The Arabic term for mosque, masjid, refers literally to a place of prostration, which is one element of the ritual prayer. Mosques vary across the world in size, style, and, to a certain extent, function. Each contains, at a minimum, a large open area for prayer known as a musallah; in many places it is customary to prevent non- Muslims from entering this space. Inside the prayer area, a niche in the wall (mihrab) customarily indicates the direction of prayer (qiblah) which is always facing toward the Ka‘bah in Mecca. Traditionally, mosques also have a minbar or pulpit, usually made of ornately carved wood from which the imam delivers the sermon (khutbah) at Friday congregational prayers. (The day of congregational prayer, yawm al-jumu‘ah, is mentioned in 62:9.) Towns and cities in majority- Muslim nations usually have numerous smaller neighborhood mosques along with one major mosque (jami‘ masjid) which hosts the Friday midday service. The original mosque in Medina served as a social center and meeting place for Muslims. Not only was it the location for prayers and meetings, it was also the compound where the Prophet’s wives, known collectively as the Mothers of the Believers, lived. Through the premodern era, mosques continued to function as more than prayer spaces. Scholars of various types hosted teaching circles in mosques— sometimes several would meet concurrently, each by a different pillar. Other types of compound might be attached to mosques, including educational institutions, tombs, or Sufi lodges. Isma‘ili Muslims, a sect of the Shi‘ah, refer to their places of worship as jama‘at khana (Source: Islam, Key Concepts).
Masjid-e Jami Qurvah of Abhar in Zanjan
