Wazifat al-Masjid fi al-Mujtama
- Author died
- 1418 AH
- Editions
- Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Wazifat al-Masjid fi al-Mujtama (The Function of the Mosque in Society) is a treatise by the Saudi scholar Salih bin Nasir al-Khuzaim (d. 1418 AH / 1998 CE) examining the religious, educational, and social roles of the mosque in Islamic society, along with associated legal rulings.
Background and Composition
The work was prepared as a research paper following an invitation extended to al-Khuzaim by Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulmohsen al-Turki, the Minister of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Dawah, and Guidance in Saudi Arabia. It was written for a symposium scheduled by the Ministry between 14 and 18 Shawwal 1414 AH. Al-Khuzaim completed the manuscript on 29 Sha'ban 1414 AH while serving at the College of Sharia and Usul al-Din in Qassim.
Contents and Structure
The book begins with linguistic definitions of the terms in its title (al-wazifa, al-masjid, and al-mujtama'), followed by a discussion of the virtues of mosques and their status in Islamic tradition, giving precedence to al-Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, and al-Masjid al-Aqsa.
The author outlines the diverse functions of the mosque in the community:
- Preaching and Da'wah: Serving as a center for guidance, religious counseling, and communal orientation.
- Education and Quran Study: Hosting study circles (halaqat) for memorizing, reciting, and understanding the Quran, as well as instructing students across Islamic sciences and Arabic linguistics.
- Social Unity and Consultation: Fostering brotherhood through the five daily prayers, Friday congregations, and Eid gatherings, and functioning as a forum for mutual consultation (shura) and resolving communal disputes.
- State Support: Highlighting institutional backing for mosque-based educational activities, such as Quran memorization associations and international competitions.
Jurisprudential Rulings Pertaining to Mosques
Al-Khuzaim dedicates a substantial part of the work to legal rulings (ahkam) governing mosque conduct, drawing upon hadiths and classical legal opinions:
- Sanctity and Etiquette: Obligation to clean, sweep, and perfume mosques; prohibition of contaminating them, spitting, smoking, or entering with offensive odors (such as raw garlic or onions); and the prohibition of commercial transactions, advertising lost property, and engaging in vain worldly chatter.
- Permissible Activities: Setting up tents or tending to wounded individuals in cases of necessity (as occurred with Sa'd ibn Mu'adh); resting or sleeping; holding judicial hearings and debt settlements; reciting poetry of commendable content; performing mutual imprecation (li'an); concluding marriage contracts; and placing food or water for public benefit.
- Prohibitions: Executing mandatory corporal punishments (iqamat al-hudud) within the mosque precincts.
The book concludes with original poems composed by al-Khuzaim celebrating the spiritual and communal status of mosques.
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