Mosques are sacred places for Muslims to perform prayers and engage in various activities. The term “mosque” originates from the Arabic word سجد-يسجد, meaning to prostrate, forming the word مسجيد, an “ism makan” that signifies a place for prostration.
Mosques, intended as centers of worship and communal gathering, should be the vibrant heart of Muslim life. However, a growing phenomenon is the increasing abandonment of mosques by their communities. Despite Allah’s command for Muslims to keep mosques vibrant, as stated in Surah At-Taubah, verse 18:
إِنَّمَا يَعْمُرُ مَسٰجِدَ اللّٰهِ مَنْ اٰمَنَ بِاللّٰهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْاٰخِرِ وَاَقَامَ الصَّلٰوةَ وَاٰتَى الزَّكٰوةَ وَلَمْ يَخْشَ اِلَّا اللّٰهَ ۗفَعَسٰٓى اُولٰۤىِٕكَ اَنْ يَّكُوْنُوْا مِنَ الْمُهْتَدِيْنَ
“The mosques of Allah are only to be maintained by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, establish prayer, give zakat, and fear none but Allah. It is expected that those will be of the (rightly) guided.”