Assalaamu alaikum [peace be to you],

In order to allow Non-Muslims to learn more about Islam and get familiar with Islamic culture, I'd like to start a new series of articles with 'Mosques' as its theme. here, I will explore several aspects of Islamic culture, customs regarding mosques, and we will see, in sha'Allah [God willing] different mosques from different eras from around the world.
I hope my humble contribution here this will benefit you all:


WHAT IS A MOSQUE?
The word ‘Mosque’ is an English translation of the Arabic term مسجد ‘Masjid,’ which translated literally means ‘a place of prostration. "Lisān al ‘Arab" لسان العرب , one of the most authentic sources of Arabic language, contains various meanings of the term.
According to one lexicographer ‘Masjid’ is the name of a place and a noun. Mmasjid’ could also be defined as a place where God is worshipped.
Since worship of God has always been the cornerstone of every religion, places of worship occupy an important position in the daily life of a religious community.

There is evidence that any place of worship could be called a Masjid since Bukhārī referred to a Church in Abyssinia as a Masjid and ibn Khaldūn has used the term for any place of worship. John Pederson thinks that this term has been taken from the People of the Book (Christians and Jews) and says: “There is, therefore, no question of this word, especially being a Muslim term. This is in entire agreement with Mohammed’s original attitude to earlier religions, just as Abraham was a Muslim, so David had a Masjid.”

Orientalist try to prove that Islām has taken its structure from Judea-Christian tradition, indeed, many of them have spent much of their lives tracing the origin of certain Islāmic practices to earlier religions. For Muslims, however, it is a simple issue; Islām is not a new religion, its principles were revealed from the same Divine source which guided earlier Hebrew Prophets, including Jesus -peace be upon him-. Therefore, it is perfectly acceptable to Muslims if the term ‘Masjid’ was used previously by the People of the Book for their places of worship. It does seem clear, however, that different religious groups developed special terminologies for different systems of worship and prayer with the passage of time...

... To be continued, in sha'Allah.

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I hope this is beneficial.


IN THE PHOTO:
Kol Sharif Mosque was originally built in the Kazan Kremlin in the 16th century. It was named after Kol Sharif, who served there. Kol Sharif died with his numerous students while defending Kazan from Russian forces in 1552. It is believed that the building featured minarets, both in the form of cupolas and tents. Its design was traditional for Volga Bulgaria, although elements of early Renaissance and Ottoman architecture could have been used as well. In 1552, during the storming of Kazan it was destroyed by Ivan The Terrible.
Since 1996 the mosque has been rebuilt in Kazan Kremlin, although its look is decisively modern. Its inauguration on July 24, 2005 marked the beginning of celebrations dedicated to the Millennium of Kazan. It can accommodate 6,000 worshipers.



More from this series:


If I am right, it is from the God. if I am wrong, it is from myself.