Islam is such a perfect and complete religion whose blessed teachings encompass all the spheres and aspects of life. Respect and reverence for Masjid also holds special importance in Islam because Masjid is that sacred place whose rays of blessed Islamic teachings spread everywhere. Let’s read about how A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه would show respect and reverence for a Masjid:
How to enter the Masjid?
While describing the manners of entering the Masjid, A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه said, ‘When heading towards one place to the other in the Masjid, one should step in with the right foot even he should also place his right foot on the prayer mat of the row of the Masjid and [even] he should also place his right foot on the floor of the Masjid when leaving the [previous] place.’ (Malfuzaat-e-A’la Hadrat, pp. 318)
Placing right foot everywhere
Respected Sayyid Ayyub ‘Ali Sahib said: One day A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه unusually got little late for the Fajr Salah; Salah-offering people were looking at the blessed house of Imam of Ahl-us-Sunnah over and over again. Soon Imam of Ahl-us-Sunnah appeared to be coming hurriedly. Respectable brother Qana’at ‘Ali shared his thought at that time, ‘Let’s observe whether A’la Hadrat places his right or left foot when entering the Masjid in this short time.’ But what an amazing thing to notice at that time that A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه entered the Masjid placing his right foot on the staircase of the door of the Masjid; similarly, when he رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه placed his foot on the floor of Masjid, it was the right blessed foot; when he placed his foot on the extended area of the Masjid, it was the right blessed foot; when he رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه placed his foot on the only ‘prayer mat of the row’ laid on the courtyard, it was the right blessed foot; when he placed his foot on the Qadeemi (old Masjid) area, it was the right blessed foot; it did not end here, he رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه even kept placing his blessed right foot on the prayer mat of each row of the Masjid until he reached the Mihrab and he even placed his right blessed foot on the prayer mat laid inside the Mihrab. (Hayat-e-A’la Hadrat, vol. 1, pp. 144)
Chilly and stormy night
Once Imam of Ahl-us-Sunnah رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه was the Mu’takif [observing I’tikaf] in his Masjid and it was a chilly and rainy night. A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه was anxious about the Wudu for ‘Isha Salah as to where he may sit and make ablution; after all, he made Wudu inside the Masjid sitting on a four-fold quilt but he رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه did not even let a single drop of water fall on the floor of the Masjid and spent the whole chilly and stormy night in wakefulness while shivering. (Hayat-e-A’la Hadrat, vol. 1, pp. 146)
Advice about showing manners for Masjid
A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه not only used to show reverence for a Masjid himself but also used to advise people to do so. A man, called Nawab Sahib, came to the Masjid for performing Salah and carelessly dropped his stick onto the ground while standing and the sound of it was heard by the people present in the Masjid. A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه said, ‘Nawab Sahib! It is even forbidden to walk with heavy steps in the Masjid, let alone dropping this stick with force onto the floor.’ Upon this, Nawab Sahib promised that this would not happen in future. (A’la Hadrat ki Infiradi Koshishayn, pp. 35, summarised)
Cautiousness about walking in the Masjid
A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه would walk in the Masjid on his heels and toes and also advise others not to walk on the floor of Masjid in such a way which produces a sound. (Hayat-e-A’la Hadrat, vol. 3, pp. 86)
Reverence for Qiblah in the Masjid
A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه would recite Awraad-o-Wazaaif (Islamic invocations) sometimes while walking in the Masjid from north to south but he رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه would return from the boundary area of the floor of the Masjid facing Qiblah direction and no one ever saw him turning his back towards Qiblah. (Hayat-e-A’la Hadrat, vol. 1, pp. 146, summarised)
Oil lamp and the manners of Masjid
Once it was a rainy season; and at the time of ‘Isha, the strong gusts of wind would extinguish the oil lamp which was lit by the bitter oil (which does not have a smell) over and over again. It would become very difficult to light it again and again due to rain and another reason of it was that the matchstick of Norway was in use at that time which would produce sulphur smell when lighting it. So there was an Islamic ruling about it that it should be lit out of the Masjid [due to its bad smell]. Upon this, Haji Kifayatullah Sahib, an especial servant of Imam of Ahl-us-Sunnah, took a lantern, got simple glasses fixed all four sides of it, poured castor oil in it, lit it and placed it inside the Masjid. After a while, A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه saw it and said, ‘Haji Sahib! You must have heard this Islamic ruling many times that it is forbidden to light the lamp using a foul-smelling oil.’ He humbly said, ‘Honourable Shaykh! I have used castor oil for it.’ A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه said: How will passers-by believe that this lantern contains castor oil? They will consider it to be the foul-smelling kerosene oil and will say, ‘They [we] mention in Fatwa that using a foul-smelling kerosene oil for the lamp is forbidden in the Masjid but they [we] are using it in the Masjid themselves’. However, if you sit beside it and repeatedly keep saying it, ‘This lantern contains castor oil’, then there is no harm in it. Upon this, Haji Sahib extinguished the lantern and placed it out of the Masjid. (Hayat-e-A’la Hadrat, vol. 1, pp. 150, summarised)
About using the kerosene oil, A’la Hadrat رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه has stated in Fatawa Razawiyyah: Kerosene oil gives off a strong foul odour and it is strictly impermissible to take it inside the Masjid. (Fatawa Razawiyyah, vol. 8, pp. 102)
May Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ grant us the blessing of Adab [good manners] for the sake of the Adab of Imam of Ahl-us-Sunnah, Imam Ahmad Raza Khan رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه.
اٰمِيۡن بِجَاهِ النَّبِيِّ الۡاَمِيۡن صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيۡهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم
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