Mosque

Etymology

The name mosque , appeared in 1553 in the French language, is a loan with the Italian mosche (T) has , by the means of Spanish mezquita , coming itself from the Arab rear RTL مسجد masjid , itself borrowed from the araméen masged . It derives from a Proto-Semitic root meaning “to pose the face on the ground” and recalls that it is about a place of prostration. The term jâmi (rear RTL جامع jāmîi ), “meeting room”, indicates as for him a large mosque where the meeting of Friday is done. The Moslems often refer to the mosque by its Arab name, masjid .

The Arab word masjid means the place of the worship and drift of the verb sajada (root “s-j-d,” meaning “to put itself at knees”) in reference to the gestures carried out during the Prière S. the word “m-s-g-d” appeared in araméen as of the 5th century, and the same word is found later in the Nabatéen with the significance “place of the worship”. Apparently, this word araméen in the beginning would have meant “Stèle” or “crowned pillar”.

The precursors of the word “mosque” appeared during 15th, 16th, and 17th century (“ moseak ”, “ muskey ”, “ moschy ”, and “ mos' keh ”) were also used until one decided that “mosque” that one finds in the Spanish , the average French the Italian or the English would become the standard. At the 18th century, the modern epellation became most popular and most standard of the mot.

In the European context, the term of mosque tends to yield the place at the end “center”, ( markaz/merkez ), according to the activities which are proposed there. If the majority of people goes there to request, that remains a mosque. If the majority come there for other activities, one will speak rather about a center ( markaz ). Another word affirms that “the ground me was returned place of prayer and pure. Whoever among the men of my community will reach the hour of the prayer will take place of prayer and purity”. According to the Islamic belief, the first mosque in the world was Masjid Al-Haram known also under the name of Kaaba with Mecque, which would have been built by Adam, then rebuilt by Abraham and its first wire Ismaël on an order of God. The second oldest mosque is the Mosquée Al-Aqsa. According to the Moslem tradition, it would have been built 40 years later by Abraham; it constitutes the third holy place of Islam because, at the time of the night voyage of the prophet, this one would have been led initially of the crowned mosque of Mecque to mosque Al-Aqsa of Jerusalem. It was also the first direction of the Qibla.

The first built during the reign of Islam would be the Mosquée of Quba to Médine. It would have been built at the time of the Hégire of Mahomet and its companions of Mecque with Médine. A few days after having begun the construction of the mosque of Quba, Mahomet would have started the construction of a second mosque with Médine, known today under the name of “Masjid Al-Nabawi”, or the mosque of the prophet. According to the tradition, the site of the mosque would be that of the first prayer of Friday carried out with Médine. According to this tradition, requested by the inhabitants of Médine to accept several grounds, Mahomet, for froisser nobody, left in his mounting, Qoçoua, the care to determine the place of arrival by slackening the support to him. Thus after many turnings it stopped finally on a broad ground empties and knelt. It is on this ground that the mosque of Médine would have been built.

During its stay with Mecque, Mahomet carries out inside the Kaaba the five daily prayers with the disciples of the Islam while at the same time of the Arab not Moslems also carry out there their ritual. The tribe of Quraych, chief of Mecque, which is responsible for the Kaaba , tries to exclude the disciples from Mahomet of the sanctuary. When Mahomet returns in Mecque in 630, it breaks the idols of the temple and converts Kaaba into mosque. It is since known as a Masjid Al-Haram, or “crowned mosque”.

Masjid Al-Haram was appreciably increased during the centuries to facilitate the Hajj, the Pèlerinage that any Moslem must carry out if it of with the capacity. Its first extension was carried out at the time Islamic under the reign of the Caliph Omar ibn Al-Khattab and it acquired its current form in 1577 during the reign of the Sultan Selim II. Modern extensions are carried out under the reign of the Saoudi royal family Al-Saoud.

Diffusion

Mosques were built apart from the Arabic peninsula progressively of the displacement of the Moslems, through the conquests, the trade and the migratory flux.

The first known mosque of China was built under the Dynastie Tang during the 8th century, with Xi' year. The mosque Xi' year old, following the example those of the east of the country, follows traditional Chinese architecture in form of Pagode S, and does not contain some of the elements specific to the mosques of the rest of the world, including those of Western China.

