Mosque
The word ‘mosque’ in Arabic is Masjid, means a place of prostration before the Allah. So Masjid is a place where the devout perform five daily prayers (a ritual involving kneeling and touching the forehead upon the ground in humble prostration before the Allah). A mosque could be any place where humility before Allah is expressed in prayer. Tradition says that “the earth is a masjid for you, so pray wherever you are at the time of prayer”. So those who prayed at home or anywhere in earth are treated as equal to the prayers performed in a masjid.
It is believed that the first mosque in the world is K’aba (Mashid-ul-Haram) at Mecca. All the mosques in the world are oriented towards it. However, the first mosque in Indian sub-continent at Muzris (Kodungallur in Kerala) is unique as it did not face Mecca, but towards East.
Places of worship used previously by other religious groups may also be used as a mosque after the graven images, if any, and all the signs of polytheistic worship have been wiped out.
No unclean things should be taken into the mosque. Special prayers should be recited when entering and leaving the mosque. No commerce should be transacted in the mosque. Similarly, no search for lost materials should be made. None should make loud noise or even recite prayers loudly in such a way to disturb others. Well mannered and polite conversation is expected from the devotees.
Though the basic function of a mosque is for congregational prayers, other activities than worship and prescribed rituals are also carried out. Mosques are centres of learning (in Qur’anic verses and law), jurists delivered their judgment or decisions within its limits. In some places the mosque kitchen provided food for pious souls, poor and needy. It also serves as a hostel for students. Thus, the mosque is a prayer house, a school, a hostel and sometimes a kitchen.
It is considered as a matter of great merit to construct a mosque. Tradition of the Prophet says that “Anyone who builds a mosque for Allah, He will build a house for him in paradise”.
A mosque should be built only on faultless or sinless ground and only with money obtained by righteous means. A mosque can be built anywhere, but if the site had been a cemetery, only after the removal of the cadavers.
In the beginning mosque structure was quite simple. The genesis of the mosque is found in the house constructed by the Prophet after his exile from Mecca. It was a large enclosure with an open portico at one end and roofed with palm leaves. It had neither a dome nor minarets and cloisters.
The most common plan for mosque evolved out of the Caravanserai’s of the Middle East. There were a series of buildings, mostly halls, around an open court yard. Access was through a series of steps leading to an open area where the tank of water was available. The entrance and opposite end where the Mihrab was located could be roofed more elaborately with domes and other conspicuous structures. Minarets were placed at convenient points. The scriptures ordained that they should accord protection from sun and rain, but specifically prohibited over ornamentation and shown structures when designing a mosque.
Islamic architecture has evolved from a synthesis of various styles prevalent in different Islamic countries. Indian indigenous style of architecture was different both in form and spirit which a mosque is required. This conflict prevailed in the first phase of design and construction of mosques in India, but gradually overcome this difficulty through a blend of two different styles and evolved the Indo-Islamic architecture.
The mosque architecture in Kerala did not show any of the features of the Arabic or Indo-Islamic style of architecture. The early mosques of Kerala are basically in the unique architectural tradition of the region. They are simple buildings with tiled roofs, large prayer halls covered verandah all around, tall basements, walls made of laterite blocks. As in the case of temples and churches, wood has been profusely in the construction. Early mosques in Kasaragod and Kannur districts show influence of Jain style of architecture. The Thalankara mosque was an old Jain Basthi. Certain mosques in Kannur show two different styles with Indo-Saracenic elements with the minerates and British colonial style with double cylindrical pillows, large windows etc.
Recently there is a trend to adopt Islamic style of architecture prevalent in North India for the construction or to renovate/reconstruct mosques in Kerala. In many cases, there has been adoption of Indo-Saracenic style. While early mosques were compact structure, the new ones are large to accommodate increasing population. The decoration is kept moderate but contrast with the straight lines and sharp angles of traditional Kerala architecture. The minarets have become a dominant feature in the recent style.
MOSQUE COMPLEX
On the western side there is a large hall for congregational prayers knows as Liwan.
In the mosques situated to the eastern part of K’aba, on the western wall there will be an arched concave recess known as Mihrah to indicate the direction of Mecca or representing stairway to Heaven.
Right to Mihrah, there is the Mimbar or Pulpit from which the Imam delivers the sermon (Khutba) or leads the prayer.
Outside the hall there is Haud or tank with full of water for washing oneself before entering the Liwan.
The most familiar feature of a mosque is the Minarah (Minaret). It is a high tower attached to the mosque itself. The size and shape of minaret may be square, spiral or cylindrical. The call to prayers (Tahkbir) is given from the top of minaret so that it could be heard to greater advantage.
Many mosques have burial grounds near to them. The graves are marked by head stones.
References:
- Madhava Menon.T. (ed). 2000. A Handbook of Kerala (Vol.1). International School of Drvidian Linguistics, Thiruvananthapuram.
- Wainers, David. 2001. An Introduction to Islam. Foundation Books, New Delhi.
- Ziyadu-Din Desai. 2003. Mosques of India. Publication Division, Ministry of Information & Braodcasting, Government of India, New Delhi.