الحمد لله، الحمد لله الذي جعل أحسن بقاع أرضه المساجد، وأمر عباده بعمارتها وصيانتها من الكواره والخبائث، ونشكره تعالى ونستغفره ونستغيثه، نعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا ومن سيئات أعمالنا، من يهد الله فهو المهتد ومن يضلل فلن تجد له وليا مرشدا، ونشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له، له الملك و له الحمد، يحيي ويميت، بيده الخير، وهو على كل شيء قدير،  ونشهد أن سيدنا و مولانا محمداً عبده ورسوله، وحبيبه وصفيه، بلغ الرسالة وأدى الأمانة ونصح الأمة، النبي الأمي الذي أرسله الله بالهدى والدين الحق، بشيرا ونذيرا بين يدي الساعة، صلى الله عليه وسلم وعلى آله وأصحابه ومن تبعهم بإحسان إلى يوم الدين.

أما بعد! فيا عباد الله اتقوا الله حق تقاته ولا تموتن إلا وأنتم مسلمون. يأيها الذين ءامنوا اتقوا الله وقولوا قولا سديدا يصلح لكم أعمالكم ويغفر لكم ذنوبكم. ومن يطع 

الله ورسوله فقد فاز فوزا عظيما. اتقوا الله فيما أمر وانتهوا عما نها عنه وزجر. 

قال الله عز وجل في كتابه الكريم: وَأَنَّ الْمَسَاجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلَا تَدْعُوا مَعَ اللَّهِ أَحَداً

 

the translation of which is, “All mosques belong to Allah, so do not call on anyone besides Allah”

Muslims, it is a great blessing for us to have a mosque to pray in; A place of light in a time of darkness, a place of gathering in a time of dispersal, a place of remembrance in a time of forgetfulness. Allah has granted us this beautiful venue – a building that was built in the form of a mosque, facing the qibla, 80 years before it actually became one, a building that occupies one of the key sites of the City of Cape Town, situated right at its heart, a mosque that has already in its short existence borne witness to hundreds of shahadahs; and place of tremendous light and baraka.

And we are privileged enough to pray in this place, we are privileged enough to frequent it. And that privilege is not without its rewards, for this is one of the Houses of Allah and in it, we are His guests, and there is no host who is more generous – He is the Jawad, the Wahhab and the Karim.

The Prophet narrated in a hadith Qudsi that Allah said,

 

إنّ بيوتي في أرضي المساجد، وإنّ زوّاري فيها عمّارها، فطوبى لعبد تطهّر في بيته ثم زارني في بيتي فحقّ على المزور أن يكرم زائره

 

“My houses upon the earth are the mosques, and those who frequent them are my visitors. Blessed be the slave who purifies himself in his house and then visits Me in Mine, for it is the duty of the host to honour the one who visits him.”

Those who frequent the mosque are honoured by their Lord in all number of ways, not least of which is that He grants them intimacy with Him and puts a lasting iman in their hearts. The Prophet said,

من أَلِفَ المسجدَ أَلِفَهُ اللهُ تعالى

 

“If someone becomes intimate with the mosque, Allah will become intimate with him.” And he also said, as narrated by Abu Sa’id al-Khudri,

 

إذا رأيتم الرجل يعتاد المسجد فٱشهدوا له بالإيمان: قال الله تعالىٰ: إِنَّمَا يَعْمُرُ مَسَاجِدَ ٱللَّهِ مَنْ آمَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلآخِرِ...

 

“If you see someone frequenting the mosque, then bear witness to the fact that he has iman, for Allah has said, (the translation of which is), ‘The only ones who frequent the mosques of Allah are those who have iman in Allah and the Last Day.’”

Allah also numbers them among those who receive His shade on the Day of Rising when there is no shade to provide relief from the burning sun except for his, for in the hadith narrated by Abu Hurayra in which the Prophet lists the seven who are shaded by their Lord, He says,

ورجل قلبه معلق بالمساجد

 

“And a man whose heart is attached to the mosque.” And, if that were not enough, He also promises them a fantastic reward in the Hereafter, for the Prophet said,

 

من غدا الى المسجد أو راح، أعدّ الله له في الجنة نزلا كلما غدا أو راح

 

“Every time someone goes to the mosque in the morning or evening, Allah makes ready for him a welcoming gift in the Garden.”