The broad diffusion of the mosques in India goes back to the reign of the empire Moghol, to S. Moghols brought their own style of architecture, in particular the acute dome S with a stretched form, like the Jama Masjid of New Delhi. But the first mosque built in India was the mosque Qûtb Minâr and that in 1193

The first mosques in the Ottoman Empire, like the Hagia Sophia of Istanbul, were at the origin of the churches or the Cathédrale S of the Byzantine Empire. The Othomans introduced a new architecture of the mosques thereafter. Large central domes are added, with multiple minarets and open frontages. The Othoman architects refined the design of the columns, the ceilings became higher, while incorporating the traditional elements, such as the mihrab. One finds until our days in Turkey of the mosques which testify to the Othoman model.

Mosques started to be built in Europe with the arrival of Arabic in Spain (8th century), then with the expansion of the Ottoman Empire in Balkans, as from the 14th century. But the fastest growth of their number occurred recently, with the rise of the migratory flux coming from the Moslem countries. The European main cities, such as Rome, London and Munich, accommodate mosques equipped with domes and traditional minarets. They are localized in the urban centres, and are used to with it as Community social centres, monks and for the Moslems maintaining rather numerous who live there. However, one finds also smaller mosques in more suburban and more rural areas in the areas of Europe populated of Moslems. The first mosque built on the French soil is the Mosquée Noor-E-Islam located at Saint-Denis of the Réunion, it was inaugurated in 1905, followed by the Grande Mosque of Paris in 1922. In Belgium, it is only in 1975 that the first mosques are constituted

Assignment change of the places of worship

Several example of places of worship having passed of a religion with another exist, certain relate to the islam.
The Kaaba was before Islam a place of pagan worship, one found in his center 360 idols that Mahomet made remove when it carried out the Circumambulation around Kaaba which became the holiest place of Islam. As for mosque Al-Aqsa indicated like the third holy place of Islam, it was set up on the Mont of the Temple where the Second Temple of Jerusalem was located and which is still perceived today by the Jews like a holy place. Later the Othomans at the time of the conquest of Constantinople (1453) transformed almost all the churches, monasteries, and vaults of Constantinople included there the basilica Hagia Sophia, whitewashing the contrary mosaics with the interdict of the representation in Islam and associated four minarets to him, Sinan Turkish architect was influenced by the architecture of Holy Sophie in her later achievements. Later in 1528 the sovereign Moghol Babur made build a mosque with Ayodhya in India. The Hindu protest that it was built on the birthplace of the god Rāma, consequently of what a group of 75.000 people carried out by Hindu extremists demolished this mosque at the time of riots in 1992. Of another share of the mosques were also converted, in particular in Spain after the Reconquista (finished in 1492) as testifies current the Cathédrale to it to Seville located at the site of an old mosque Almohade whose minaret was preserved and transformed into Clocher. One also observes this phenomenon in Europe of South-east, and India when they passed to a nonIslamic reign.

Religious functions

Prayers

The salted (rear RTL صلاة) is one of the five pillars of Islam, and stipulates that the Moslems must carry out five obligatory daily prayers: before the rising of the sun ( fajr rear RTL فجر), when the sun exceeds the central point of the sky ( dhuhr rear RTL ظهر), the afternoon ( asr rear RTL عصر), after laying down it sun ( maghrib rear RTL مغرب), and in evening ( isha' has rear RTL عشاء). Although more the small rooms of prayer make it possible to carry out only some of them, the majority of the mosques accommodate the five prayers.

While the daily prayers can be carried out at any place, it is required that all the men attend the prayer of the Friday to the mosque: this day, it accommodates the prayer of the jumah , or prayer of Friday , which is held at the moment of the second daily prayer, that of midday ( dhuhr ).

In the Islamic calendar, there are two Aïd S: Aïd el-Adha (rear RTL عيدالأضحى or Aïd to el-Khabir rear RTL عيدالكبير Great Festival ), Aïd el-Fitr (rear RTL عيدالفطر or Aïd be-Seghir rear RTL عيدالصغير Petite Festival ). During the first day of these two events, a special prayer is held the morning in the mosques: Salat el Aïd ( Prayer of the Festival ). The prayers of Aïd are usually carried out in great groups. So only the largest mosques accommodate the prayer of Aïd normally. Sometimes, this prayer with place on vast places in the open air, because of the multitude.

