The full name of the Masjid al-Haram Mosque."Masjid" in translation from Arabic - "mosque", that is the place where worship is performed, "al-Haram" means "forbidden". In the Russian translation it sounds like "Forbidden Mosque".
In the center of the mosque is the famous Kaaba -a place for the worship of believers in the form of a cubic structure, fully covered with a black cloth, quite large in size: 15 meters in height, 10 - in length and 12 - in width. The building is made of granite and has a room inside. It was built by the envoy Ibrahim with the purpose of worshiping humanity to the one Creator of the universe - Allah. Since then, all the faithful Muslims, wherever they are, turn to the Kaaba when performing the prayer. The temple of al-Haram with the Kaaba is associated with one of the most important rites - hajj.
According to the Arab legend, for the first time the sanctuary onThe place of modern Kaaba was established by Adam. When the punishment for the World Flood was sent to the earth, Ibrahim again restored the shrine. Before Allah sent people to Islam, there was a pagan sanctuary of Quraysh. After the advent of the Prophet Mohammad, s.v. Kaaba became the place of worship of Muslims - Kibla. Each mosque in the world has a niche, or a mihrab, which indicates the location of the Qibla for the worshipers.
The orthodox is convinced that he came to this world withthe only purpose - the worship of the Almighty. All the actions and thoughts of a person should be connected with the name of Allah. For any gesture and word, the slave of Allah will answer on the Day of Judgment. One of the main duties of every Muslim is five times prayer. This is a prayer performed in a state of ablution (ritual purity) in the allotted time five times a day.
In any city where Muslims livemosque, muezzin from the minaret encourages the faithful to perform prayer. At this time it seems that life has stopped, everything fills the voice pronouncing adhan. Any Muslim city at this moment stops its usual course, and people are preparing to perform a prayer. No earthly affairs can be more important than prayer. Because in the holy Qur'an it is said that one rak'ahat of prayer is the most expensive on earth.
The mosque is the place where you can relax fromsecular and secluded with thoughts of the eternal. It is more preferable to perform prayer with other brothers and sisters in the mosque's premises. This is called collective namaz.
Since the time when Islam firmly took its place in history, the mosque became the main element of any city where followers of the Prophet Mohammad SAV lived.
Etymologically, the mosque is the place where people commitsujud - an earthly bow. Man is obliged to perform worship only before Allah. Islam forbids to bow before anyone else. This, according to faith, is a great sin and is called "giving to God associates."
The mosque always combined the spiritual,cultural and socio-political functions. Since the very beginning of religion, mosques have not simply defended prayer. But they preached the doctrine, helped the indigent, and solved the most important social and political issues.
The mosque has always been and is the focus of purity asspiritual, and physical. It is not allowed to enter the house of the Creator on earth without observing the ritual ablution. Any work on keeping cleanliness in the mosque is also welcomed, for which a person will necessarily receive a reward after death.
In addition to prayer, a Muslim should perform morefour duties: to say shahada - a testimony of monotheism, to make a pilgrimage - a hajj to Mecca, to fast every year at a strictly certain time, to give zakat - alms to the indigent.
Currently, the quota for pilgrims from Russia is more than 20,000 people.
Every year more than 2 people come to the al-Haram Mosquemillions of adherents of Islam. Many Muslims dream of one day coming to pray at the al-Haram mosque (Mecca, Saudi Arabia). This mosque is designated in the Koran exactly 15 times. She has a very rich history. This mosque is older than the Palestinian mosque Beit al-Mukaddas.
For the first time, al-Haram was erected in 1570 andToday has 4 main entrances and 44 additional ones. At the same time, 700,000 people can pray at the mosque today. Nine minarets 89 meters high decorate the main mosque of three floors. There are also indoor galleries under the ground, open to pilgrims on weekends. Two huge power plants illuminate the complex. Everything is built in accordance with the latest technologies and the latest trends: radio and television broadcasting, air conditioners. This is done solely in order to ensure a comfortable stay for pilgrims. The greatness of al-Haram and the Ka'ba is not in rich furniture, but in its simplicity and holiness.
Masjid al-Haram differs from other mosquesthe world by the fact that Muslims from all over the world flock here annually to fall prostrate before Allah and fulfill one of the pillars of Islam. Thousands of people of different countries and nationalities, different skin color and social status gather together to glorify the Creator of the Earth and Heaven, learn something new or share their experience and knowledge, their problems.
After the last prophet Mohammad died, and his body was moved to Medina, the al-Haram mosque (Saudi Arabia) became the unified kiblah of all Muslims.
First, following the example of Mohammad, Muslims prayedin the direction of the Beit al-Mukaddas mosque in Jerusalem, like the Jews. However, the Jews in every way resisted this, which grieved the great prophet. And then the Almighty sent him a revelation in the form of 144 verses of surah "Bakar", in which he indicated to the prophet a uniform for Muslims, the kiblah - the al-Haram mosque. Since then, five times every day, millions of people professing Islam are turning to this side and praying to the Creator. The entrance to Mecca is open only to the faithful Muslims who come here in the 12th month of the Muslim calendar.
Constantly for the expansion and improvement of the mosque, large funds are being spent. The contribution is made not only by Saudi Arabia, in whose possessions the mosques of Mecca and Medina develop, but also Egypt, Iran, and Turkey.
One of the serious problems is overcrowdingareas of the mosque and automobile congestion - they planned to solve during the reconstruction by increasing the area areas. To facilitate the stay of those praying in Mecca, one metro line was built, uniting two places of worship.
The last time the mosque was subjected to a largereconstruction in the early 21st century, from 2007 to 2012, as a result of which the area increased to 400,000 km. King of Saudi Arabia was laid a stone-symbol for an increase in area. The main mosque of al-Haram Saudi Arabia has changed beyond recognition. Anyone who can decide to visit it can see it. You can also use the numerous images to appreciate the beauty of the al-Haram mosque (photo below). In the entire history of the mosque, this reconstruction is the most grandiose. Upon completion of the construction, the complex became more than half as large. And now more than 1.12 million believers can pray simultaneously, and if you take into account all adjacent buildings, then the number of participants increases to 2.5 million.
It was not always so good.In 1979, pilgrims had to survive the monstrous capture of hostages by terrorists right during the Hajj. About five hundred armed people barricaded themselves in the building of the mosque and from the height of the minaret, from where they call for supplication, stated the demands of the leader, Juhayman al-Utaybi. The essence of their actions was that they were the ideologists of the old prediction, according to which, before the Day of Judgment, Mahdi should come to the land and purify Islam. Directly the invaders opposed the fact that the ruling circles acquired luxury, that people began to make images of people, Saudi Arabia is doing business with America and selling oil to it, against television, excessive permissiveness in behavior. The invaders called to worship the new mission - the Mahdi at the walls of the Kaaba. The fact that they decided to shed blood on the Holy Land, the militants attributed the impossibility of tolerating the oppression of religion.
The struggle against the invaders lasted more than twoweeks, until the Masjid al-Haram Mosque was completely liberated from the bandits. The Saudi government was unable to cope on their own and was forced to seek help from the French. Three specialists from France flew out of France, whose role was reduced to consulting assistance. They did not have to take part in the liberation, because they were not Muslims. When the assault was over, the terrorists were beheaded in the square. For 50 years this was the most terrible execution in Saudi Arabia.
