![Jamé Mosque Esfahan courtyard (retouched)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/Jam%C3%A9_Mosque_Esfahan_courtyard_%28retouched%29.jpg)
A congregational mosque or Friday mosque (, ''masjid jāmi‘'', or simply: , ''jāmi‘''; ), or sometimes great mosque or grand mosque (, ''jāmi‘ kabir''; ), is a
mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
for hosting the Friday noon prayers known as ''
jumu'ah
In Islam, Friday prayer or Congregational prayer ( ar, صَلَاة ٱلْجُمُعَة, ') is a prayer ('' ṣalāt'') that Muslims hold every Friday, after noon instead of the Zuhr prayer. Muslims ordinarily pray five times each day according ...
''.
[*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
] It can also host the
Eid prayers
Eid prayers, also referred to as Salat al-Eid ( ar, صلاة العيد), are holy holiday prayers in the Islamic tradition. The literal translation of the word "Eid" in Arabic is "festival" or "feast" and is a time when Muslims congregate with ...
in situations when there is no ''
musalla
A musalla ( ar-at, مصلى, muṣallá) is a space apart from a mosque, mainly used for prayer in Islam.''The Encyclopaedia of Islam''. New Edition. Brill, Leiden. Vol. 7, pg. 658; ''al-mausūʿa al-fiqhiyya.'' Kuwait 1998. Vol. 38, pg 29 Th ...
'' or ''
eidgah
Eidgah or Idgah, also Eid Gah or Id Gah ( fa, "site of Eid bservances; bn, ঈদগাহ; pnb, ; ur, ; hi, ईदगाह) is a term used in South Asian Islamic culture for the open-air enclosure usually outside the city (or at th ...
'' available nearby to host the prayers. In early
Islamic history
The history of Islam concerns the political, social, economic, military, and cultural developments of the Islamic civilization. Most historians believe that Islam originated in Mecca and Medina at the start of the 7th century CE. Muslims r ...
, the number of congregational mosques in one city was strictly limited. As cities and populations grew over time, it became more common for many mosques to host Friday prayers in the same area.
Etymology
The full
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
term for this kind of mosque is ''masjid jāmi‘'' (), which is typically translated as "mosque of congregation" or "congregational mosque".
"Congregational" is used to translate ''jāmi‘'' (), which comes from the Arabic
root
In vascular plants, the roots are the organs of a plant that are modified to provide anchorage for the plant and take in water and nutrients into the plant body, which allows plants to grow taller and faster. They are most often below the sur ...
"ج - م - ع" which has a meaning ‘to bring together’ or ‘to unify’ (verbal form: and ).
In Arabic, the term is typically simplified to just ''jāmi‘'' (). Similarly, in Turkish the term ''cami'' () is used for the same purpose.
As the distinction between a "congregational mosque" and other mosques has diminished in more recent history, the Arabic terms ''masjid'' and ''jami'
'' have become more interchangeable.
In non-Arab Muslim nations, the word ''jāmi‘'' ("that which gathers, congregates or assembles") is often conflated with another word from the same root, ''jumu‘ah'' ( ar, جُمُعَة, lit=assembly, gathering), a term which refers to the
Friday noon prayers ( ar, صَلَاة الْجُمُعَة, ṣalāṫ al-jumu‘ah, prayer of assembly) or the
Friday
Friday is the day of the week between Thursday and Saturday. In countries that adopt the traditional "Sunday-first" convention, it is the sixth day of the week. In countries adopting the ISO-defined "Monday-first" convention, it is the fifth day ...
itself ( ar, يَوْم الْجُمُعَة, yawm al-jumu‘ah, day of assembly).
[,] This is due to the fact that the ''jumu'ah'' prayers require congregations and are only held in congregational mosques, usually the main mosque or central mosque of a town or city, and hence they are also sometimes known as Friday mosques.
History
Since the
early periods of Islam, a functional distinction existed between large central mosques built and controlled by the state versus small local mosques built and maintained by the general population.
In the early years of Islam, under the
Rashidun caliphs
, image = تخطيط كلمة الخلفاء الراشدون.png
, caption = Calligraphic representation of Rashidun Caliphs
, birth_place = Mecca, Hejaz, Arabia present-day Saudi Arabia
, known_for = Companions of t ...
and many of the
Umayyad caliphs, each city generally had only one congregational mosque where Friday prayers were held, while smaller mosques for regular prayers were built in local neighbourhoods. In fact, in some parts of the Islamic world such as in
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
, Friday services were initially not permitted in villages and in other areas outside the main city where the congregational mosque stood.
The ruler or governor of the city usually built his residence (the ''dar al-imara'') next to the congregational mosque, and in this early period the ruler also delivered the ''
khutbah
''Khutbah'' ( ar, خطبة ''khuṭbah'', tr, hutbe) serves as the primary formal occasion for public preaching in the Islamic tradition.
Such sermons occur regularly, as prescribed by the teachings of all legal schools. The Islamic traditi ...
'' (Friday sermon) during Friday prayers.