Salat Al-janazah is also held at the time of died of a Moslem. At the time of the eclipse of the sun, the mosques accommodate another special prayer called salat Al-koussouf .

Events of the Ramadan

The Ramadan (rear RTL رمضان), the holiest month of the Islam, is celebrated by several events. As the Moslems must fast (rear RTL صوم) the days of the Ramadan, the mosques accommodate the dinners ( iftar ) after laying down it sun and the fourth prayer of the day, maghrib . Food is provided, at least partly, by members of the community. Some mosques also hold of the meals of the Sohour , the last meal before the resumption of the fast at dawn. Sometimes in Occident certain politicians attend tables of Iftar , within the framework of their electoral campaigns or to try to reconcile the Muslim community.

During the Ramadan, the Moslems carry out a prayer specific, optional, the Tarawih (rear RTL تراويح). It has place after the fifth and last prayer, the Isha , except at the Shiite which does not practice it. During the Tarawih , the Imam recites of memory, in entirety and at least once the entirety of Coran, to see twice if he wants to make like the prophet. It should be noted that certain Imams do not recite all Coran, in particular in the small mosques where the prayer is relatively short. It is also possible to read Coran if it is not memorized.

Conferences are also organized during the month of the Ramadan.

Lastly, during the last ten days of the Ramadan, certain mosques accommodate the I' tikaf , a practice in which takes part at least a Moslem of the community to recite the coran, to venerate God and study Islam.

Charity

The third pillar of Islam stipulates that the Moslems must carry out the Zakat (rear RTL زكاة charity). It corresponds to 2,5% (or 1/40) of the saving of the Moslem, if this saving exceeds a certain amount, currently evaluated in Europe with approximately 870 euros, and revalued annually. For the Moslems, Coran prescribed: “Help in the achievement of good works and of piety and do not help in the sin and the transgression. And fear Allah, because Allah is, certainly, hard in punishment! ”.

money, the Nourriture, and the Habit S flowed around him until forming a large heap, its Visage was illuminated then it distributed these gifts to needy very content”. --> According to the tradition, there was with the Masjid Al-Nabawi a place which one called “ souffah ”. It was the place where the poor and the foreigners found refuge and shelter, and where Mahomet granted to them shares of the goods collected in charity. It was with the mosque that one collected and distributed the assistance to the poor. It is also with Masjid Al-Nabawi that the prophet would have said: “Give, would be this only one half of date. ”

During the month of Ramadan, the zakat is done more by the clothes industry and the distribution of individual meals. Tables of charity are organized in the mosques or of the tents of charity.

Social functions

Center Muslim community

On his arrival with Médine, the prophet made build a meeting place for the Community, a kind of “general headquarter” where all the items concerning the Community would be discussed, a center of life and gathering. Many Moslem governors after the death of the prophet of the Islam, thus established their fields around a mosque. Same manner that the Mecque is built around Masjid Al-Haram and Médine around Masjid Al-Nabawi, Karbala, in current Iraq, was built around the tomb of the Husayn, small son of the prophet. In general, the centres town of the Moslem areas are marked by the presence of mosques.

The place of the mosque in Iran is notable for several reasons. The mosque, in addition to one religious sanctuary, is also a public place where no matter who can penetrate. Moreover, it offers a true public service while placing at the disposal of running water and the toilets. The mosque takes part in the social life of a district. It provides a place of prayer and rest to certain categories of inhabitants or workers of the district, and is also an essential link between the “sources of imitation” ( Marja-e taqlid ) and the populations religious. The mosques built recently, particularly in the nonMoslem countries, on the other hand tend to move away from the center town. In the United States, the growth of the number of mosques and members of the congregations in the suburbs are much more considerable than in the zones very populated and close to the Center town. Nevertheless, even a mosque in a zone which is not very populated often pushes Moslems to bring closer their dwellings and their companies to the mosque. Thus, the places of worship form the focal points of the Muslim communities, even if they do not form the center of the very whole community.

