It is a place where we worship Allah alone.

Worship is for Allah Alone

Listen to what Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says regarding prostration. This prostration is only allowed for Allah. Acts of worship are only and solely allowed for Allah.

We are not allowed to render a single act of worship for anyone besides Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Nobody. Not a saint, not a stick, not a stone, not a Prophet, not an angel, not a grave.

Nothing besides Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. That prostration and that salah and any acts of worship, they are only for Allah. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says in Surah Al-Jinn:

Indeed, the places of prostration are solely for Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. So do not invoke anyone but Allah. Do not call out to anyone but Allah. Do not engage in any act of worship for anyone but Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

The Virtue of Congregational Prayer

So these are the places of worship that we revere in Islam. Similarly, if we were to look at the house of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, clearly there is a hadith which says, speaking about the congregational prayer, Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam has said:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 645)

And according to another narration:

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 650)

That salah which is fulfilled in congregation is better, greater in reward 25 to 27 times depending on the narration, than that which is fulfilled singularly. And perhaps one of the reasons is, for us to be able to gather as a Muslim ummah, we are part and parcel of one family, we should be feeling the pain.

If anyone of us has some pain, all of us should be feeling that pain. We should try to reach out to one another in a way that we make the lives of each other easy, not difficult, in a way that we reach out and fulfill the needs of people for the pleasure of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. When we help those in need, we are helping them not to show off, not in order to achieve something ulterior, to become known as a very generous person, but rather to become known to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, that we are trying to fulfill your obligation or the obligation you have placed upon us.

Unity in the Masjid

This is why if we were together in the houses of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, five times a day, we would actually get to know each other so well. We would actually get to know the faces, we would get to know the people's names, we would get to know, for example, the condition of the people. In a masjid of this nature, mashallah, where you have so many nationalities that get together, it is a prime and beautiful opportunity for us to become acquainted with the condition of the muslimin across the globe, to realize the gift of Allah that we are upon.

And secondly, to be able to reach out to our brothers and sisters in one way or another, the bare minimum is to be able to pray for them. Isn't it? We come to the house of Allah, our hearts are softened, we call out to Allah for our own needs, so do not be miserly, call out for the needs of others as well. Don't call out for yourself alone, reach out to others.

Be conscious of the needs of others, perhaps Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala may fulfill your needs because of your concern for the needs of His worshippers. As the hadith of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam:

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2699)

"Allah continues to assist a worshipper as long as that worshipper continues to assist his brethren." May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala make that easy for us.

Overcoming Division

So the house of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, we get together. Brothers and sisters, we have a disease today where we don't even greet one another when we are in the house of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. We don't even want to know one another when we are in the house of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

When we have a thousand common points, yet we take a look and we search for the one point that is not in common in order for us to stop greeting someone, where was that taught by Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam. We have a thousand commonalities, a thousand points of unity, and yet we take a look or we start searching deeply for one point that may be dividing us in terms of perhaps a ruling of jurisprudence or a difference of opinion in one matter. And we stop greeting, we stop feeling like we are a member of one family.

That perhaps is the plot of shaitan, my brothers and sisters, in order to disintegrate the ummah, in order to make us feel like we are totally disunited and disintegrated. What is the point of reading salah in one masjid when all the hearts are totally disunited and fragmented? Surely we should try our best to bring the hearts together. We should try our best to work on the common points in order to be able to deal with those that are not so common.

We should ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala's assistance and guidance. We should learn to smile at one another. We should learn to greet one another for the sake of Allah.

We should learn to feel the bond for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. I call on you, my brothers and sisters, to utilize this beautiful facility to be able to get to know one another, to be able to smile and greet, to be able to reach out to one another, to be able to become acquainted with the difficulties that people are facing. Whether it is as far as Palestine or Afghanistan or Iraq or Sudan or Yemen or wherever else on the globe it may be.

As you know, the muslimin are going through so many crises across the globe. It is our duty to be able to know what is going on to begin with. Secondly, to be able to reach out to these people in whatever way possible.

As I said, the bare minimum is to pray for them, to ask Allah to alleviate their suffering. And at the same time, to be able to appreciate that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has blessed us in a unique way we reach out to the people. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala make it easy for us all.

May Allah make it easy for all those who are suffering across the globe. The masjid is not just a place where you come in, fulfill your salah and walk out. But rather, you come in, you conscientize yourself, not only regarding Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, but regarding all the creatures of Allah, beginning with humankind.

The Masjid as a Center of Learning

And this is why in the masjid you will find lectures, you will find lessons, you will find adhkar, people who are reminding you of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. When we use the term dhikr, primarily we are referring to a reminder. And the best form of dhikr is the Quran, which means to be reminded by the Quran is probably or definitely the most powerful because it is indeed the word of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

And this is why when it comes to the hadith of the seven types of people who will be resurrected in a special way on the day of judgment, they will be granted a special shade. You find one of the categories:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 660)

"A person whose heart is stuck or clinging to a masjid." A person whose heart is stuck to the house of Allah.

When he leaves after salatul fajr, he cannot wait to get back for salatul dhuhr. When he leaves after salatul dhuhr, he finds it difficult, he needs to go for his need, but his heart is stuck in the masjid. He comes back for salatul asr, he fulfills his duty, he reaches out to people, he learns and he teaches and so on.

Following the Example of the Prophet

Take a look at Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam's era. In masjidun nabawi, he used to welcome those who wanted to know about Islam in the same masjid. He used to have delegations coming to him from far and wide.

He made time for them, he respected them. Many of them turned to Islam, some of them did not. But that did not hinder him from using that beautiful facility to be able to welcome those who want to know about the faith, those who want to reach out, those who want to learn, those perhaps who would like to receive that guidance.

Also, that is the same place he used to guide the people. He sat on the minbar more than once, on many occasions, not just for the jumu'ah, but when he called the people to speak to them about the matters of the believers, when they were going out to tabook for example, when they were going out to various places in order to defend the muslimin, and for various reasons, he would call them to the masjid, he would speak to them from the minbar, he would encourage them, he would say words, subhanallah, and his house was very close to the masjid. And this is why we always request or we always ask people to consider when purchasing a home, whether a masjid is nearby or not.

It's important for us, either to get a home near to the masjid or to have a home with the intention of building a masjid nearby, if a masjid happens to be very far away. May Allah make it easy for us. Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam addressed the needs of those who were needy.

Take a look at those known as ashabus suffah. The people of a suffah who were not so wealthy, they were needy. They happen to have a place where it was uniquely known that they are seated here.

Those who wanted to reach out to them, reached out to them. And Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam spent more time with them. It is something unique, something important.

Multiple Purposes of the Masjid

So remember, the masjid or the house of Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala is not solely to be able to prostrate in. Yet, that is definitely one of the many uses of the house of Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala. It is here for many purposes.

It is here for us to be able to feel the bond of this one family. May Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala grant us a deeper understanding. And may Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala unite us.

May He make us feel for one another. May He make us reach out to one another as a family. May He allow us to be contributing towards the solutions of the problems of the ummah.

May we not be part of the problem. Ameen. We ask Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala also to be able to use us to bring people together rather than to split them and rather than to disunite them.

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