Every time a believer steps over the threshold of a mosque saying "Bismillah", they cross from one world into another; the dunya remains on the threshold while the heart stands in the presence of Allah. Mosques are not ordinary buildings — they are "the places most beloved to Allah on earth." This sermon explores the standing of mosques before Allah, the earliest sanctuaries, the three honoured masjids, and the traditions concerning the reward of the one who builds or maintains a House of Allah.
Masjid: The Place Where Allah Is Prostrated To
The word masjid literally means "a place of prostration." The largest masjids are called jami' — that which gathers — because they gather the community for Friday, Eid, and the five daily prayers. Mosques are considered the House of Allah, the most public emblem of Islam in a given place. A mosque on a horizon is the first sign that the people of that locality belong to the faith. This is why the Prophet, on emigrating to Medina, first built Masjid Quba in the village outside the city and then Masjid al-Nabawi inside it.
Allah declares in Surah Al-Jinn:
وَأَنَّ ٱلۡمَسَٰجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلَا تَدۡعُواْ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ أَحَدࣰا
— Surah Al-Jinn 72:18The mosques are for Allah; so do not invoke anyone alongside Allah.
Because the mosques are Allah's, the worship of any other being is unthinkable in them. They belong to no tribe, no party, no nation. They belong to Him alone.
The First Sanctuary Built on Earth
The Qur'an states that the first sanctuary built for the worship of Allah on earth was the Kaaba in Mecca: "Indeed, the first House appointed for mankind was the one at Mecca — a place blessed, and a guidance for the worlds" (Al-Imran 3:96). The Kaaba was raised again by Prophet Ibrahim and his son Isma'il. As they were raising the foundations, the Qur'an records their prayer:
وَإِذۡ يَرۡفَعُ إِبۡرَٰهِۧمُ ٱلۡقَوَاعِدَ مِنَ ٱلۡبَيۡتِ وَإِسۡمَٰعِيلُ رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلۡ مِنَّآۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلۡعَلِيمُ
— Surah Al-Baqarah 2:127And when Ibrahim was raising the foundations of the House, with Isma'il: "Our Lord, accept this from us. You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing."
Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) reports: "I asked the Prophet, 'O Messenger of Allah, which was the first mosque built on earth?' He said, 'Al-Masjid al-Haram.' I asked, 'Which was built after it?' He said, 'Al-Masjid al-Aqsa.' I asked, 'How long was there between them?' He said, 'Forty years.' Then he added: 'O Abu Dharr, wherever the time of prayer comes upon you, pray there; the virtue of the prayer is to perform it on time.'" Al-Masjid al-Haram is the sanctuary that surrounds the Kaaba; it is also known as the Haram al-Sharif. Al-Masjid al-Aqsa is Bayt al-Maqdis in Jerusalem, raised by Prophet Sulayman (peace be upon him).
The First Mosques of Islam
Masjid Quba — The Mosque Founded on Godliness
On the journey of Hijrah, before entering Medina itself, the Prophet stopped in the village of Quba and built a masjid there. Masjid Quba was the first mosque in whose construction the Prophet himself carried stones with his own hands. The Qur'an speaks of it: "A mosque founded on godliness from the very first day is more deserving for you to stand in. In it are men who love to purify themselves; and Allah loves those who purify themselves" (At-Tawbah 9:108). Throughout his life the Prophet would visit Masjid Quba every Saturday to pray there.
— Sunan al-Tirmidhi, al-Salah, no. 324A prayer in Masjid Quba is like an umrah.
The Prophet's Mosque
On reaching Medina the Prophet built Masjid al-Nabawi, in which his blessed grave now lies. As the Muslim community grew, mosques multiplied across the lands where they settled; the mosque became the first architectural identity of every new Muslim city.
The Three Honoured Mosques: Mosques to Which One May Travel
The Prophet said:
— Sahih al-Bukhari, Fadl al-Salah, no. 1189No journey should be undertaken to any mosque seeking worship, except to three: Al-Masjid al-Haram, the Mosque of the Messenger, and Al-Masjid al-Aqsa.
These three are honoured because they were built by prophets. Al-Masjid al-Haram is also the qiblah of every Muslim today; Al-Masjid al-Aqsa was the qiblah of past communities and the first qiblah of the early Muslims, until it was changed to the Kaaba.
Of these three, Al-Masjid al-Haram is the most virtuous, followed by Masjid al-Nabawi. The Prophet said:
— Sunan Ibn Majah, Iqamat al-Salah, no. 1406A prayer in my mosque is better than a thousand prayers in any other mosque, except for Al-Masjid al-Haram. And a prayer in Al-Masjid al-Haram is better than a hundred thousand prayers in any other mosque.
In rank Masjid Quba follows after these three. Beyond that, a person's prayer in the mosque of their own neighbourhood is more rewarding than travelling to another.
Who Builds and Maintains the Mosques?
Allah declares which kind of person is the true builder of mosques:
إِنَّمَا يَعۡمُرُ مَسَٰجِدَ ٱللَّهِ مَنۡ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡيَوۡمِ ٱلۡأٓخِرِ وَأَقَامَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَى ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَلَمۡ يَخۡشَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهَۖ فَعَسَىٰٓ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ أَن يَكُونُواْ مِنَ ٱلۡمُهۡتَدِينَ
— Surah At-Tawbah 9:18Only those maintain the mosques of Allah who believe in Allah and the Last Day, who establish the prayer and give zakat, and who fear none but Allah. It may be that such are among the rightly guided.
