The
first masjid in the world was the Kaaba
in Mecca. The first masjid in Medina,
a city north of Mecca, was the house of
the Prophet Muhammad, to which the followers
of Muhammad had withdrawn in 622. The
reconstructions of Muhammad's house show
a large courtyard containing a relatively
small house. After many worshippers complained
about the heat of the midday sun, Muhammad
had a row of palm trunks erected on one
side of the courtyard and a roof of palm
fronds laid between the columns and the
outer wall, creating a shaded prayer space.
He himself stood at one end of this simple
arcade to preach. Muslims are commanded
to offer Salah (Prayer) five times a day:
morning (Fajr), midday (Dhuhr), afternoon
(Asr), sunset (Maghrib), and evening (Isha)—see
the Five Pillars of Islam for details.
A muezzin calls the worshippers to prayer
from the minaret (Arabic manara). Many
mosques do not admit non-Muslims into
the buildings.
The
first masjid in the world was the Kaaba
in Mecca. The first masjid in Medina,
a city north of Mecca, was the house of
the Prophet Muhammad, to which the followers
of Muhammad had withdrawn in 622. The
reconstructions of Muhammad's house show
a large courtyard containing a relatively
small house. After many worshippers complained
about the heat of the midday sun, Muhammad
had a row of palm trunks erected on one
side of the courtyard and a roof of palm
fronds laid between the columns and the
outer wall, creating a shaded prayer space.
He himself stood at one end of this simple
arcade to preach. Muslims are commanded
to offer Salah (Prayer) five times a day:
morning (Fajr), midday (Dhuhr), afternoon
(Asr), sunset (Maghrib), and evening (Isha)—see
the Five Pillars of Islam for details.
A muezzin calls the worshippers to prayer
from the minaret (Arabic manara). Many
mosques do not admit non-Muslims into
the buildings.
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