The Mosque: A Beacon of Peace and Unity

"Ya ayyuhalladheena amanut-taqullaha haqqa tuqatihi wa la tamutunna illa wa antum muslimun." (Aal 'Imran, 3:102)

"Ya ayyuhannas uttaqu rabbakumul ladhi khalaqakum min nafsin wahidatin wa khalaqa minha zawjaha wa baththa minhuma rijalan katheeran wa nisa'a. Wattaqullahalldhee tasa'aluna bihi wal-arham. Innallaha kana 'alaykum raqeeba." (An-Nisa, 4:1)

Dear brothers and sisters in Islam,

Brothers and sisters, when the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, arrived in Madinah after the Hijrah, what was the very first thing he did? Before establishing a government, before organising an army, before drafting a constitution — he built a masjid.

Masjid Quba was the first mosque built in Islam. And then Masjid an-Nabawi — the Prophet's Mosque — became the centre of the new Muslim community in Madinah.

Why? Because the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, understood that the masjid is not just a building — it is the heart of the community. It is where people meet Allah, where they meet each other, and where the community is built.

In the Prophet's time, the masjid was:

A place of worship — the five daily prayers, Jumu'ah, and night prayers were established there.

A place of learning — the Prophet taught his Companions the Quran, the Sunnah, and the principles of their faith in the masjid.

A place of social welfare — Ahl as-Suffah, the poor Companions who had no homes, lived in the masjid. The community took care of them there.

A place of consultation — major decisions were discussed and made in the masjid. It was a shura (consultation) centre.

A place of conflict resolution — disputes between people were settled there.

A place of welcome — even non-Muslim delegations were hosted in the masjid.

The masjid was the parliament, the school, the welfare centre, and the community hub — all in one.

Allah says:

"Innama ya'muru masajidallahi man amana billahi wal-yawmil-akhiri wa aqamas-salata wa ataz-zakah." (At-Tawbah, 9:18)

And the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said:

"Man bana masjidan lillahi banallahu lahu mithlahu fil-jannah." (Sahih al-Bukhari, 450; Sahih Muslim, 533)

Brothers and sisters, we must honestly ask ourselves: are our mosques today living up to the Prophetic model?

Many of our mosques have become places you visit only for five minutes of prayer and then leave. The doors are locked outside prayer times. There is no learning, no youth engagement, no community service, no welcoming of non-Muslims.

Some mosques have become battlegrounds for committee politics, where power struggles and ethnic divisions overshadow the purpose of the house of Allah.

We must reclaim the masjid as the Prophet intended it — a beacon of peace, learning, unity, and service to the wider community.

Brothers and sisters,

First: Make a commitment to pray at least one additional prayer in the masjid this week beyond Jumu'ah. The Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said:

"A man's prayer in congregation is twenty-five degrees superior to his prayer at home or in his marketplace." (Sahih al-Bukhari, 647; Sahih Muslim, 650)

Attend the masjid more regularly — it strengthens your iman and strengthens the community.

Second: Think about what your masjid needs and how you can contribute. Does it need volunteers? Does it need a youth programme? Does it need better engagement with the local non-Muslim community? Don't wait for the committee to do everything — offer your skills, your time, your ideas.

The Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, built the masjid with his own hands — carrying bricks alongside his Companions. If the best of creation was willing to serve the masjid physically, we have no excuse to stand idle.

"Wa annal-masajida lillahi fala tad'u ma'Allahi ahada." (Al-Jinn, 72:18)

The masjid belongs to Allah — not to any committee, not to any family, not to any ethnic group. Let us return it to its rightful purpose.