We do indeed have a generous host, one who invites us to come and have an audience with Him in the parts of the earth most beloved to Him five times a day. And He extends that invitation to us regardless of our wealth and social standing, and then bestows immense blessings and honour upon us when we arrive, despite that we are slaves and He is our master. We are guests in His home, but just as guests have a right to hospitality, they also have responsibilities towards their host and towards his home. And especially given who that host is, for we are not just visiting any old house rather we are visiting the house of the King of Kings, the Lord of all that He surveys, the Supremely Great, our Creator to whom we owe everything we have. Imagine you were invited to the palace of a king of this world, or even to the house of your boss, and the efforts you would make to be at your best in terms of manner and appearance. Well, here you are, being invited to the house of one infinitely greater than them. And if you spare no effort when you visit the high and mighty of this world and afford their homes your every respect then how should you comport yourselves when you visit the house of the One to whom no one is comparable?

For that reason, there are a number of adaab, a number of courtesies, that should be observed by all who come to the mosque, and such is Allah’s hospitality to us that even those courtesies carry with them a huge and everlasting reward. 

The first of those adaab is having love and respect for the mosque and holding it in high esteem, for Allah has made it a place in which He is mentioned and remembered and in which His Sacred Rites are fulfilled. Allah says,

 

وَمَن يُعَظِّمْ شَعَائِرَ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّهَا مِن تَقْوَى الْقُلُوبِ

 

the translation of which is, “as for those who honour Allah’s sacred rites, that comes from the taqwa in their hearts.” Part of honouring His rites is honouring the place in which His rites take place.

The second is participating and helping in the building, renovation and maintenance of the mosque, both physically if you are able, and financially. This includes helping with its bills, repairs, upkeep and anything else that might be needed. The Prophet said,

 

من بنى لله مسجدا ولو كمفحص قطاة لبيضها بنى الله له بيتا في الجنة

 

“If anyone builds a mosque for the sake of Allah, even if the section he builds is no bigger than the nesting place of the sand grouse, then Allah will build him a home in the Garden.” And Anas ibn Malik said,

 

من أسرج سراجا في مسجد لم تزل الملائكة وحملة المسجد يستغفرون له ما دام في ذلك المسجد ضوؤه

 

“If anyone installs a lamp in a mosque, the angels and carriers of that mosque will continue to ask forgiveness for him as long as that lamp continues to provide light.”

The third is striving to come regularly to the mosque even if your house is far away, or it is dark or the weather is inclement. Indeed, the further away you live from the mosque, the greater your reward. When it was suggested to one of the Companions that he move closer to the mosque, he said,

 

ما يسرّني أن منزلي الى جنب المسجد، إني أريد أن يكتب لي ممشاي الى المسجد ورجوعي إذا رجعت الى أهلي

 

“I would not like my house to be right beside the mosque - I want my walk to the mosque and my return to my family to be written for me [among my good actions].” For the Prophet said,

إن أعظم الناس أجرا في الصلاة أبعدهم إليها ممشى

 

“Those who have the greatest reward when it comes to the prayer are those who walk the furthest to get to it.” And he also said, 

 

بشّروا المشّائين في الظلم الى المساجد بالنور التام يوم القيامة

 

“Give those who walk to the mosque in the dark the good news of total light on the Day of Rising”.

The fourth is making an effort to be presentable, by cleaning yourself thoroughly, putting on fine clothes and scenting yourselves with fine perfume. Allah says, 

 

يَا بَنِي آدَمَ خُذُواْ زِينَتَكُمْ عِندَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ

 

the translation of which is, “Children of Adam, wear fine clothing in every mosque.” And that is especially important on jumuah. Abu Said al-Khudri said,

 

إن من الحق على المسلم إذا كان يوم الجمعة السواك وأن يلبس من صالح ثيابه وأن يتطيب بطيب إن كان 

 

“Part of the duties of the Muslim man on the day of Jumu‘a is to use the siwak, wear the finest of his clothes and put on perfume if he has any.”

The fifth adab is similar to the fourth: just as you must strive to smell good when you come to the mosque you must also avoid partaking of things that make you smell bad. So, you should not eat garlic, onions or any other food that causes you breath or body to smell before entering the mosque. Similarly, you must avoid smoking cigarettes immediately prior to coming into the mosque. And if you do not, then you must at least make every effort to get rid of that smell before coming in. For those smells drive away the angels and bother others who are praying in the mosque. The Prophet said,

 

من أكل الثوم والبصل والكراث فلا يقربن مسجدنا فإن الملائكة تتأذى مما يتأذى منه بنو آدم

 

“Anyone who eats garlic, onions or leeks should not come near our mosque, for the angels are troubled and distressed by what makes humans troubled and distressed.”

