Falah means salvation. The word salvation is interpreted differently by various groups.
This word is imagined in the eyes of a poor man as a comfortable home where he can stay, as enough food to fill his stomach and clothes to be covered in. In short what he understands is salvation from poverty and begging.
For a patient it is synonymous with recovery. For a soldier it means demobilization whereas a student sees it as graduation. For the oppressed it is the death of the oppressor.
We do not oppose to any of them. However, we know that none of them is the real salvation. One day all of these desires will pass. After the end of the travel in the world that will end in death, all of these targets will remain in the past. So the real salvation, that is, the salvation that will not remain in the past, the eternal salvation is none of them.
In the fifth verse of Chapter Al-Baqara that immediately follows Chapter Al-Fatiha, the following is stated: it is these who will prosper. The following wise expressions are stated in the Nur Collection as an interpretation of this verse.
It does not determine how they shall prosper. It is as if with this omission it is saying: "Oh Muslims! Good news! Oh you who fear God! You shall find prosperity through being saved from Hell. Oh righteous one! You shall find prosperity in Paradise. Oh you who seeks knowledge of God! You will attain God's pleasure. Oh lover of God! You will experience the vision of God." And so on. (The Words)
All of these salvations are related to the eternal world and eternal bliss. None of them is related to the temporal life and temporary pleasures.
The subject of salvation is mentioned in Chapter Al-Mumenoon. The following is stated in the first verse: The Believers must (eventually) win through. This verse teaches that the greatest salvation is to enter the circle of belief. A person who embraces belief has been liberated from disbelief and polytheism. This is the greatest salvation. The opposite of this is eternal disappointment.
If a blind man starts to see, we say he has been liberated.
What was he liberated from? From the darkness. From not being able to discern the things in front of him. From being ignorant of color, shape, form, beauty and many other concepts. From being able to reach things within his hands reach and not being able to communicate with the things beyond. Now he can see the sun.
To embrace belief is a better salvation than being able to see, a greater liberation: Being liberated from the blindness of knowing the work but not knowing the creator.
Being liberated from the dungeon of being in abundance of blessings but not thinking about the Sustainer
Who is the owner of this world. Who brought you to this world? Who fixed my hand to my wrist and who put my eyes in my face? Who installed my veins? Who set up my nervous system?
Liberation from not being able to answer these and many other questions...
Liberation from idleness and being ownerless by saying This property has an owner and surrendering his soul to Him
Liberation from meanness and baseness by ascending to a sublimity that surpasses the universe
The next verse attracts the attention to the most important characteristic of the believers:
Those who humble themselves in their prayers.
This is another harbinger for salvation: Liberation from disobedience and rebellion; salvation from haughtiness, pride, and unawareness. The occurrence of the word salvation in azan is related to that verse.
After that two very important characteristic of a believer are mentioned: To avoid vain talk and to do deeds of charity
After that another characteristic follows:
They guard their chastity.
Thus the attention is attracted to the best part of the morality after belief and worshipping: to guard their chastity, honor. Liberation from unchastity, effrontery.
Deeds are done in accordance with the strength of belief and the heart gets stronger as deeds are done.
The strong relationship between belief and deeds is taught to us by being mentioned in many verses just after belief.
The azans that we hear every day cry out this meaning. After takbeers (saying Allah is the greatest) come shahadas (saying that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad (PBUH) is His messenger): Belief in Allah and His messenger is reminded. Call to salat (prayer) and salvation follow the sentences of shahada.
Believers who were liberated from the darkness of disbelief by belief are called to fulfill their duties of worshipping and stay away from rebellion and reach the real salvation.
FAQ in the category of Mosque and Masjid
In the religion of Islam, the mosque has an important place. It is a place of dhikr, meditation and worshipping; it is also a holy place allocated for begging and praying to Allah. Therefore, it is not appropriate to eat and sleep in the mosque unless there is a necessity. However, it is permissible for strangers to sleep in the mosque.
Therefore, hajjis have a rest and sleep in Masjid al-Haram around the Kaaba and in Masjid an-Nabawi in Madinah today as they did in the past and nobody prevents them.
Some scholars say it is permissible to sleep in mosque for both strangers (guests) and the people living in that area. For instance, Ibn Hajar says,
"It is permissible to sleep in the mosque because Ahl as-Suffa stayed in the mosque all the time."(1)
Some of Salaf as-Salihin say it is makruh to sleep in the mosque for everybody. (2)
References:
1. Mishkat al-Masabih, I/453.
2. al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya, V/321.
