QnA: The Fiqh of the Masjid (2/10)

We, the Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama’ah are unanimous of the history of the Masjid throughout the world. The first Masjid to be built – and All Mighty Allah calls it a Masjid in various verses of the Quraan, Masjid al Haram – is the Baitullah, the Kab’ah Musharrafah. We say it was built by Nabi Aadam AS. This is also the Qiblah. Wherever we are we have to face in that direction whether we are on land, on sea, in the clouds, wherever we are we read Salaah and we have to face the Baitullah,as far as possible. The second point is the Hadith in Bukhari Shareef. Abu Dhar RA reports that he asked Nabi Muhammad SAW which was the first Masjid and Nabi Muhammad SAW replied it was Masjid al Haram, the Baitullah, Kab’ah Musharrafah. Then Abu Dhar RA asked which was the next one and Nabi Muhammad SAW said Masjid al Aqsa and that is the furthest Masjid. Haram means sacred, Masjid al Aqsa – the furthest Masjid in that direction, was built forty years after Masjid al Haram by Nabi Aadam AS. The Muassissasani – the second person who constructed Masjid al Haram was Nabi Ebrahim AS and Masjid al Aqsa was Nabi Sulaimaan AS.

Nabi Muhammad SAW migrated from Makkah Mukarramah to Madina Munawwarah. The first Masjid to be built in Madinah Munawwarah was Masjid Quba and thereafter Masjid an Nabawi.

Majid al Haram – Nabi Aadam AS and later Nabi Ebrahim AS

Masjid al Aqsa – Nabi Aadam AS and later Nabi Sulaimaan AS

Masjid Quba – Nabi Muhammad SAW and the sahaabah RA

Masjid an Nabawi – Nabi Muhammad SAW and the sahaabah RA

This tells us that every Masjid of significance, these are the four most important Masaajid in the entire world – was built themselves by Ambiyaah AS. Therefore it has so much significance when we read Salaah in Baitullah Kab’ah Musharrafah, 100 000 sawaab is received as is mentioned in Bukhari Shareef. Praying Salaah in Masjid an Nabawi earns thousands in reward as mentioned in authentic Hadith. In Masjid al Aqsa 500 or 1000 reward received depending on which Hadith you accept. In Masjid Quba one receives the reward of performing an Umrah according to an authentic Hadith mentioned in Ibn Majah.

The oldest Masjid in the African continent of 53 countries is Masjid Amr bin ‘Aas. Amr bin ‘Aas RA conquered Egypt and this was the first of Ramadaan – the 20th year after Hijrah. Seventy or 80 Sahaabah sat and made mashurah (consultation) regarding the direction of Qiblah. In South Africa the first Masjid was established 200 years before our first democratic election in Bo Kaap in 1794. The first Imam was Imam Tuan Guru RA. He wrote the Quraan Sharif while incarcerated at Robben Island between the years 1781 and 1793. In Natal the oldest Masjid is the Jummu’ah Masjid, the Grey Street Masjid, in old Transvaal – now Gauteng Province – the oldest Masjid is the Kerk Street Masjid in Johannesburg and the second oldest in Gauteng is in Heidelberg.