 

أقول قولي هذا و أستغفر الله لي و لكم و لسائر المسلمين من كل ذنب فاستغفروه إنه هو الغفور الرَّحيم

الحمد لله الحمد لله رب العالمين، وأشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له وأشهد أن محمداً عبده ورسوله، صلى الله وسلم وبارك عليه وعلى آله وصحبه، والتابعين وتابعي التابعين ومن تبعهم بإحسان إلى يوم الدين.

أما بعد! فيأيها الذين ءامنوا اتقوا الله ما استطعتم واسمعوا وأطيعوا وأنفقوا خيرا لأنفسكم. يا عباد الله أوصيكم وإياي بتقوى الله وطاعته وأحذركم وإياي عن معصيته ومخالفته. قال الله عز وجل في كتابه الكريم: فِي بُيُوتٍ أَذِنَ اللَّهُ أَن تُرْفَعَ وَيُذْكَرَ فِيهَا اسْمُهُ يُسَبِّحُ لَهُ فِيهَا بِالْغُدُوِّ وَالْآصَالِ رِجَالٌ لَّا تُلْهِيهِمْ تِجَارَةٌ وَلَا بَيْعٌ عَن ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَإِقَامِ الصَّلَاةِ وَإِيتَاء الزَّكَاةِ

 

Allah says in His Noble Book, the translation of which is, “In houses which Allah has permitted to be built and in which His name is remembered, there are men who proclaim His glory, morning and evening, not distracted by trade or commerce from the remembrance of Allah and the establishment of the prayer and the payment of zakat.” 

The sixth adab towards the mosque is leading with your right foot when you enter, saying the dua,

اللهم صل على سيدنا محمد، اللهم افتح لي أبواب رحمتك

 

“O Allah, bless our master, Muhammad. O Allah open the doors of Your mercy for me.” And leading with your left foot when you leave, saying,

 

اللهم صل على سيدنا محمد، اللهم إني أسألك من فضلك

 

  “O Allah, bless our master, Muhammad. O Allah I ask you from Your bounteous favour.”

The seventh is praying two rakats on greeting the mosque upon entering it and before sitting down. The Prophet said,

إذا دخل أحكم المسجد فلا يجلس حتى يصلي ركعتين

 

“If you go into the mosque, do not sit until you have prayed two rakats.”

The only time these two rakats are not prayed is during those times when nafila prayers are disliked or forbidden, such as the time between Asr and Maghrib, the time after Subh until sunrise, when the imam is on the minbar delivering the khutba, and when the fard prayer is in process. However, if someone makes the intention of greeting the mosque along with his intention to follow the imam and pray the fard prayer, he receives the reward of doing both. If for some reason you find yourself unable to pray the tahiyatul masjid then you should recite the dua, 

 

سبحان الله والحمد لله ولا إله إلا الله والله أكبر ولا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله العلي العظيم

 

three times instead.

The eighth adab is to ensure you are in a full state of purity when you enter the mosque both physical and ritual. You should not just be in a state of wudu, but also free from impurities of any sort. Hence,it is not permitted for someone in a state of janaba or a woman in a state of menstruation to enter the mosque. And, by extension, it is not permitted for non-Muslims to come into the mosque, for they are declared by Allah to be ‘najas’ - ‘impure. Indeed, by definition, they are all in a state of janaba. Allah says,

 

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا إِنَّمَا الْمُشْرِكُونَ نَجَسٌ فَلَا يَقْرَبُوا الْمَسْجِدَ الْحَرَامَ بَعْدَ عَامِهِمْ هَذَا

 

the translation of which is, “You who believe! the mushrikun are unclean, so after this year they should not come near the Masjid al-Haram.”

The ninth adab is looking after the mosque, guarding it and keeping it clean and well-scented. Allah says in surat al-Baqara,

وَعَهِدْنَا إِلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ أَنْ طَهِّرَا بَيْتِيَ

 

the translation of which is, “We contracted with Ibrahim and Isma’il: ‘Purify My House’”. According to Ibn ‘Abbas, this means to keep it clean and burn incense in it. And the ruling applies to all mosques, not just the Ka’aba, for A’isha mentions that the Prophet commanded that the mosques be cleaned and perfumed.

The job of cleaning the mosque is one of the noblest occupations any man or woman can hope to do, and has been the making of many of the great men and women of Allah. In the time of the Prophet there was a woman called Umm Mihjan who used to sweep the mosque. One day the Prophet passed by a freshly dug grave was informed that it was hers so he scolded his companions for not telling him that she had died so that he could have prayed the janazah prayer over her. Then he went up to her grave, stood beside it and prayed over her then and there.

