Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-09-13
IN A MOSQUE.

! Ia. Of prayer. 1t is the church of
tue Mohnmmedans. Tho peculiar
shape and simple beauty OF tho
mosque enables it to be distinguished
immediately in Mohammedan countries
from a Christian church or o heathen
temple. 1t is square, and has . CEN
trail dome and two or more minarsts-
The minaret is very distinctive fea-
ture of the mosque. When the proph
1T Mohammed introduced the Gus
tom of calling the faithful to prayers
by the human voice instead of by the
sound of bell, minarets, which are
tall towers, we're built that the Muezzin,
or crier, shoHld have an exalted sta
ton from which 10 summon the poo
pie to worship. So the mosque has
its minarets as the Christian church
has it's bell-tower.
Five times day the Muezzin as
cends his minaret, and In loud clear
voice calls upon the faithful to pray,
wherever they may be, whatever they
might be doing. It is curious to n
stranger in 3 Mohammedan city to
lear the beautiful summons from the
Ininarets OF the mosques at noon or
n the evening. "God " great" cries
the Muezzin, "God is great l bear
witness that there is no god but God. l
bear witness that Mohammed is the
Apostle of God. Come to prayersl
Come to Salvauonl God j. great!
Prayers are better than .leepl"
In poor places the mosques are
small, and built of bricks and mud,
with white-washed walls: bat whore the
population is numerous and wealthy
the mosque may be built OF mar BILE, the
walls e1quisitely colored in rich and
fantastic designs, and capable OF hold
ing from ten thousand 80 fifteen thou
sand worshippers Windows are not
common, N ost mosques being lighted
by very tall dOorways, but in the great
Mosque Of Omar at Jerusalem there
are ffty-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 huge
rock, which the faithful believe to be
the very rock upon which Abraham
was about to slay his son Isaac as
sacrifice. Services are held In the
courtyard at Jerusalem, and 1t is here
that the pulpit is placed, from which
sermons are occasionally preached.
The mosque is usually surrounded
by high stone wall, and the entrance
cate, as Mr.. Pool observes in his
Studies IN Mohammedsnism," sis
always on the latch, and there are no
locks, bars or bolts. A mosque is
meant for the worship OF God, and it
would be regarded by the Mohammed-
ans rs a very sad thing indeed if one
Of the faithful, rich or poor, were un-
pble, night or day, to obtain admit
taEce."
Beyond the boundary wall is the
courtyard, in the centre OF which Is
great tank or reservoir, and at the far
end stands the house OF prayer, Ger
tain ablutions must DO performed at
the tank before tho house of PRAYER is
,ntered. 1t is written in the Koran,
go true believers, when We prepare
yourselves to pray, rub your heads and
hands unto the elbows, and your feet
up to the ankles" Where no water is
TO be had, sand or fine dust may be
used az 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 les,
sacred than the mosque itself. Mo
hRnmednns are very jealous Of the in
trusion Of Christians into their places
of worship, and only OF late years has
1t been possible for any but the faith
full themselves to pass over the thre.h-
old Of n mosque. Even now their
presence is always disliked, and, not
infrequently, resented. The shoes must
he removed, and felt Shippers drawn
on.
y 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 ornament, as such,
is permitted. This WAS a point upon
which Mohammed was very strict: no
pictures, no statues, no 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.
tICed that there are no seats; nor, as
rule, is there any description OF fur
niture beyond the pulpit and the read
ing desk, which contains q copy of the
Scriptures. A noticeable feature is the
niche in the wall opposite to the en-
tIunce. This niche 'Is an indication
that in that direction lies Mecca, the
sacred city of the Mohammedans. ALI
worshippers, when engaged in their
devotlops, must turn their faces
towards Mecca" and the niche In the
wall points them in the right direc-
ton. and serves also as a perpetual re-
minder OF their religious duty.
Friday is the day set apart for pub
lie worship, ''Ihe Day OF the Assem-
bly, as it is called in the Koran. This
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
"Hejira" or flight, from which the
faithful reckon their era, as we count
ours from the time of Christ.
But the Mohammedan FRIDAY is not
rs strictly observed as the Christian
Sunday. The Mohammedau will
change his apparel, and take a full
bath, and will perhaps be more gener-
ous in almsgivlng on that day; but the
formal and acknowledged sanctity OF
the day does not greatly interfere with
tie routine of business, nor does the
MOhammcdsn consider it absolutely
necessary that he should be seen
amongst the Friday worshippers. The
probability is nevertheless that he will
attend church.
In the mosque the rich and the poor
meet together as they are seldom seen
to do in any other place of worship,
and with very little distinction In their
appearance, for no fnery is to be OBJ
ierved and no ornaments. Tho rich
would think it vulgar and even irrelig-
ious to dress themselves in a costly or
snowy manner for public service, and
the worshippers are without exception
very simply and plainly attired. Nor