The preceding verse points to the link between faith and the upkeep of mosques: "It is not for the polytheists to maintain the mosques of Allah while bearing witness against themselves of unbelief. Their deeds are worthless..." (At-Tawbah 9:17). The true builder of a mosque is one whose heart is anchored in faith, who stands in prayer, who gives the zakat from his wealth, and who fears Allah alone. This is not a financial investment — it is an investment for Paradise.
The Prophet said:
— Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Salah, no. 450Whoever builds a mosque for the sake of Allah, Allah will build for him the like of it in Paradise.
In another hadith: "Among the things that reach a believer from his deeds and good works after his death are: knowledge that he has spread, a righteous child he has left behind, a copy of the Mushaf left as inheritance, a mosque he has built, a guest-house built for travellers, water he has caused to flow, and a charity from his wealth while he was healthy."
The Adab of the Mosque
A mosque is not an ordinary building; it is a sacred place where only Allah is worshipped. The believer entering it observes the following adab:
- Cleanliness and beautiful attire. Allah says: "O Children of Adam, take your adornment at every mosque" (Al-A'raf 7:31).
- The supplications of entering and leaving. The Prophet said: "When one of you enters the mosque, let him say: 'O my Lord, open for me the doors of Your mercy.' And when he leaves, let him say: 'O my Lord, I ask You of Your bounty.'"
- Tahiyyat al-masjid. The Prophet said: "When one of you enters the mosque, let him not sit until he has prayed two units."
- Refraining from raw onions, garlic, and other strong odours. The Prophet said: "Whoever has eaten garlic or onion, let him keep away from us — or from our mosque — and let him sit at home." These foods are not forbidden, but disturbing the congregation with their smell is not permitted.
- No trading, no announcements of lost property, no noise. The Prophet said: "If you see anyone trading in the mosque, say to him: 'May Allah grant you no profit in your trade.'"
The Virtue of Congregational Prayer
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates:
— Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Adhan, no. 647The prayer of one of you in a congregation is twenty-five times more rewarding than his prayer at home or in his place of trade. For when one of you performs ablution properly and goes out to the mosque with no purpose other than the prayer, Allah raises him by one degree and removes from him one sin with every step he takes until he enters the mosque. When he is in the mosque, he is considered as if he were in prayer, as long as he remains in it. And as long as he does not leave his place of prayer, harm no one, and does not break his wudu, the angels with him say: "O Allah, forgive him; O Allah, have mercy upon him."
In another tradition the Prophet named, among seven kinds of people whom Allah will shelter under His shade on the Day of Judgment, "a man whose heart is attached to the mosques" — one who loves the mosque and is constant in the congregation.
Stories
The Building of Masjid al-Nabawi — The Prophet Carries Stones
On arriving in Medina, the Prophet himself joined the work of building the mosque. Palm trunks served as pillars; palm fronds formed the roof; the floor was earth, the mihrab a single stone. The Prophet carried mortar with the Companions and recited: "O Allah, there is no good but the good of the hereafter. Have mercy upon the Ansar and the Muhajirun." The mosque began as a mud-brick structure but it became the heart of the first Muslim city the world had ever seen.
The Abyssinian Woman Who Swept the Mosque
There was an Abyssinian woman who continually swept and cleaned Masjid al-Nabawi. One day she was no longer to be seen. When the Prophet asked about her, the Companions said: "She has died." He was much grieved and said: "Did you not tell me when she died? Show me her grave." He went to her grave and prayed for her.
This incident shows what an honour it is in the sight of Allah — and in the sight of the Prophet — to serve the mosque. Even a broom becomes the keepsake of an irreplaceable memory when its hand is used in the service of the House of Allah.
The Mosques of the Workers in Europe
In our own recent history, one of the most beautiful illustrations of mosque-building was given by Turkish Muslim workers who emigrated to European countries. People earning minimum wages set aside money from their personal expenses and built mosques in cities far from home — often investing more in the masjid than in their own homes. The question "How can such people make such a sacrifice?" is answered by the promise of the hadith: "Allah will build for him the like of it in Paradise."
Putting the Adab of the Mosque Into Practice With VAAZ
In the VAAZ app, the 99 Beautiful Names of Allah collection introduces Al-Quddus, As-Salam, and Al-Mu'min — names that frame why the mosque is the House of Allah. The dua archive gathers the supplications for entering and leaving the mosque, the supplication after the adhan, and the post-prayer tasbih.
The mosque is the most concrete place in which a believer is grafted onto the vein of the community. For a wider treatment of the congregation see Friday Sermon; for a practical guide to the prayer itself see Sermon on Salah. Whoever builds a mosque, whoever sits within it, whoever crosses its threshold — is counted among the maintainers of the House of Allah. Blessed are those who pray regularly and remain attached to their congregation.
References
- The Noble Qur'an, Surah Al-Jinn 72:18.
- The Noble Qur'an, Surah Al-Imran 3:96.
- The Noble Qur'an, Surah Al-Baqarah 2:127.
- The Noble Qur'an, Surah At-Tawbah 9:17-18 and 9:108.
- The Noble Qur'an, Surah Al-A'raf 7:31.
- The Noble Qur'an, Surah An-Nur 24:36-37.
- Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab Fadl al-Salah, hadith no. 1189 (the three honoured mosques).
- Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Salah, hadith no. 450 (the builder of a mosque).
- Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Salah, hadith no. 458 (the Abyssinian woman who swept).
- Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Adhan, hadith no. 647 (the twenty-five-fold reward).
- Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Salah, hadith no. 324 (prayer at Masjid Quba).
- Sunan Ibn Majah, Kitab Iqamat al-Salah, hadith no. 1406 (prayer at Al-Masjid al-Haram).