ICICE AL-NOOR MASJID KHUTBAH FOR FRIDAY 23/10/2020

WHO MAINTAINS THE MOSQUES OF ALLAH?

All praise is due to Allah. I testify that there is no deity worthy of worship but Him and Prophet Muhammad is His final messenger.

Brothers and sisters fear Allah.

Allah says: “The mosques of Allah are only to be maintained by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day and establish prayer and give zakah and do not fear except Allah, for it is expected that those will be of the [rightly] guided.” (9:18)

“And who are more unjust than those who prevent the name of Allah from being mentioned in His mosques and strive toward their destruction. It is not for them to enter them except in fear. For them in this world is a disgrace, and they will have in the Hereafter a great punishment.” (2:114)

“In houses (mosques), which Allah has ordered to be raised (to be cleaned, and to be honoured), in them His Name is glorified in the mornings and in the afternoons or the evenings. Men whom neither trade nor sale diverts them from the Remembrance of Allah (with heart and tongue), nor from performing As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat), nor from giving the Zakat. They fear a Day when hearts and eyes will be overturned (from the horror of the torment of the Day of Resurrection). (24:36 and 37)

“And the mosques are for Allah (Alone), so invoke not anyone along with Allah.” (72:18)

Prophet Muhammad said: “The most beloved of places in the sight of Allah are the masjids, and most disliked places in the sight of Allah are the markets.” Narrated by Muslim

It was narrated that ‘Umar bin Khattab said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah say: ‘Whoever builds a mosque in which the Name of Allah is mentioned, Allah will build a house for him in Paradise.’”

Ibn Umm Maktum asked the Prophet (ﷺ) saying: Messenger of Allah, “’I am a blind man, my house is far away (from the mosque), and I have a guide who does not follow me. Is it possible that permission be granted to me for performing prayer in my house?’ He asked: ‘Do you hear summons (adhan)?’ He said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘I do not find any permission for you.’”

The position of the mosque in Islam is clearly evident in the fact that the Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, did not settle down when he arrived at the Bani Amr bin Auf neighborhood in Quba, until he began building the Quba Mosque, which was the first mosque built in Medina, and the first mosque built for the general population.

Likewise, when he continued his journey to the heart of Medina, the first thing he did was to allocate land to build his mosque, may God bless him and grant him peace.

A French writer said in his book: “And among accessories of mosques in general: baths, hotels, liveries, hospitals, and schools, and this is how the mixing of religious life with civil life becomes evident for Muslims”

How to maintain mosques:

Reviving mosques with learning circles and faith councils. Dissemination of knowledge, information and awakening.
Mosque architecture is to be returned to the simplicity of construction, with the beauty of the body, without this wasteful decoration. Quality must not be compromised.
Cleaning and maintenance
Training young ones to attend
Observing the etiquette of the mosque and the Sunnahs of praying in it such straightening and rows, closing gaps et c.
Employing and choosing qualified staff of the Masjid such as learned and pious Imams, knowledgeable and nice voiced callers for prayer, able manager et c.
Protecting Masjids from anything that has nothing to do with it and all harms such conducting businesses, jests, bad smell and odor such as one attend after consuming garlic, onion et c.
Not limiting message of Masjid internally but make good use of internet especially social media.
Establishing Waqf to keep funding operations, activities and logistics which has been the tradition for over a millennium.
Masjids are places where the spirit of consolation, justice, brotherhood and harmony is achieved and they are training ground for orderliness, respect of time, humbleness and tenderness.

The mosques in the era of the righteous ancestors, may God Almighty be pleased with them, were full of weeping, the circles of knowledge and scholars crowded in them, and the voices of glorification and praise and the sincere tongues spoken in them with supplication, so it brought out the leaders of the world who changed the face of history such as the Rightly Guided Caliphs, Conqueror Leaders, Supporters and Migrants

Their hearts were attached to the mosques, they would be tempted to sit in them and their hearts would be pleased with them, and the mosques in their era were a university of knowledge, a court of truth, a Centre for gathering, a point of starting, a place of worship, a Centre for leadership, and a parliament for politics in which the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, commissioned brigades of armies and received delegations in it and concluded treaties in it and held meetings and consultations in it.

Two last messages are:

Call to Nigerians especially the young ones not to allow others to use them to destroy their property and nation. Those who strived and promised to destroy our nation in 2015 and that failed would not stop trying. Allah has blessed us with many things that made other envy Let us make building our nation a priority.
Call to those who Allah saddled with authority, no matter how small or big, to fear Allah and exercise justice and fairness. To ensure as well rewarding good deed and punishing Checks and balance must be observed.
All Muslims are urged to keep this country in their sincere prayers. May Allah accept our good deeds and keep our nation guided and guarded.