Skip to main content

What’s the most sacred part of the mosque? How does the mosque get its name?

Allow me to answer your questions in reverse order. 


The term mosque comes from an old Arabic word meaning to worship, especially in prostration. This term, sajada, is modified by the prefix ma- (meaning place) into masjid- a place for worship. This term was changed through contact with European cultures like the Spanish (mezquita) and Italians (moscheta.) The immediate predecessor to the English pronunciation of mosque was the French mosque. In may...

Allow me to answer your questions in reverse order. 


The term mosque comes from an old Arabic word meaning to worship, especially in prostration. This term, sajada, is modified by the prefix ma- (meaning place) into masjid- a place for worship. This term was changed through contact with European cultures like the Spanish (mezquita) and Italians (moscheta.) The immediate predecessor to the English pronunciation of mosque was the French mosque. In may parts of the world, a mosque is alternately called a masjid. These two terms really mean the same thing, but mosque has a long history of cultural interpretation behind it. 


Inside of a mosque or masjid, the entire place is considered to be similarly holy or owed reverence as any other house of worship. The interior may be designated into spaces for ritual ablution before prayer, study, conversation/social gathering, and worship. Some parts of the mosque may be specially designated according to Sunnah (religious tradition, almost equivalent with law) to be used only for prayer. Technically, this part of the mosque is specifically the masjid because it is the place only for worship. This may be considered the most sacred part of the mosque, though an equally appropriate answer would be the mihrab. This is a special nook in the wall of a mosque which designates the direction of Mecca. The mihrab is special because it offers a more concrete and visual connection with the holy city of Islam and the location of the kabba. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What is the meaning of "juggling fiends" in Macbeth?

Macbeth is beginning to realize that the three witches have been deceiving him since he first encountered them. Like jugglers, they have kept changing their forecasts in order create confusion. This is particularly apparent when the Second Apparition they raise in Act IV,   Scene 1 tells him that no man of woman born can overcome him in hand-to-hand battle--and then Macbeth finds himself confronted by the one man he has been avoiding out of a... Macbeth is beginning to realize that the three witches have been deceiving him since he first encountered them. Like jugglers, they have kept changing their forecasts in order create confusion. This is particularly apparent when the Second Apparition they raise in Act IV,   Scene 1 tells him that no man of woman born can overcome him in hand-to-hand battle--and then Macbeth finds himself confronted by the one man he has been avoiding out of a sense of guilt, and that man tells him: Despair thy charm. And let the angel whom thou still hast serve...
Post a Comment
Read more

What are some external and internal conflicts that Montag has in Fahrenheit 451?

 Montag, the protagonist of Fahrenheit 451, faces both external and internal conflicts throughout the novel. Some examples of these conflicts are: External Conflicts: Conflict with the society: Montag lives in a society that prohibits books and critical thinking. He faces opposition from the government and the people who enforce this law. Montag struggles to come to terms with the fact that his society is based on censorship and control. Conflict with his wife: Montag's wife, Mildred, is completely absorbed in the shallow and meaningless entertainment provided by the government. Montag's growing dissatisfaction with his marriage adds to his external conflict. Conflict with the fire captain: Montag's superior, Captain Beatty, is the personification of the oppressive regime that Montag is fighting against. Montag's struggle against Beatty represents his external conflict with the government. Internal Conflicts: Conflict with his own beliefs: Montag, at the beginning of th...
Post a Comment
Read more

In A People's History of the United States, why does Howard Zinn feel that Wilson made a flimsy argument for entering World War I?

"War is the health of the state," the radical writer Randolph Bourne said, in the midst of the First World War. Indeed, as the nations of Europe went to war in 1914, the governments flourished, patriotism bloomed, class struggle was stilled, and young men died in frightful numbers on the battlefields-often for a hundred yards of land, a line of trenches. -- Chapter 14, Page 350, A People's History of the United States Howard Zinn outlines his arguments for why World War I was fought in the opening paragraph of Chapter 14 (referenced above). The nationalism that was created by the Great War benefited the elite political and financial leadership of the various countries involved. Socialism, which was gaining momentum in Europe, as was class struggle, took a backseat to mobilizing for war. Zinn believes that World War I was fought for the gain of the industrial capitalists of Europe in a competition for capital and resources. He states that humanity itself was punished by t...
Post a Comment
Read more