The Penn's Grove record., 1893-09-08
IN A MOSQUE.

- SrNN
IN a MOSQUE.
The word Mosque 10 derived from
the Arabic "masjid," and signifies q
place of PRAYER. 1t is the church oil
the Mohammedans. The peculiar
shape and simple beSuty OF the
MOSQUE enables it to be distinguished
Immediately in MohammUdan countries
from q Christian church pr q heather
temple. 1t is square, AMI has a cen
trail dome and two or more m~inarets.
The minaret is a very distinctive fell
ture of the mosque. When the proph
ct Mohammed introduced the Gus
tom Of calling the faithful to prayers
by the human voice instead OF ny the
sound of q bell, minarets, which are
tall towers, were built thaO tho Muezzlp,
| or crier, should have an exalted sta
ton from which to sumIlon the peo'
| pie to worship. So the mosque has
| its minare.s rs the Oh ;stiIn chur h
has its beethoven.
/ Five times q dly the Muczzin as
| cends his minaret, IN II n lold clear
| voice calls upon tie faitl tll to pay,
wherever they may be, whatever they
might be doing. 1t is curious to a
| stranger in a Mohamsledan city to
| hear the beautiful SUNNI n fiom the
| minarets OF tie mosques Mt noon or
| in the evening. "God i, greati' cries
| the Muezzin, "God is great l hear
| witness that there is no goi but God. L
bear witness that Mohtmmed lie tho
| APOSTLE of God. Como to prnyersl
| Come to Salvation! God is great!
| Prayers are better than Eleepf'
In poor places the mosques are
| small, and built Of briek Ks and mud,
with white-washed walls: bat where the
population is numerous and wealthy
the mosque may be built of marble, the
walls exquisitely colored in rich and
fantastic designs, and caEable of hold
ing from ten thousand to fifteen thou
sand worshippers. Windows are not
common, most mosques being lighted
by very tall doorways, but in the great
Mosque of Omar at Jerusalem there
are fifty six stained glass windows of
wonderful workmanship. In this
mosque, however. there is no worship
ping, the interior OF the building
being almost entirely filed by a huge
rock, which the faithful believe to be
the very rock upon which Abraham
was about to STAY his son Isaac as a
sacrifice. Services are held in the
courtyard at Jerusalem, ,ind 1t is here
that the pulpit is placed from which
sermons are occasionally preached.
The mosque is usually surrounded
by a high stone wall. and the entrance
gate, as Mr.. Pool ohIerves in his
"Studies In Mohammsdanism," sis
always on the latch, and there are no
locks, bars or bolts. A mosque is
meant for tho worship Of God, and it
would be regarded by thu Mohammed-
n as q very sad thing indeed if n
Of the faithful, rich or poor, were n
pble, night or day, to obtain admit
lance"
Beyond the boundary wall is the
courtyard, in the centre Of which is a
great tank or reservoir, snd at the far
end stands the house OF prayer, Ger
tain additions must be performed at
the tank before the houS of prayer is
entered. 1t is written ii the Koran,
go true believers, when We prepare
yourselves to pray, rub our heads and
hands unto the elbows, tnd your feet
up to the ankles" Where no water is
to be had, sand or fine dust nay be
used as a substitute.
1t is in the courtyard that public
worship is held in warm weather, and
in India this is always common, the
courtyard being regarded as little less
sacred than the mosque itself. Mo.
hammedans are very jealous Of the in
trusion of Christians in 10 their places
OF worship, and only of late years has
it been possible for any but the faith
full themselves to pass over the thresh-
old OF a mosque. Even new their
presence is always disliked, and, not
infrequently, resented. The shoes must
be removed, and felt slippers drawn
on.
A stranger on entering will scarcely
fail to notice three or four peculiar
and striking features. The first is the
extreme plainness of the interior walls.
There may be a sentence or two from
the Koran, but no ~ornaplent, as such,
is permitted. This was a point upon
which Mohammed was rery strict: no
pictures, no statues, 10 representa-.
tions of any living creatures. The
stone or marble floor of the mosque is
usually bare, but sometimes covered
with plain mats. Again it will be no.
tlced that there are no seats; nor, as
a rule, is there any description of fur
niture beyond the pulpit and the read
ing desk, which contains q copy OF the
Scriptures. AnoticeablO feature is the
niche in the wall opposlte to the en-
trance. This niche ssis an indication
that in that direction lirs Mecca. the
sacred city OF the MohaInmedans. ALI
worshippers, when engaged in their
devotions, must turn their faces
towards Mecca" and the niche in the
wall points them in tho right direc-
ton, and serves also as q perpetual re-
minder of their religious duty.
Friday is the day set opart for pub
hc worship, "The Day Of the Assem-
bly," as it is called in tho Koran. Tins
may be for the reason that 1t was on a
Friday that Mohammed, on quitting
Mecca, made his public entry into
Medina - the day of the famous
"Heiira" or flight, frc m which the
faithful reckon their era. Ms we count
ours from the time of CT rist.
Gut the MohammedaR FRIDAY is moi
as strictly observed as the Christian
Sunday. The Moha nmedan will
change his apparel, ard tako a full
bath, and will perhaps b more gener.
n in almsglving on thai day; but the
formal and acknowledg ID sanctity OF
tho day does not greatly interfere with
tie routine of business nor does the
Mohammedsn consider it absoluteI.
necessary that no SHE uld be seer
amongst the Friday worthippers. The
probability is neverthels Is that he will
Attend church.
In the mosque the rich, and the pool