First
Cornerstone:
Return of Mankind to Allah

1-Building Al-Masjid
An-Nabawi

The first construction that Prophet
Muhammad r built when he arrived
in Al-Madinah was the Masjid, the house of worship, to bring mankind back to their Maker and to reconcile man to
man, where
hearts are cleansed and raised from earthly to heavenly concerns.

That Masjid, which the
Messenger r first directed his energy into building, is not a piece of
land allocated for worship, for a Muslim is not limited to a place to offer
worship: “The earth has been made for me a Masjid and a means of
purification; therefore, wherever any of my followers is at a time of
Salah, they can pray.”2

Rather, it symbolizes what is most
important and most adhered to in Islam, that is, the relationship between
people and their Lord. A relationship that is renewed and strengthened throughout every day and night. “I (Allah) am with My
servant when he remembers Me. If he remembers me to himself, I remember him to
Myself… if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running.”3

A relationship that is renewed and
strengthened through the daily walks to the Masjid, the steps
taken, and the disengagement from anything else to come submissively to stand
before the Lord of Existence and pray. “Anyone
who purifies himself in his house then walks to one of the Houses of Allah to perform one of the obligatory Salahs
enjoined by Allah, every two steps he takes, one will erase a sin and the other
will raise him one degree in status.”4

“Anyone who goes to the
Masjid, morning or evening, Allah will prepare for him an honorable abode in Paradise every time he comes to it and goes.”5

Walking his way to it, the Prophet r supplicated, saying,
“O Allah, place in my heart light, and upon my tongue light, and within
my ears light, and within my eyes light, and place behind me light, and in
front of me light, and above me light, and beneath me light. O Allah, bestow upon me light.”6

Entering or leaving, he r supplicated, saying,
“When any one of you enters the Masjid, let him say, ‘O Allah, open to
me the gates of Your Mercy,’ and when he leaves let him say, ‘O Allah, I
ask You of Your Bounty.’” 7

No civilization is of any worth or
value if it forgets its Creator, forgets the Day of return to Him, and confuses
good with evil.

The Islamic civilization that Prophet
Muhammad r built is constantly reminded of the One God and the
meeting with Him. It ever exhorts to good and fights evil while living within
the Boundaries of Allah’s Law.8

2-True Foundations

The
Messenger of Allah r mounted his camel and proceeded onward,
the people walking along with him, until his camel knelt down at the place to
become the Masjid of the Messenger of Allah r
at Al-Madinah. Some Muslim men used to pray there at that time. The place was a
yard for drying dates and belonged to Suhail and Sahl, two orphan boys who were
under the guardianship of ‘As‘ad bin Zurarah.

When his camel knelt down, the Messenger of Allah r
said, “This, by the Will Allah, is the landing place.” He r then called the two boys and negotiated with them
over (the price of) the yard so that he might take it as a Masjid. The
two boys said, “No, we offer it as a gift to you, O Messenger of Allah.”
But the Messenger of Allah r refused to accept it
as a gift from them; he r bought it from them
and built a Masjid there.9

The Masjid was built of adobe, its roof from palm
leaves, and its pillars from the trunks of date palms.10

The Prophet r
himself participated in building the Masjid, carrying the adobe with his
Companions while chanting with them:

O Allah! The (true)
reward is the reward of the hereafter

So be merciful to
Al-Ansar and Al-Muhajirah (Emigrants) 11

The concrete structure was very simple, for it was not the true
foundation of the Prophet’s Masjid. Its true foundation was piety laid
down from the first day. (A
Masjid whose foundation was laid from the first day on piety.)12

Inside, the worshiper truly humbled himself before his Creator.
Abu Sa‘id Al-Khudri t narrated, “A cloud
came and it rained until the roof (of the Masjid) started leaking. It was made
of the leaves of date palms. The Iqamah (call to
commence the prayer) was then announced, and I saw the Messenger of
Allah r prostrating in
water and mud. I even saw the traces of mud on his forehead.”13

The Masjid was not only a place for worship, but also an
academy where the Muslims received the teachings and instructions of Islam. It was
an assembly place where the different tribes met and merged after they had
clashed for so long during the wars and conflicts of Jahiliyyah. It was
a base for administrating all the affairs of the Muslims. It was a parliament
for holding consultative and executive councils. And, it was a home for many
poor refugees from the emigrants who had no home, no
money, no family, and nowhere to turn.14

3-Call to Salah

When
the Muslims arrived in Al-Madinah they used to assemble for Salah and estimate
the time for coming to perform it. There was no summons to it.15

The Prophet r was concerned about
how to gather the people for Salah.

The people told him, “Hoist a flag at the time of Salah.
When the people see it, they will inform one another.” He r did not like it.

They mentioned to him r
the horn, but he r
did not like it either. He r
said, “This is a matter of the Jews.”

Then they mentioned to him the bell. He r said, “This is a
matter of the Christians.”

‘Abdullah bin Zaid t left, feeling anxious
for the anxiety of the Messenger of Allah r.
Then he was shown the Azan (Call to Prayer) in his dream. In the
morning, he came to the Messenger of Allah r and informed him
about it.

He said, “O Messenger of Allah, I was between sleep and
wakefulness when all of a sudden a comer came (to me) and taught me the Azan.”16

He taught him to say:

Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest.

Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest.

I testify that there
is god but Allah.

I testify that there is god but Allah.

I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.

I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.

Come to Salah, come
to Salah.

Come to success, come to success.

Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest.

There is no god but Allah.

The Prophet r said, “It is a
true vision, by the Will of Allah. So get up along with Bilal, recite to him
what you have seen, and let him call to Salah with it; for his voice is
stronger than yours.”17

This Call to Salah, announced five times a day, summarizes
the Message of Islam. It contains the Two Testimonies of Faith upon which the
entire religion of Islam is based. To worship none but Allah U,
that is, saying: I testify that there is god but Allah; and to worship
Him in the way He taught His Messenger r – only His Messenger,
not a god – that is, saying: I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of
Allah.

It is the powerful reminder, started and
ended with the words “الله أكبر الله أكبر”
to awaken the followers of Muhammad r
to duty:
Your God is Greater, far Greater than anything and everything that may
interfere or distract you from answering His Call, so Come to Salah!
Come to Success!18