The meaning and purpose of public worship
Public worship takes place in the Meeting place for prayer, worship and community for Muslims.. The Muslim caller to prayer; muâadhdhin in Arabic. (mu'adhdhin) calls the people to prayer, sometimes from a The tower in a mosque from which the call to prayer is made..
The five daily prayers which are the second Pillar of Islam. is led by the A Muslim religious figure who leads the communal prayer and is also a leader in the local community and mosque. In Shi'a Islam, the title is given to a line of descendants of Muhammad (twelve in all) who are believed to be exemplary human beings., a man chosen for his knowledge of the The sacred book in Islam, it is believed that it contains the word of God, dictated by Angel Jibril and written in Arabic..
The imam leads the people in the A unit of bodily actions and recitations from the Qur'an said during prayer. Each prayer consists of various numbers of rakâahs..
At Friday prayers, also called Jumu'ah, the imam preaches a sermon using words from the Qur'an. The Friday prayers are obligatory for men.
Before worship, Muslims must perform a ritual washing (wudu) to prepare for prayer:
- Muslims who believe in the successorship of Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali as leaders of the Muslim community after the Prophet Muhammad. wash their hands, mouth, nose, face, arms, forehead and hair, ears and feet three times - in that order.
- The word 'Shi'ah' comes from a phrase meaning 'followers of Ali'. Shi'ah Muslims believe that Ali succeeded the Prophet Muhammad. wash their face first, then arms and use the moisture to wipe their head and feet.
If no water is available, clean sand may be used.
Upon entering the mosque, Muslims remove their shoes and sit on the floor facing the qiblah (prayer wall) which allows them to face City where the Prophet Muhammad was born, and where the Kaâba is located - often spelt Makkah. during worship.
Women may attend the mosque, but they must sit separately from men.