This practice was inherited from the example of
Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...
and was passed on the caliphs after him. In the provinces, the local governors who ruled on behalf of the caliph were expected to deliver the ''khutbah'' for their local community.
The ''
minbar
A minbar (; sometimes romanized as ''mimber'') is a pulpit in a mosque where the imam (leader of prayers) stands to deliver sermons (, ''khutbah''). It is also used in other similar contexts, such as in a Hussainiya where the speaker sits and le ...
'', a kind of pulpit from which the ''khutbah'' was traditionally given, also became a standard feature of congregational mosques by the early
Abbasid
The Abbasid Caliphate ( or ; ar, الْخِلَافَةُ الْعَبَّاسِيَّة, ') was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib ...
period (late eighth century).
![Damascus Umayyad Mosque interior mihrab area 8028 (retouched)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/Damascus_Umayyad_Mosque_interior_mihrab_area_8028_%28retouched%29.jpg)
In later centuries, as the Islamic world became increasingly divided between different political states, as the Muslim population and the cities grew, and as new rulers wished to leave their mark of patronage, it became common to have multiple congregational mosques in the same city.
For example,
Fustat
Fusṭāṭ ( ar, الفُسطاط ''al-Fusṭāṭ''), also Al-Fusṭāṭ and Fosṭāṭ, was the first capital of Egypt under Muslim rule, and the historical centre of modern Cairo. It was built adjacent to what is now known as Old Cairo by ...
, the predecessor of modern
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
, was founded in the seventh century with just one congregational mosque (the
Mosque of Amr ibn al-As
The Mosque of Amr ibn al-As ( ar, جامع عمرو بن العاص), or Taj al-Jawame' ( ar, تاج الجوامِع, lit=Crown of Mosques), or Masjid Ahl ar-Rayah ( ar, مسجد اهل الرّاية, lit=Mosque of the Banner Bearers), or Ja ...
). However, by the 15th century, under the
Mamluks
Mamluk ( ar, مملوك, mamlūk (singular), , ''mamālīk'' (plural), translated as "one who is owned", meaning "slave", also transliterated as ''Mameluke'', ''mamluq'', ''mamluke'', ''mameluk'', ''mameluke'', ''mamaluke'', or ''marmeluke'') i ...
, the urban agglomeration of Cairo and Fustat had 130 congregational mosques.
In fact, the city became so saturated with congregational mosques that by the late 15th century its rulers could rarely build new ones. A similar proliferation of congregational mosques occurred in the cities of
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
,
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
,
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
, and
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
, as well as in the newly conquered
Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
(
Istanbul
Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...
) under
Ottoman rule.
Architecture and Function
Congregational mosques function as a community space.
As a community space, it allows for prayer and social engagement. Congregational mosques have a crucial role in communities Islamic practices.
However, when examining similarities and differences between congregational mosques, regional architectural influence is evident.
In-part this is due to the fact that the Qur'an does not state architectural parameter for the congregational mosque.
Durring Friday prayer, the congregation mosque has to accommodate all male members of the community.
Population varies from region to region, meaning that the each region has to accommodate a different number of people, so each congressional mosque has a different scale.
The Qur'an does highlight that the prayer hall has to accommodate the population of the community.
Almost all congregational mosques feature a
minbar
A minbar (; sometimes romanized as ''mimber'') is a pulpit in a mosque where the imam (leader of prayers) stands to deliver sermons (, ''khutbah''). It is also used in other similar contexts, such as in a Hussainiya where the speaker sits and le ...
, which is an elevated platform where the Friday
sermon
A sermon is a religious discourse or oration by a preacher, usually a member of clergy. Sermons address a scriptural, theological, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law, or behavior within both past and present contexts. El ...
is given. The minbar is usually places near the qibla wall which means that prayers will be in the direction of
Mecca
Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red ...
.
See also
*
Salat
(, plural , romanized: or Old Arabic ͡sˤaˈloːh, ( or Old Arabic ͡sˤaˈloːtʰin construct state) ), also known as ( fa, نماز) and also spelled , are prayers performed by Muslims. Facing the , the direction of the Kaaba wit ...
, formal worship in Islam
*
Lists of mosques
Lists of mosques cover mosques, places of worship for Muslims. The lists include the most famous, largest and oldest mosques, and mosques mentioned in the Quran, as well as lists of mosques in each region and country of the world. The major region ...
**
List of largest mosques
This article lists mosques from around the world by available capacity, that belong to any Islamic school or branch, that can accommodate at least 15,000 worshippers in all available prayer ( or ) spaces such as prayer halls, courtyards () and ...
**
List of mosques
This is an incomplete list of some of the more famous mosques around the world.
List
See also
* Islamic architecture
* List of largest mosques
* List of the oldest mosques in the world
** List of mosques that are mentioned by name in the Q ...
**
List of the oldest mosques
The designation of the oldest mosques in the world requires careful use of definitions, and must be divided into two parts, the oldest in the sense of oldest surviving building, and the oldest in the sense of oldest mosque congregation. Even her ...
References
{{Authority control
Mosques
Islamic architecture
Islam-related lists
!
Architecture in Iran