Education

The education is a mission considered as noble, and Islam insists on education and the knowledge, whether this one is monk, scientist or arts person. The first verses revealed with the Mahomet prophet say: “Lily! In the name of your Lord who created, which created the man of an adherence. Lily! Your Lord is Noblest, who taught by the feather (the calame), taught with the man what it did not know. ” (Sourate 96). The prophet indicates: “The best among you is that which learned the Coran and will have made it learn”. In a hadith, the prophet (PSL) affirms: << Mettez you at research knowledge, as far as China if he it faut.>> the Mosque thus wants to be the school of all sciences, where will be trained the scientists. More than one place of worship, the mosque thus was in times of radiation of Moslem civilization a high place of education for the faithful ones of all ages and various horizons. Abou Saïd Al-Khoudry reports that the women said to the prophet: “The men are the only ones to benefit from your exhortations. Thus devote to us a day to listen to your lesson. ” It indicated a day thus to them when it would meet them and offered its exhortations and its recommendations to them.

The training of the Coran, Arabic and the religious practices is carried out in the countries where the language is not largely spoken. Courses are given there on Islam and its history to the new Moslems, particularly in Europe and with the the United States.

The Madrasa S are sometimes integrated into mosques like the case formerly of Al-Azhar in Egypt and the Zitouna in Tunisia. But the current trend is to move towards separation between the mosque and its old university vocation. Indeed, if simple Islamic education can be carried out in any center where exists a driven' allim (which can be the Imam) able to assume this role of first formation, the following stages require more developed structures of teaching, Masters more qualified and especially of the means which, in the case of higher educations, are only range of the States.

Events and collection of funds

The mosques in certain areas of the world accommodate events and dinners to collect money, to finance cultural activities or of charity, or simply to join together the Communauté.

In the United States, the young people are also attracted by the mosques which have equipment of sports such as the grounds of Basket-ball, of Football or American football. An interesting illustration of this participation of the community is that of the mosque Djenné with the Mali where, during an annual festival, the community takes part in the reapplication of the plaster outside the mud brick building.

The mosques also accommodate marriages. According to the Sunna, the prophet had founded the proclamation of the Mariage within the mosque, place where must tie the bonds crowned in an Islamic environment, and where the Moslems will testify some in the faith. According to Baited, woman of the prophet, the prophet said: “Announce the marriage in the mosques and make beat the drums”.

The sale and any marketing activity are prohibited in the mosque. According to the word of the prophet: “If you see somebody who buys or sells in the mosque, say to him: “That Allah makes your trade losing”.

Contemporary political roles

The end of the 20th century was marked by an increase in the number of mosques taking and conveying political positions. Some are not very polemical. Thus, today, the civic participation (in particular the vote) is generally encouraged by the mosques of the western world.

Other political actions are disputed. The Islamic fundamentalism, and terrorist movements, or all at least violent one, being attached to it, are diffused thus in a restricted number of mosques through the sphere. Contrary, in other mosques are regularly made sermons in favor of the peaceful coexistence with the other Moslem tendencies and the not-Moslems, especially in period of tensions.

Influence political

During the Iranian Revolution, the mosque in Iran was used as a basis for the meetings and the organization of the demonstrations. “Committees for the reception of the Khomeiny Imam”, then the “Islamic Councils of district” after the revolution also sat in the mosques. The lifting of the Bassidji was indeed carried out by groups of neighbors or friends, or class action suits organized by the mosques.

In Turkey, officially laic State exists a foundation ( waqf ) religious official ( Türk Diyanet Vakfi ) which deals of the formation and the remuneration of the Imams and dictates their sermons. According to the Evening this organization manages 77000 mosques and 80.000 civils servant in Turkey but also abroad, for example in Belgium where it manages 62 places of worship.

In Indonesia, the political lack of freedom of the years Suharto contributed to the Islamic revival. In 1990, a Moslem intellectual declared that “the mosque remains a sanctuary for the expression of frustrations and dissatisfaction”.

In the countries where the Moslems are not majority, the mosques are used to support the civic participation. The American mosques accommodate the recording of voters thus. The mosques make it possible to the Moslems to remain with the current of the questions concerning the Muslim community. In Belgium, the elections of the executive body the provisional Council the wise ones (installed by a royal decree), which took place the December 13rd 1998, were held in 124 polling stations of which 104 had been installed in mosques and 20 in public places

Fundamentalism

At the end of the 20th century, a restricted number of mosques also became the platforms of Imam S extremists recommending the islamist political violence and ideas extremists. The mosque of Finsbury Park with London is an example of mosque which was employed to this end. The latter was related to several people condemned or suspectées within the framework of the fight anti terrorist, like Zacarias Moussaoui and Richard Reid. In Spain, there exists a certain number of clandestine mosques installed in garages or apartments, regarded by the Spanish authorities as spaces favourable with radical proselytism. Many islamist was stopped and the monitoring of the mosques is accentuated more and more, because the authorities fear at the same time the toughening of the young immigrants of the second generation, and the presence of islamist radical groups charged to recruit future combatants. This monitoring is particularly active since the attacks of March 11th to Madrid. Certain countries like the Qatar and the United Arab Emirates carry out the expulsion of the foreign Imams which hold of the speeches extremists.

