Etiquettes of the Masjid
Today’s reminder is on the etiquettes of the masjid.
My dear brothers, this place is a sanctuary from the outside world. Besides the odd unwelcomed ringtone during salah, we are able to switch off from all the distractions of the outside world when we are inside of the masjid. There is no Google, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube inside these four walls to distract us. And as we grow older, we begin to realise just how valuable this place is for serenity and peace of mind for us all.
The Prophet SAWS mentions the love Allah SWT has for the masjid in the following hadith:
He who goes to the mosque at dawn or dusk (for Salat), Allah prepares a hospitable abode for him in Jannah, every time when he walks to it or comes back from it
Dear brothers, we can see that from this hadith there is a great reward for coming to the masjid and therefore we should make the most of this blessing, especially now that we are out of lockdown and are able to come back to the houses of Allah SWT.
The Imam also relayed the following hadith in which the Prophet SAWS said:
“The reward for Salat performed by a person in congregation is more than 20 times greater than that of the Salat performed in one’s house or shop. When one performs Wudu’ perfectly and then proceeds to the mosque with the sole intention of performing Salat, then for every step he takes towards the mosque, he is upgraded one degree in reward and one of his sins is eliminated until he enters the mosque, and when he enters the mosque, he is considered as performing Salat as long as it is the Salat which prevents him (from leaving the mosque); and the angels keep on supplicating Allah for him as long as he remains in his place of prayer. They say: ‘O Allah! have mercy on him; O Allah! forgive his sins; O Allah! accept his repentance’. This will carry on as long as he does not pass wind”
And so, dear brothers, what follows are 3 simple ideas that we can all implement that will make our time in the masjid an even more blessed one insh’Allah.
- Enter the masjid with your right foot and say Salaam. Even if nobody is making eye contact that doesn’t matter. It starts your visit with the correct intention.
- Put your mobile phone on silent my dear brothers. Focus in prayer is such a fragile thing that even a piece of fluff on the carpet can be the most interesting thing when we are trying to offer salat. You can imagine then what a melodic ringtone does to the focus in comparison. The message here is one of consideration for your fellow brother who is trying to connect to Allah in a rare moment of solace in an otherwise busy day.
- Avoid passing in front of somebody who is praying. This is difficult sometimes and consideration in this case should be two-way. For example if a brother was to start praying adjacent to the exit door then he is preventing anyone wanting to enter and exit the masjid.
- And as you leave try to connect to that feeling of joy at having just visited the house of Allah and having just communicated directly to Allah SWT and having just made a request of Him in your duas. Try to instil into your heart that feeling of loss as you leave as it will create that desire to return back to the masjid as soon as possible.
Dear brothers, the masjid is our fortress from the outside world. Let’s aim to visit it often and in the correct manner insh’Allah.
May Allah SWT enable us to develop the correct etiquette for entering the masjid. May Allah SWT instill into our hearts good manners for the masjid. And may Allah SWT reward us for the manners we develop for the masjid.
