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 An old speech but still important lessons to be learned about
starting mosques in all of our communities, and not only building it,
but maintaining them both physically & spiritually.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
(Friday speech delivered by Imam Mohamed Baianonie at the Islamic Center of Raleigh, NC on September 11, 1998)
All the praises and thanks be to Allah (S.W.T.) for his blessings
that He helped us in this community to start the expansion project of
this center. This expansion would add more than 13,300 square feet to
the existing building.
This week, as we can see, preparations are under way to start
building on the land adjacent to the center. The new land is about 2.4
acres, which was purchased about 2 years ago. It was paid off
completely from the donations of local Muslims living in this area. We
ask Allah (S.W.T.) to reward them generously.
In reality, the expansion project did not start this week, but it
started more than a year ago when the Majlis As-shurah of the I.A.R.
made an official decision to expand the center. The Majlis As-shurah
then formed the construction committee to conduct and oversee this
expansion project.
The construction committee did everything they could to fulfill their
task. They spent many hours and made tremendous efforts to get to this
point. We ask Allah (S.W.T.) to reward everyone of them generously for
what they have accomplished, especially, the chairman of this committee
who spent lots of his time and effort to initiate everything the
expansion project needs, from various arrangements to removal of
difficulties in its implementation.
Yes, it is a hard and long process that needs expertise, wisdom,
accuracy, patience, and follow-up. Many meetings were held; every one
of which took no less than 2 hours. Moreover, many more meetings were
held with many engineers, experts, contractors, and officials.
I had attended a few meetings and realized the great magnitude and
accuracy of this task that was taken with seriousness, precision, and
craftsmanship.
Now, on your behalf and mine, I would like to thank all the members of
the construction committee for what they have accomplished because the
prophet (S.A.W.) say, in an authentic hadith reported by Imam
At-Tirmithi and Abu-Dawud, “Whosoever does not thank people, he does
not thank Allah.” I ask Allah (S.W.T.) to bless us with sincerity in
our sayings and actions and to compensate generously for your effort in
this life and in the Hereafter for everything that you have done. I
also thank everyone who contributed to this project in idea, in word,
or in action, especially, those brothers and sisters who donated
generously from their money and who are still donating. I remind them
of good news from the prophet (S.A.W.) in a hadith reported by Imam
Bukhari and Imam Muslim, “Whosoever builds for Allah a masjid, Allah
will reward him similar to it in paradise.” In another narration
reported by Imam Ahmad, “Whosoever shares in building a masjid for
Allah, even if it is as small as a bird’s nest, Allah (S.W.T.) will
build for him a house in Paradise.”
This is the greatest news for a winning investment that is guaranteed by Allah (S.W.T.), so where are the investors?
Donating money to build a masjid for the sake of Allah is a sadaqah
jariah (continues charity), meaning the reward will continue to reach
the donor even after death. This which was mentioned by Prophet
Muhammad (S.A.W.) in an authentic hadith.
I remind myself and you of the necessity to continue your generous
donations to finish this project, which should be finished, by the will
of Allah, within 7 months. Also, I would like to remind you all of the
necessity to target those who like to donate, to contribute to this great task. This is because the one who tells about good deeds he will get the same reward as the one who does it.
The great magnitude of contributing to the construction of the masjid
goes well with the great role of the masjid and its importance:
The role of the masjid in the lives of Muslims is great; in reality, it
is the beating heart of the Muslim society. From here comes the
importance of the contribution to the building, supervising, and
managing it.
Allah (S.W.T.) likes to see the brotherhood
and love to spread among the believers. So, the masjid is the place
where Muslims meet daily for their prayer before Allah (S.W.T.). So
their souls get purified and they meet for the love of Allah (S.W.T.).
Allah (S.W.T.) wants care to prevail in the practice amongst
Muslims. So the masjid is the place where the zakat and charity money
is collected and spent.
Allah (S.W.T.) likes that the spirit of justice and equality to prevail
amongst the Muslims. So the masjid is the place where they stand in a
prayer row before Allah. No difference is there between rich and poor,
or between a prince and a common man, or between a ruler and a ruled;
all of them are equal in the masjid. Allah also likes that Muslims
learn their Deen and raise themselves to do good so their souls get
purified. So the masjid is the school and the university that offers
the right and authentic knowledge and also the nursery that raises
people on a divine way.
Allah (S.W.T.) would want Islam to be the prevalent deen. So, the
masjid is the center and the base of the da’wah to Allah, from which
the people take off to convey the message of Islam, giving glad tiding
and warning, guiding and conquering.
This is how the masjid of the prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) was, and this is how the masajid should be today.
Allah (S.W.T.) says in surat At-Tawbah, (verse 18), what can be
translated as, “The masajid of Allah (mosques) shall tu’mar (maintain,
tend and fill with different Islamic activities) only by those who
believe in Allah and the Last Day; offer prayers perfectly, and give
zakat and fear none except Allah. It is they who are expected to be on
true guidance.”
The masjid may be built by Muslims or non-Muslim, but in reality,
the masjid is only be a’mer (maintain, tend and fill with different
Islamic activities) with the Muslim that is described with those
descriptions in the aforementioned verse. There is a great difference
between the physical, concrete building of the masjid and truly
building it. There are many masjad today that were built with stones
with nice decorations, but stayed exactly like that, with no life in
them. This is because the people who run it do not have the
qualifications mentioned in the verse:
- Having a complete belief with all its pillars.
- Having a complete Islam with all its pillars.
- Fearing none but Allah.
What is the relationship between fearing none but Allah and making
the masjid alive and full of Islamic activities? Who are the ones you
are afraid of if you gave the masjid its complete role? What are those
fears? All these questions can be easily answered if we know the great
role of the masjid in the lives of the Muslims as we mentioned above.
I’mar of the masjid can be briefly explained as making the earth live
with Islam, and raising the generations with Islam. This is a great and
dangerous mission that the enemies of Allah (S.W.T.) hate and will do
their best to stop it and destroy it. So the ummar of the masjid need
the courage and need to fear none except Allah (S.W.T.).
Who are the enemies of Islam? It is those who do their best to cancel
the role of the masjid. There are many enemies, starting from one’s
evil soul and Satan who reminds us of poverty and scares us with it and
orders us to do evil and his followers, his soldiers, and his allies
from the humans and jinns from the non-believers, the evil-doers, and
the hypocrites. We Muslims should be careful.
Source: myUmmah.co.za
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