Attacks against the mosques

On Tuesday, November 20, 1979, the large mosque of Mecque was taken by storm by a group of religious extremists during several weeks. In the morning, however, king Khaled had joined together large Oulémas of the kingdom to obtain them a fatwa authorizing the attack but the soldiers however only progressed very slowly. November 23rd, three French gendarmes of GIGN arrived with Mecque “converted with Islam” to be able to penetrate in Haram. In the night from December 4th to 5th, approximately 170 people went. In Iraq, within the framework of the confrontation between Shiite and sunnites, of the Shiite mosques and sunnites are regularly attacked by armed groups. A bombardment perpetrated by Al-Qaeda in February 2006 seriously damaged the Mosquée of Al-Askari to Samarra. This mosque being holy for the Shiites, the attack worsened the tensions which exist between the Moslems sunnites and Shiites. In the Islamic religion, it is formally interdict to attack any house of prayer or temple. Always in Iraq, of the mosques wiped the fire of the American army which affirms that combatants hide in these mosques.

See also: Document of Mecque

In Occident, these attacks are isolated facts and are rather connected to a political context. With the the United States for example, the number of attacks aiming at the mosques increased since the September 11th. With the Netherlands, the number of attacks also increased after the assassination of Theo van Gogh, which had made a hostile film to the Islam based on the personal experience of Ayaan Hirsi Ali. The mosques of the United Kingdom, knew similar attacks after the attacks of July 7th, 2005. Certain mosques were set fire to or sometimes vandalized, one often finds inscriptions néo-Nazis on the buildings. Other mosques are also sometimes aimed in the remainder of France as the Mosquée of Paris which underwent several acts of vandalism. Certain attacks involve interreligieux confrontations as at the time of the destruction of the Barbari mosque in India in December 1992 which involved violences between Moslems and Hindus in 1992 and 2002

Financing

In the Moslem countries, the mosques are managed by the ministry for the Islamic businesses. This one finances construction, the formation of the Imams (in co-operation with the ministry of culture) and their assignments with the mosques. Sometimes, certain countries call Imams coming from other countries if there are not enough local Imams for the various mosques. There exist mosques built by private individuals but it is the State which takes in hand their direction.

In Indonesia (first Moslem country of the world by its number of practitioners), through the ministry for the religions, the state deals with the construction of mosques, the pilgrimage in Mecque and teaching religious.

In France, with the law of 1905 known as of separation of the Church and the State, which lays out in its article 2: “The Republic does not recognize, does not pay nor does not subsidize any worship”, the mosques are financed by foreign funds and the gifts of faithful and the collections, especially during the month of Ramadan. In France, the Imams are often voluntary, but some, for example those which depend on the mosque of Paris, are remunerated by the Algerian State. With Nice, a request for mosque, deposited in 2006 and financed by Saudi Arabia, was refused. The French authorities want to limit the construction of the mosques to foreign financing.

In Belgium, the area of Brussels is in charge of the financing of work related to the mosques (construction and maintenance) of the area, the assumption of responsibility of the deficit of the mosques, and must take care of the housing of the Imam which has the row highest.

After the fall of Saddam Hussein, Iran financed the construction and the restoration of several mosques and Shiite sanctuaries in particular with Karbala and Najaf. Through the Hezbollah whose its leader Hassan Nasrallah studied in Qom, Iran finances the construction of Shiite mosques and schools.

Influence Saoudi

The Saoudi implication in the construction of the mosques goes back to the years 1960, at the time of the foundation of the Muslim World League by the royal family. It is only with the beginning of the year 1980, i.e. after the Islamic revolution in Iran that Saudi Arabia started to become influential in the financing and the construction of the mosques out of the country, in particular thanks to the Pétrodollar S.

