The guy mentioned is typical of many in the Muslim community.

The mosque really does have the potential to be the heart of the community. This is a very important workshop that MPAC are organising

"Mosques should not be a part of the community"

That quote, is what played a part in killing our community. That kind of person is ignorant and needs to really get to learn what Islam is.

Not part of the community? Then don't send your kids there to learn. Not part of the community, then don't complain when mosques cannot give counselling for families. Not part of the community, then don't complain about youths hanging in the streets and entrying the drug crime. Not part of the community? Don't EVER talk about how the community is messed up because the Mosque should have been the focal point of our communities.

Now, it has become nothing but a symbolic ghost building just for salat and for people who lack responsibility.

What did Muhammad (SAW) help to build a mosque for? For prayer, that is it? I'm sick of these people.

The Arab grammarians classify masjid as "ism makan", i.e., "name of location"; it indicates the place where an action takes place.

Hint - WHERE ACTION TAKES PLACE!

That means not just salat. It means building the community. Educating the community. Supporting the community. Inspiring the community. Bringing the community together!

In other words - masjid does not designate a building but only a "place of prostration" because the world all over is a place where we can worship - whether on grass or in the garden, or in street.

The mosque was built as a building to unite people, to bring them together as one, to home them in, to make it the focal point of education, self development and most of all - a place for bringing up the next scientists, teachers, debators, mathematicians, pioneers and so on.

My answer then to the guy who stoped the auther with such words as, "Mosques should not be a part of the community" is a LIE.

That is just one role for the mosque. It is bigger that but the blind lead the blind with such brainwashed, small minded, obsolute ignorance on what the mosque is for.

Wassalaam

Salaam,

Don't label people so easily!

Asalaamualaikum,

Hassan: The people have labelled themselves through their own actions, and thus placed themselves into categories. Actions such as drunkenness, stupidity, foul chanting, abuse, ill manners, and allsorts of actions forbidden in Islam. Luckily for them the prophet asked for the doors of forgiveness to remain open for his ummah.

Was the person stopping the author a Muslim? If so, this is a shame on us all. A clear display of a lack of care of what Islam really is, such behaviour is what is expected of the enemies of Islam.

What most people do not know, is Islamic history and exactly what was achieved in the mosques. In the current schooling yes it is portrayed that science, medicine, technology etc etc was started and will end in the west, it is in the text books, on the net, in the papers and it is talked about. And to often the current state of the Muslims is used as reference to display the state of Muslims throughout their entirety. Common sense, should teach you that a civilisation that lived peacefully for 1400+ yrs improving and progressing in all disciplines cant have achieved nothing but that of the current state of the Muslims. If you believe that after 1400+ yrs Muslims achieved only what you see today in the Muslim countries, then this is just testament to your own mental capacity or rather its limitation. Before anyone makes a statement against something that is exalted to highly, do your research first. They say Art symbolises the success of a nation, because it is the least most significant factor, and all important factors in life must have been addressed before we have time for luxuries such as art.

The patterns on the walls of mosques, the so called Islamic art and calligraphy, do you think it is random? It is based on nature’s formula, a mathematical formula, to be pleasing to the eye. And, I forgot to mention….it all happened in the mosques and stemmed outwards. This one example by no means is to be taken as the basis of anyone’s stance in regards to the role of the mosque; it is merely a tiny insignificant sample of the achievements in the mosques.

On a positive yet a harsh note of our ‘current situation’, it is really sieving out the bad apples from the good, something we needed for a very long time, sadly it was the enemies of Islam that had to take action to separate the ones that side with Islam and those who are against, and those in the middle. A nice by-product, something which would have been an extremely difficult task.

And the sooner the mosques play the role they were originally created to play, run by people who are just (the million dollar criteria), in an orderly and structured fashion, the sooner we will stop what is the new, up and coming ‘Trash culture’ amongst future Muslims, who simply ‘cant be bovered’ and prefer the ease of simply getting ‘hammered’ and ‘getting laid’. Ooops, did I hit the nail on the head? Sorry people, it had to be done. On the grand scale of things, you are getting laughed at and embarrassing the religion too. Wake up.

Asa. to all.
REVIVING THE MOSQUE
This is indeed a challenge and a very big one. I can see many obstacles in your way ie.Mainly the old men ( more than likely the committee members) who are stubborn and stuck to their old ways. They don`t like to change their daily routine to include constructive, beneficial and important activities which will be much needed to all those who use the mosque at present and for those individuals, who see it only as a place of prayer.
I think we have a big job on our plate. To all those who strive to bring this debate into action, I pray for success Insha`Allah. I definately will be attending Insha`Allah.

I think muslims should reform themselves as individuals before invoking the notion of a 'community' which needs to be revived.

I also have reservations about making mosques the overt focus of political activity in the current climate - opening up places of worship to this sort of vulnerability would be even more irresponsible than letting the current crop of uninformed/corrupt mullahs continue as they are...