The tenth adab is to avoid engaging in buying, selling, asking after lost property and raising the voice in argumentation within the bounds of the mosque. The mosque is a place for dhikr and reflection, for the acquisition of knowledge and the recitation of Quran and prayer, not a place for conducting one’s business and engaging in worldly affairs. The Prophet said,

 

جنبوا مساجدكم صبيانكم ومجانينكم وبيعكم وخصوماتكم ورفع أصواتكم وسل سيوفكم

 

“Keep your young children, your mad, your buying and selling, your disputes, your raised voices and your unsheathed swords away from your mosques.” Those who bring such things into the mosque will find that no good comes of them - any business conducted therein will not bring profit and any dispute will turn out badly. In the mosque, you are in the company of your Lord, so leave your business and concerns outside and devote yourself exclusively to His business. When you are there, speak only good. Adab towards the mosque is to bring it to life and fill it with light, not drag it down to the level of the streets. 

As for the prohibition against children, that applies when they are too young to be able to behave themselves, and so run around the mosque disturbing and distracting those who are using the mosque. And is especially applicable at Jumu’ah. So, if you are unable to keep your small children under control then do not bring them to the Jumu’ah. However, if the children are old enough to behave and be aware of their surroundings, then you must bring them to help instil in their hearts a love and respect for the house of Allah.

These are some of the adabs due to the houses of Allah, so respect them, take them on and make them part of you. And above-- all, keep the houses of Allah alive and do not allow them to become empty and peopleless ruins. We ask Allah to give us success in that, and fill this mosque with light and baraka. And we ask Him to reward all of those who are involved in its establishment, building, upkeep, protection, management and cleaning.

 

إِنَّ اللهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ، يَا أَيُهَا الذِينَ آمَنُواْ صَلُّواْ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُواْ تَسْلِيماً. اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ وَبَارِكْ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ  أَجْمَعِينَ. 

وَارْضَ اللَّهُمَّ عَنِ الْخُلَفَاءِ الرَّاشِدِينَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ وَعُثْمَانَ وَعَلِيٍّ، وَعَنْ سَائِرِ الصَّحَابَةِ أَجْمَعِينَ، خُصُوصاً اِلأَنْصَارَ مِنْهُمْ وَالمُهَاجِرِينَ، وَعَنِ التَّابِعِينَ وَتَابِعِي التَّابِعِينَ وَمَنْ تَبِعَهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ إِلَى يَوْمِ الدِّينِ.

اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِ وُلَاةَ أُمُورِ المُسْلِمِينَ لِمَا يُرْضِيكَ وَلِاتِّبَاعِ سُنَّةِ نَبِيِّكَ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَهُمْ عَلَى الصِّرَاطِ المُسْتَقِيمِ، وَأَصْلِحْهُمْ يَا رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ.

اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى شَيْخِنَا، وَعَلَى أَمِيرِنَا، وَعَلَى جَمِيعِ أُمَرَاءِ وَزُعَمَاءِ المُسْلِمِينَ.  

اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى المُسْلِمِينَ فِي هَذِهِ المَدِينَةِ، وَوَفِّقْهُمْ لِمَا تُحِبُّهُ وَتَرْضَاهُ يَا أَكْرَمَ الأَكْرَمِينَ. 

اللَّهُمَّ أَعِزَّ الإِسْلَامَ وَالمُسِْلمِينَ (3) وَاخْذُلِ الْكُفْرَ وَالْكَافِرِينَ، وَانْصُرِ المُجَاهِدِينَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ. وَاجْعَلْ كَلِمََتَكَ هِيَ العُلْيَا وَكَلِمَةَ الْكُفْرِ هِيَ السُّفْلَى.

رَبَّنَا ءَاتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقَِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ. 

اللَّهُمَّ لاَ تَدَعْ فِي مَقَامِنَا هَذَا ذَنْباً إِلاَّ غَفَرْتَهُ، وَلاَ عَيْباً إِلاَّ سَتَرْتَهُ، وَلاَ مَرِيضاً إِلاَّ شَفَيْتَهُ وَعَافَيْتَهُ، وَلاَ مَسْجُوناً إِلاَّ طَلَقْتَ سَرَاحَهُ، وَلاَ مُسَافِراً فِي بَرِّكَ وَبَحْرِكَ إِلاَّ سَلِِمْتَهُ وَغَنِمْتَهُ.

إِنَّ اللهَ يَامُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَى، وَيَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ، يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَّكَّرُونَ، وَلَذِكْرُ اللهِ أَكْبَرُ وَاللهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ. وَقُومُواْ إِلَى صَلاتِكُمْ يَرْحَمُكُمُ اللهُ.