The kingdom would have spent more than 45 billion dollars to finance the construction of mosques and Islamic centers. The Saoudi newspaper Ain Al-Yaqeen estimates that the Saoudis financed the construction of more than 1.500 mosques and more than 2.000 Islamic centers, mainly in the countries where the Moslems are a minority. The construction of the Islamic center of Rome was financed mainly by the king Fahd, which paid 50 million dollars, that is to say 70% of the total costs of construction.

Saoudi citizens also contribute in a significant way, particularly in the countries where Moslems poor or are oppressed. After the fall of the Soviet Union, mosques of Afghanistan received important assistances on behalf of Saoudi citizens. Following the war of Kosovo during which many religious buildings were destroyed or damaged, the Saoudis financed the restoration of mosques in opposition with their Othoman original style rich in frescos to the figurative topics.

After the Attacks of September 11th, certain countries paid more attention to the centers and the mosques financed by the Saoudis. Indeed Saudi Arabia adheres to the current Salafiste, which is a rigorous form of Islam sunnite. This new mistrust sometimes slowed down these financings.

Beyond the sums engaged in the construction industry, Saudi Arabia also trains preachers salafists throughout the world, including more than 30 in the United States.

Structure

Architectural variety

Arab plan

It is the conceived foreground. It is based on a more or less mythical model: the house of the prophet with Médine, which would be currently located under the large mosque of Médine. The Arab plan, or Hypostyle plan, is a plan with square or rectangular form which is composed of a court with gantry and a room of prayer to columns, the naves being directed in parallel or perpendicularly (for the the Maghreb and certain exceptions) with the qibla . One finds it Islamic in everyone, since the Syria (Grande mosque of Omeyyades of Damas, for example) to the Maghreb, with the Spain and the Iraq. The mosques of Arab plan were built in particular under the reign of the Abbassides and Omeyyades.

Iranian plan

As its name indicates it, this plan is found almost exclusively in the Grand Iran, i.e. in an area including/understanding Iran, part of the Afghanistan and Pakistan and part of Iraq. It was also the plan used in India before the dynasty moghole. It appears at the 10th century with the dynasty Seldjoukide and is characterized by the use of Iwan S, a pishtak and a room of prayer under cupola. Generally, the courses of the mosques comprise four of them laid out in cross. A pishtak is a gate forming a projection, often surmounted of two minarets and opened by a large arc. The Mosquée of the Shah to Ispahan is one of the more known good examples of Iranian plan.

Othoman plan

This plan is in Turkey (current) mainly, and was developed after the taken of Constantinople in 1453 by the architect Sinan, the largest builder of Turkish mosques to whom one allots more than 300 buildings, of which the Mosquée Süleymaniye in Istanbul. However, one finds first steps of them since the 13th century in the first Othoman art. It is composed of a room of prayer under an immense confined cupola of half cupolas and couplettes. One also finds in addition to the central cupola of the cupolas often smaller in all the remainder of the mosque, even where the prayer is not carried out. Often, the mosques of the Othoman type belong to great complexes. One can detect a Byzantine influence (Holy-Sophie in particular).

Moghol plan

This plan is exclusively in India as from the 16th century, and is influenced by the Iranian plan. It is characterized by an immense court with four iwans, of which one opens on a room of narrow and rectangular prayer, crowned by three or five bulbous cupolas. The large mosques of Delhi and Bidar use this type of plan.

Other Mosques

The mosques of sub-Saharan Africa are marked by the ground architecture. They are often built out of raw ground. The large mosques of Tombouctou and Djenné which testify to this art are equipped with buttresses and many pinnacles. The large mosque of Agadès (with the Niger), set up at the 16th century, has a traditional minaret sahélien built with ground and stays of wood.

In Eastern China, the minaret is separated from the remainder of the mosque and it is located at its entry. The mosques resemble pagodas rather, while in Western China, the mosques are marked by traditional Chinese architecture.

In Poland, the Muslim community of origin Tatar rises with 5000 hearts. A mosque out of wooden is visible with Kruszyniany not far from the Belorusse border in the voïvodie of Podlachie, another mosque out of wooden is also visible in the area with Bohoniki. A mosque also exists with Gdańsk, Warsaw and Białystok.