(see Halil GÜNENÇ, Günümüz Meselelerine Fetvalar)
Manners in the Mosque:
Allah states the following in the Quran:
"O Children of Adam! Wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer." (al-A'raf, 7/31)
What is meant by “beautiful apparel” is good manners. The primary goal of the construction of mosques is worshipping Allah. Therefore, deeds like talking so loudly as to disturb the congregation, going to the mosque after eating things whose smell is regarded as bad like onion and garlic, trying to proceed to the first ranks by pushing and shoving people, etc. are not welcomed.
When Hz. Prophet (pbuh) entered the mosque, he would enter with his right foot and pray as follows: "Audhu billahil azimi wa bi wajhihil karimi wa sultanihil qadimi minash-shaytanir-rajim. (I seek refuge in Allah, by His noble face, by His primordial power, from Satan, the outcast.)" It is the Sunnah of the Prophet to perform a two-rak’ah "tahiyyatul-masjid" (greeting the mosque) prayer after entering the mosque. (Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, V / 106)
It is not haram to talk about worldly things in the mosque; it is haram to buy and sell things. It is makruh to talk aloud in mosques. However, a preacher, an imam, and a teacher who is teaching his students can speak up to make themselves heard. It is permissible for those who read the Quran and make dhikr to read aloud unless they disturb those who perform prayers. It is permissible to ask the imam questions in mosques and to learn something from him.
It is regarded makruh to work as a tailor, to repair shoes in the mosque. There are different views about the teachers who teach the Quran and religious knowledge to children by charging money by using the mosque like a school, that is, to use the mosque with this purpose outside the prayer times; it is not makruh according to the majority of the scholars. It is not makruh by the unanimity of the scholars to teach without charging any money.
When some part of a big building or when a floor of an apartment building is used as a mosque, are the decrees about mosques valid for them too?
Ifa floor of an apartment building is used as a mosque and if it is open to the people living in other places in addition to the residents of that apartment building, it becomes subject to the decrees of a mosque. It becomes haram to buy and sell things there, to enter it as junub, etc.
If one of the rooms in a big building or some part of the building is used as a mosque when the building is open but if the mosque is closed when the building is closed, decrees about a mosque are not valid there even if those who go there to perform prayers are not prevented. (Fatawa al-Qadihan – Fatawa al-Hindiyya, l / 110)
(see Celal Yıldırım, Kaynaklarıyla İslam Fıkhı, Uysal Kitabevi: 1/373-374)
- It is not permissible for a menstruating woman to enter the mosque except for obligatory cases. It is not permissible for her to enter the mosque, or to sit in it, or to do i’tikaf in it, except when it is obligatory.
The following is stated in a hadith:
“No menstruating woman or a junub person may enter the mosque.” (Ibn Majah, Taharah, 92; Darimi, Wudu, 116)
Shafiis and Hanbalis consider it permissible for a menstruating or puerperal woman to cross the street through the mosque provided that she does not dirty it. It is reported that the Prophet (pbuh) gave such permission to Aisha (r. anha). (Muslim, Hayd, I1-13; Nasai, Taharah, 172, Hayd, 18; Ibn Majah, Taharah, 120)
It is not permissible for a menstruating woman to enter the mosque and stay there, according to the majority of fiqh scholars, including Hanafis. However, some Islamic scholars have differed on the decree on women entering the mosque when they are in menstruation or puerperium. According to them, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) allowed even non-Muslims into the mosque. Accordingly, although the cleansing of the junub people depends on their own will but since the cleansing of menstruating and puerperal women does not depend on their own will, there is no harm in women in this state entering the mosque in order to benefit from the religious services provided in the mosque, especially the activities of guidance.
The opinion of the Supreme Council of Religious Affairs regarding the issue, numbered 2009/116, is as follows:
“... The issue of “Women in Menstruation and Puerperium Entering the Mosque” was discussed by the Commission for Answering Religious Questions.
Today, Hajj worship can be performed in a limited period of time due to the circumstances. Women who come for Hajj may face a special situation such as menstruation and puerperium during this period. The fact that women who have the opportunity to perform Hajj once in a lifetime due to the circumstances being able to visit Masjid an-Nabawi and Masjid al-Haram in menstruation and puerperium, and to enter the mosques for dua and dhikr, seems to be an important religious problem that needs a solution today.
The majority of Islamic scholars do not consider it permissible for women to enter the mosque when they are in menstruation. However, some scholars consider it permissible. Based on this view, it has been decided by a majority of votes that menstruating women who want to enter Haram ash-Sharif and Masjid an-Nabawi during Hajj while menstruating for purposes such as engaging in dua, dhikr and istighfar, viewing the Kabah or visiting the Prophet (pbuh) can act in accordance with the views of the scholars who allow it.”
(Presidency of Religious Affairs)
The miḥrāb is not for prostration; it is to indicate the direction of the qiblah, and it is located on the qiblah side of mosques and masjids. If needed, it may also be made in areas designated for women to pray.
