Translated By: Vahid Pourtajrishi
Mosque is the God’s house, base of guardianship and the source of spiritual benefits for worshipers and the Islamic society. We can find many Ayah and commentaries from the Imams of Shiite and the prophet of Islam on this Islamic element. The Islamic vision on mosque is strategic. In this view, mosque is useful in various social aspects. The grand prophet’s first work was mosque construction. Mosques play important role in social activities, Programs and educational affairs. In the present essay, we try to explain the most important social and educational activities of mosques:
1) Brotherhood and cooperation
Presence of men and women and their greetings to each other is just a bit of the great inherent capacity of mosques. Muslims can find their competent friends among the worshippers who attend mosques as their religious brother or sister and are able to create synchronised social groups. Imam Sadeq (greetings to him) says: those people who attend mosques, at least obtain one of three points which one of them is a useful friendship in the God’s way (Vasaelul Shiah, the fifth volume, page no.193)
« لا یَرْجِعُ صاحِبُ الْمَسْجِدِ باَقَلّ مِنْ اِحْدی ثَلاثِ خِصالٍ:... وَاِمّا اَخٌ یَسْتَفیدُهُ فِی اللّهِ
The faithful worshippers are gathered in mosque having greetings and cooperation together beside of praying. Following this manner will cause to create the sacrifice, charity, empathy spirit among the mosque inhabitants.
2) Social health and crime reduction
If most of citizens of a society attend mosques, the mentioned society will be a religious healthy one. Behavioural influences of mosques attendance could prevent society from falling in corruption and seen trap. According to Imam Ali (greetings to him), someone leaves a seen because fear of God or his social prestige (Vasaelul Shiah, the third volume, Page no.480)
اَوْ کَلِمَةً تَرُدُّهُ عَنْ رِدی اَوْ یَتْرُکُ ذَنْبا خَشْیَةً اَوْ حَیاءً
Then, presence in mosques can play important prevention role against seen and crimes. Imam Khomeini has asserted: ‘’ pay attention to Salaat and mosques that crime folders in courts belonged to those people who don’t pray. Devils fear of mosques and Salaat. They want to prevent praying to attack us.
Good behaving with people, humility, simple life and ambition are the characteristics of religious identity and will be empowered by mosque and non-existence of these factors is cause of crime.
3) Presenting the Islamic patterns:
Education according the Islamic patterns is one of the best educational methods which mosques play important role in this issue. Imam and worshippers who pray in mosques are more faithful to the religious principles. These worshippers who hold the jama’ah Salaat just for God’s consent and never leave this trench are valuable and faithful people. According to Imam Sadeq(greetings to him) :
‘’When you find someone who prays in mosques regularly, certify his faith’’
«اذا رایتم الرجل یعتاد المسجد فاشهدوا له بالایمان
Having social interface with those people who are regular on praying in mosques is helpful for creation of positive behavioural patterns.
4) Improvement of religious knowledge and encouraging for religious studies:
The mosques had been the place of religious education since the Grand Prophet’s era and this manner had been continued till his next twelve Shiite leaders. The lectures of Imam Sadeq and Imam Baqer (greetings to them) had been held in mosques. Having more religious information which is achieved by attending the lectures or speeches of mosques helps people to find the ways of prosperity bitterly.
5) Improvement of religious identity:
Religious identity is mixed with human virtue and binds man to the moral values and divine rules. People who believe to the inspiration concept reject anything which is not compatible with the values and principle of their religious identity.
According to the characteristics of religious Islamic identity, mosque can empower this identity with its educational teachings. Mosque is the symbol of permanency of Islam and revivals the religious spirits and original principles by the concept of its activities.
6) Deepening of the values of the Islamic Republic of Iran:
Our mosques have been the trenches of the Islamic Revolution and the revolutionary slogans are shouted by the worshippers daily. During the post revolution years, our mosques have played important role in educating the executive forces and thinkers of the Islamic regime. In the process of establishment, victory and settlement of the Islamic revolution, mosques as an old traditional institute but update of society and the main column of the Islamic Revolution of Iran could be winner in a great match with the imported institutions from foreign cultures.