See also : 48 plans of mosques

Minarets

The Minaret (rear RTL مئذنة) is generally a high tower exceeding all the other buildings. Its goal was formerly to provide a point raised to the Muezzin (rear RTL مؤذن) for the call to prayer (rear RTL أذان Adhan ). Today loudspeakers are often placed in top of the minaret and the muezzin then makes the call of the interior of the mosque.

In the mosques which do not have minarets, the adhan is made interior of the mosque, with or without loudspeakers. In certain countries where the Moslems are minority, the call to the prayer is not authorized. The Iqama (rear RTL إقامة), which is similar to the adhan , is known as right before the beginning of the prayer and minaret is usually not announced.

That they are with cylindrical barrel, squares, in spiral or octagonal, small and massive or tops and hurled, the minarets are a constant of almost all the mosques. The first mosques which were built did not have however a minaret, and currents as the Salafisme still find that the construction of those is useless.

The first minarets were built the shortly after the Hégire, and oldest in date high in 665 with Al Basra by the first caliph Omeyyades Muawiya I {{er}} seems to be that. This last encouraged the construction of the minarets, because they made it possible the mosques to have the same imposing aspect as the Christian churches with their bell-towers. Before the appearance of the minarets, the call to the prayer was launched since the roof of the mosque by the muezzin.

The most minaret of the world is that of the Mosquée Hassan II with Casablanca, with a height of approximately 210 meters. With Teheran, in Iran, two minarets a 230 meters height are in the course of construction.

The minaret is generally solitary, but there exist exceptions. Thus, the Timourides introduced a monumental gate, accompanied by twin minarets, one on each side, as with Samarkand, in current the Ouzbékistan.

Domes (Kouba)

The dome comes from the spherical Voûte S Perse S. It is used in Islamic architecture since the 7th century. The domes are often placed directly above the principal room of prayer.
In the course of time, the size of the domes increases. After having occupied a small space close to the minaret, they occupy today almost the totality of the surface of the roof of the room of prayers.

Starting from the end of the 11th century, with the reign of the Seldjoukide S, of small cupolas appear above the mihrab and the iwan , in addition to the large principal dome which is in the center. Today, the minbar is integrated into the wall of the qibla during construction. The floor of the mosque at the place where the congregation meets for the worship, is covered with carpet. There is neither seat nor bench. According to a study carried out with Marseilles, Montpellier, the Alsace-Moselle and Ile-de-France, the Moslem places of worship in France are overall discrete spaces of modest size which one pains with the first access to imagine the pertaining to worship destination. This discretion can be explained by the important financial costs for the purchase of large buildings or the land one. There is also the dissuasive part played by certain municipalities which have for first reflex that of the resistance of principle. In the Moslem countries, one can find rooms of prayer in the work places, the great shopping malls and even in the schools. Certain airports like that of Doha, Abu Dhabi or of Riyadh are also equipped with rooms of prayer.

Zaouïa

Zaouïa (rear RTL زاوية) is a spiritual center soufi. The word zaouïa has as a direction first angle, this definition thus induced l'" isolement" favourable with meditation. Indeed, this term initially will indicate a site or a room reserved inside a vaster structure where the mystics could withdraw themselves as implies it the direction of the root of the Arab word. Thereafter, the word will indicate a religious complex comprising a mosque, rooms reserved being studied and the meditation and an inn to receive the poor ones there. Zaouïa is a religious establishment set up around a relic, a wali , and is dedicated primarily to the teaching of Coran and the spiritual practices. One often buries there the saints founders of the Brotherhoods soufies which occupy it.

One finds the zaouïas only in certain mosques of the the Maghreb. According to certain local popular thoughts, the zaouïas have a panoply of supernatural capacities; one them known as able to intercede near God. Some have a radiation educational, intellectual and cultural important, because they contain manuscripts and works of Mathématiques, of Astrologie, Astronomie and Pharmacopée.

Iwan

The Iwan S were born in the Iranian world good before the arrival from Islam, undoubtedly under the dynasty Sassanide. It is about a hall arched with a rectangular frontage opened by a large arc. The iwan combined with the square plan of the palates Achéménide S.A. given the model of the plan of mosque says “Iranian” (four iwans laid out in cross and opening on a court called Sahn صحن . In the center of the court, one finds sometimes fountains with ablutions.

