The status of the Masjid in the Islamic society makes it the source of spiritual and material guidance: it is the hall of worship, the school for knowledge and the club for literary pursuits. Strongly attached to the duty of prayers and the rows of worshippers are moral attitudes and traditions which form the essence of Islam. But now the people, who are incapable of building personalities on the basis of strong morals, have sought consolation in the building of huge mosques containing petty-minded worshippers! Opposite to that were the early generations of believers. They kept away from the adornment of their mosques but purified and disciplined themselves and were true reflections of Islam. The Masjid which the Prophet (peace be upon him) dedicated his efforts towards building before any other task (i.e. upon arrival in Madina, ed.) was not just a piece of land on which prayers alone were performed. In fact, the whole earth is a mosque and the Muslim need not confine himself to a place for the purpose of worship. It was in fact a symbol of the thing to which Islam attached the utmost importance. It was a symbol of the deep connection between the worshippers and their Lord that is constantly renewed with the passing of time and recurs throughout the night and day. There can be no value in a civilization that is negligent of the One God, is ignorant of the Last Day and mixes the good with the bad! The civilization that Islam brought constantly reminds of Allah and the meeting with Him, urges adherence to the good and repudiation of the bad and stays within the limits set by Allah. – Fiqh-us
