Manners of Entering the Mosque
Dear brothers, besides the month of Ramadhan and the night prayers that come with it, the largest gathering we find consistently in a month at a masjid is on the blessed day of Jumma or Friday as we know it.
Our Masjid is no exception. During this time you will find any community or masjid announcements being made as it is the time that most people are likely to attend and hear the message.
Therefore, dear brothers, this is also the best time to take some time to reflect on the manners of coming to the Masjid. After all, if we are to benefit from our time here then we should be aware and try to adhere to the manners relating to our weekly visit.
And dear brothers, we are all here for the same purpose, to please Allah SWT, to fulfil our obligation to Him. This is His house and His claim to the masjid is defined in Sura Al-Jinn:
And He revealed the masjids are for Allah, so do not invoke with Allah anyone.
My dear brothers, this place is a sanctuary from the outside world. Besides the odd dodgy ringtone during salat, we are able to switch off from all the distractions of the information age 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 Tirmidhi hadith:
The most beloved places to Allah is the Masjid and the least is the shopping areas
Dear brothers, we should all avoid bringing the dunya into the masjid. There is nothing that cannot wait because everything outside of this place is under the control of the one we are visiting when we are in this place!
Why wouldn’t we want to put life on hold because Allah SWT is in control of our life and it is in this place we can make requests regarding it.
The Prophet SAWS mentions the need to avoid such an act by specifically talking about doing business in the masjid. He is narrated to have said:
If you see someone selling or buying inside the Masjid, say to him: May Allah not make your trading profitable.
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. Equally so, for those of us blessed with young children, it is such an immense feeling of pride to bring them to the masjid. However, we must always remind ourselves that this masjid is a solace for us all and if the children are too young to keep in control during salat then maybe they are too young to come to the masjid. The message here is one of consideration for your fellow brother or sister 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 fulfilled your obligation and having just made a request of Him in your duas. Try to instill 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.
Ameen wal hamdullilahi rabilalameen.