In fact the Abbasside S introduce the iwan into Islamic architecture. One finds thereafter the iwans in the plan Moghol influenced by the Iranian plan.

World heritage of UNESCO

The Islamic monuments being reproduced on the list of the World heritage of UNESCO are:

Minaret and archaeological vestiges of Djam: Criteria (II), (III) and (iv)
the mosque of Soltaniyeh: Criteria (iv)
historical City-mosque of Bagerhat: Criteria (iv)
Large mosque and hospital of Divriği: Criteria (I) and (iv)
Qûtb Minâr: Criteria (iv)
Islamic Cairo: Criteria (I) (v) (VI)

Rules and label

Because the mosques are places of worship, the people who are there are held to respect those requesting there. It is thus prohibited to speak in the mosque with high voice, or to discuss subjects considered as disrespectful. To applaud however is tolerated but only for the women when the Imam makes an error. The reason is that according to a word of the prophet: “(…) that which wants to announce a thing during the prayer formulates the tasbih (to say: soubhan-Allah “glory with Allah”). (…) to type the hands, is manner of announcing it for the women” It is also interdict with that which ate garlic, Oignon or Poireau of going to the mosque because of the unpleasant odors which can obstruct the people requesting. It is interdict with the statesman of large impurity to remain in the mosque whereas it knows his state until it purifies. It is the same for the women at the time of the menses and the lochies. In one of its works, Sahih Boukhari quotes a hadith where Mâlik ibn Anas known as: “The prophet, Salted Allahou Alaihi wa Sallam , requested in the house of Oum Souleym. He has me smiles when I placed myself behind him, I requested behind him and Oum Souleym behind us”. He is mentioned in many hadiths authentic and transmitted in a recurring way that the women requested with the prophet behind the rows of the men.

Cleanliness and clothes

The faithful ones must remove their shoes at the entry of the mosque in order to respect the purity of the place of prayer. Indeed, the Coran specifies that the prayer is valid only if the body, clothing and the place are free from impurities. Another reason is also so that the Moslem can make his ritual Ablutions, which includes/understands the feet. The clothes of festival and the perfume are recommended for the prayer of Friday in order to follow this recommendation: “O children of Adam, in each place of salat carry your ornament (your clothes)”. The Orant must purify its body by Ablution S and its clothes must be clean. It cannot, for example, to request with clothes soiled by Urine. The woman must be equipped with a wide and nontransparent dress which will not show its atours. She should not carry perfumes nor another thing which could draw the attention to her and distract the men from the prayer. The means-Eastern clothes ( thawb or jouba ) are often associated with Islam but their port is not obligatory, except if the Western dress is too tight. However, certain Moslems prefer to carry them when they go to the mosque, following the example Sunday clothes in the Christian tradition.

The entry of a not-Moslem

Coran prohibits the entry of the polytheists in Masjid Al-Haram: “O you who believe! The associateurs are only impurity: that they do not approach any more a Mosque Crowned, after this year. And if you fear a shortage, God will enrich you, if He wants, from His grace. Because God is Omniscient and Wise”. There exist however several ways of interpreting this verse. For example, the Imam and theologist Abû Hanîfah, founder of the Madhhab of Moslem Right hanafite, thinks that the polytheists can enter Haram (holy place) in Mecque as long as they do not remain there or do not remain there because he interprets the impurity in the direction of a spiritual impurity (related to the polytheism). But there is a divergence of opinions between the specialists ( Foukahas ) with regard to the entry in a not-Moslem in a mosque. Most dominating is the permission to enter all the mosques - except the mosque Al-Haram with Mecque - as long as he does not sleep and does not eat in the mosque. Indeed the prophet accommodated the delegation thaqifite in his mosque to initiate it with Islam and also accepted in the same place the Christian delegation of Najran when it went near him to be initiated with Islam.

“So of the not-Moslems requires to enter a mosque to see how the Moslems request and carries nothing which can dirty the mosque and are not women indecently vêtues and, in the absence of any other obstacle at their entry, it does not have no disadvantage there to insert them in the mosque. One installs them behind the priors so that they see how they request and one informs the Moslems who would not be with the current so that they do not seek to drive out the foreigners. Allah knows best. ”

However, at the time of his reign, the caliph Omeyyade Umar II prohibited the entry of the not-Moslems in the mosques and this rule is still applied today in Saudi Arabia

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