Maintaining and preserving the houses of God

Abstract

God Almighty created mankind for the purpose of worshipping Him, the Exalted, and He prescribed times and places for this worship. These are the most beloved places to Him, and these places are the mosques. Therefore, they must be glorified and honored in word and deed. This research includes a definition of the mosque, its merits, and the merits of the three mosques—the Sacred Mosque in Mecca, the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, and Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem—as well as the obligation to cultivate the physical aspects of mosques through construction, renovation, maintenance, and cleaning, and to cultivate the spiritual aspects through the call to prayer, prayer, remembrance of God, recitation of the Qur'an, and seclusion. Given the importance of the mosque, there are etiquettes for entering and sitting in it, including: good appearance, purity, clean clothing, supplication upon entering, and placing the right foot before the left and vice versa upon exiting, because entering the mosque is one of the most honorable deeds. The same applies to praying the two rak'ahs of greeting the mosque. Likewise, mosques should be kept clean while one is in them, free from worldly talk, buying and selling, raising one’s voice even if it is for knowledge, calling for lost property, and other announcements. The mosque should be protected from the implementation of prescribed punishments, the drawing of swords, spitting, urine, bloodletting, cupping, decorations, and pictures. Likewise, tampering with the mosque’s supplies and maintaining its cleanliness from all filth and bad odors are prohibited.