Arabic ة (لص day God worship Arabic language kaaba Jerusalem place of worship
Arabic ة (لص day God worship Arabic language kaaba Jerusalem place of worship
Arabic ة (لص day God worship Arabic language kaaba Jerusalem place of worship
alat
is intended to focus the mind on God, and is seen as a personal communication with him that
expresses gratitude and worship. alat is compulsory but flexibility in the specifics is allowed
depending on circumstances. The prayers are recited in the Arabic language, and consist of
verses from the Qur'an.[63] The prayers are done with the chest in direction of the kaaba
though in the early days of Islam, they were done in direction of Jerusalem.
A mosque is a place of worship for Muslims, who often refer to it by its Arabic name, masjid.
The word mosque in English refers to all types of buildings dedicated to Islamic worship,
although there is a distinction in Arabic between the smaller, privately owned mosque and the
larger, "collective" mosque (masjid jmi').[64] Although the primary purpose of the mosque is
to serve as a place of prayer, it is also important to the Muslim community as a place to meet
and study. Al-Masjid al-Nabawi the Prophets Mosque in Madina was also a place of refuge
for the poor.[65] Modern mosques have evolved greatly from the early designs of the 7th