Importance of Maintaining the Masjid

The masjid is the house of Allah. The singular form of the noun is “masjid” and the plural form is “masaajid.” The root form of the word comes from the verb “sajada” to prostrate, and so “masjid” is the place of prostration. Prostration from the Islamic perspective means that the forehead, nose, two hands, two knees, and both feet must all touch the ground in this position.

The masjid is not an individual’s personal property. Based on this, it is not the right of a Muslim to bar or dissuade anyone from coming to the masjid except one who comes to sow discord or spread corruption or harm to the place or the people. The role of the masjid is not strictly limited to being a place of prayer even though that is its major function. Allah has ordered that these houses of worship be kept clean and maintained.

In Dominica, we have struggled with small inadequate private properties which the community had to rent in order to accommodate the Muslims in their daily prayers and the Friday sermon. In the past, the masjid has served to house brothers who were in need of a place to stay and still serves that purpose today according to the situation of the individual.

Just recently, the government had requested permission from the community to use the property as an emergency shelter, a decision that had to be weighed based on the harms that could ensue if such a scenario had played out in reality. The reason why that issue required consultation was that for the most part, Muslims understand the special position that the masjid holds to the believers and the harm to the sanctity of the place in terms of actions either physical or spiritual.

We know the masjid to be the “House of Allah”. Indeed Allah refers to the masjid as His House in several verses of the Quran, such as: