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The Mosque

As well as being a place of worship, the mosque is also a centre of community, especially during Ramadan and Eid.

Which Mosque Should I Pray In?

Basically, any mosque you want! There are no restrictions on which mosque a muslim can pray in, regardless of his/her nationality, race, colour, or school of thought. However, you will find that each mosque within a city is generally used by a certain community; for example, one mosque may be primarily Pakistani, another mosque Bangladeshi and another one Arab. This isn't a result of deliberate segregation, it's just a matter of where the mosque is located and the ethnic make-up of that area.

I would recommend that you pray in as many different mosques as possible, as you will learn different customs regarding prayer as well as meeting lots of different people. In fact, many of the Muslims you meet in these mosques will be very eager to talk to you about where you come from, how long you've followed Islam etc, as they are generally very happy to see more people embracing Islam.

When it comes to Friday prayers, it is advisable to be more choosy as to which mosque you attend, as the Khutba (sermon) can be given in any language. As the purpose of the Khutba is to remind muslims of their duties, they can be a great source of education for a new muslim, but only if it can be understood! Unfortunately, I have found that quite a few mosques only give the khutba in whatever language is spoken by the community it serves, whereas it would be of more benefit if it were given in a local language such as English or French. Obviously, the best mosques for Friday prayers will be the ones where the khutba is given in English (or whatever your local language is). Usually, the only way to find this out is to actually visit them and attend a Friday prayer there, or ask someone who might know. As a general rule, mosques located near universities are more likely to give the khutba in the local language as it will probably be serving muslim students from a vast range of different countries.

What To Do When You Get There

  1. Remove your shoes as soon as you arrive, as it is disliked to wear shoes inside the main prayer hall. This is simply for hygiene reasons; whenever you pray, your head, hands and feet will be touching the floor, and you will also be sitting on the floor whilst waiting for the prayer to begin or listening to a sermon. Therefore, it is obviously preferable to have a clean surface to sit and pray on.
  2. If you have one, switch your mobile phone OFF. There is nothing more annoying than having your prayer or the khutba disturbed by a ringing phone.
  3. The mosque will have Wudu and toilet facilities for anyone who wishes or needs to use them, although it is preferable to take Wudu at home. If you need to use the toilets at the mosques, be sure to wear the shoes provided (not your own!). Again, this is for hygiene. Don't forget - if you use the toilet, you will need to take wudu again.
  4. It is a sunnah (custom of the prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him) to pray two Rak'at upon entering the mosque. You should do this, but only if it means that you won't be missing the congregational prayer.
  5. When the adhan is being called, it is a sunnah to quietly repeat each part after it is called. After the adhan is completed, there is usually a short period of time during which you can pray a sunnah prayer before the main prayer begins (refer to my When to Pray page for the number of rak'at in each sunnah prayer).
  6. When the main prayer is about to start, the mu'adh-dhin (caller to prayer) will call the Iqama (a shortened version of the Adhan). When this is complete, everyone performing the prayer will line up. Ensure that the line you're in is as straight as possible and that there are no gaps. If a gap appears in the line ahead of you, don't just rush in to fill it; it would be more polite to wait and be invited, or better still, invite someone to take the place ahead of you.
  7. During the prayer ensure that you don't:
    • Talk.
    • Shift around in a way that would distract others from praying.
    • Make any of the prayer movements before the Imam.
    • Break wind (as well being rather unpleasant for those around you, this would break your wudu and thus invalidate your prayer).
    • Look upwards or close your eyes (both of these actions were disliked by Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, so its best to avoid them).
  8. After the prayer has been completed, there are a number of things that may be done, depending on the mosque. At most mosques, people will just make du'a (supplication) or dhikr (remembrance of Allah by saying Subhanallah, Alhamdlillah and Allahu Akbar 33 times each) quietly to themselves. At other mosques, the congregation may perform these together. In any case, these actions are purely optional, although it is highly recommended to do this. As well as this, you can pray a two rak'at sunnah prayer.

Notes about Praying in Mosques

Return to Top - © Amir Brooks - 2006 / 1427

  1. Wudu - The ritual washing with water which must be performed before prayer (return to 'wudu' reference)
  2. Raka (single) / Raka'at (plural) - Units of prayers consisting of a series of standing, bowing, sitting and prostrating positions (return to 'raka' reference)
  3. Adhan or Azan - The call to prayer, made using the human voice rather than a horn or bell, etc (return to 'adhan' reference)
  4. Assalamu Alaikum - 'Peace Be Upon You'. This is the greeting one should give to your fellow Muslims. The reply to this is 'Walaikum Salaam' (And upon you be peace) (return to 'Assalamu alaikum' reference)