Central Sermon (Khutbah)

Mosques are special places on earth and hold a unique place in our hearts

Mosques belong to Allah! Allah specifically claims them and says: “The mosques are for Allah, so do not invoke anyone with Allah!” (Surah Al-Jinn, 18).

Mosques are places illuminated by the light of Allah. The Almighty, after stating in Surah An-Nur that He is the light of the heavens and the earth, then tells us that the light is in the mosques, in His houses: “In houses Allah has allowed to be raised and His name to be remembered. Therein He is glorified morning and evening…” (Surah An-Nur, 36).

Mosques are places where only true believers maintain: “The mosques of Allah are only to be maintained by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, establish prayer, give zakah, and fear none but Allah. Perhaps, those are the [rightly] guided.” (Surah At-Tawbah, 18).

Mosques are places that beautify the location in Paradise when you visit them: The Prophet said: “Whoever goes to the mosque in the morning or evening, Allah prepares for him a place in Paradise every time he goes there.” (Bukhari and Muslim).

Mosques are places where every step is an act of charity, sins are erased, and degrees are elevated: According to Abu Huraira, the Prophet said: “He who performs ablution in his house and then comes to the mosque for a mandatory prayer, every step he takes wipes out a sin and elevates his degree.” In another version, also in both Sahihs, it says: “…For every step, there is a charity.”

Mosques are places loved by the One whom Allah loves, and He will place them in the shade of His Throne: According to Abu Huraira, the Prophet said: “On the Day of Resurrection, seven persons will be in the shade of Allah’s Throne when there will be no shade except its own. Among them is a man whose heart is attached to the mosques.” (Muslim).

It is an honor to participate in the construction and elevation of a mosque! Therefore, do not miss the opportunity to always contribute from yourself, your time, and your efforts to the mosque. Uthman ibn Affan, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet said: “Whoever builds a mosque for Allah, Allah will build for him a house in Paradise.” (Muslim).
Ibn Kathir mentions in his work “Al-Bidaya wa’l-Nihaya” when talking about the great scholar Abdurrahman ibn Ebi Hatim, may Allah have mercy on him: “One day, while leading a class in Horasan, his students said to him: ‘O our teacher, people pray in winter on damp and cold ground, the mosque is small, and in summer, they pray under scorching sun. Ask people to give in the name of Allah to expand the mosque.'”

So, he asked people to give and enlarge the mosque. He encouraged them to do so. But apparently, it was difficult for them. He encouraged them with the hadith emphasizing the value of building a mosque the size of a bird’s nest, for which the reward is a house in Paradise. So, a merchant stood up and said, “O Abdurrahman, can you testify that Allah will build me a house in return in Paradise if I build this mosque?” He replied, “Yes, these are the words of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him.” And that man said, “Write me a contract, a testimony, and I will build this mosque.” Abdurrahman hesitated for a moment. Then he said, “We will write!” He took a paper and wrote: “This is a testimony of Abdurrahman ibn Ebi Hatim, for this son of so-and-so, that he will receive a house in Paradise because he contributed to the construction of the house of Allah!” This man gave his wealth for the mosque, and the work began. When Ibn Ebi Hatim returned home, he said to himself, “What have you testified? Is it accepted? What have I done?…” Then, he fell asleep in the evening and had a dream in which someone said to him: “We have accepted the construction of the mosque. We have confirmed the contract/testimony. As for the man who asked for a house in Paradise, we will let him in.”

After learning about these words of Allah and His Messenger, how can we lose our motivation to improve our mosques in every aspect? If you leave a mosque, someone else will come. In fact, there is no real loser except yourself. The Most High says: “…And if you turn away, He will replace you with another people, and they will not be like you.” (Surah Muhammad, 38) Is it possible to laboriously build our mosques, a process that takes years, and after arranging them, leave them empty? Mosques are our meeting places in this world before we meet in eternity in Paradise! May our mosques be dear to our hearts!