mosque

/mɔsk/

Thân thiện

A family walks toward the mosque for Friday prayers.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • (Islam) A Muslim place of worship: A mosque is a building where Muslims gather for communal prayer, religious instruction, and community events. It is the central place of worship in Islam.

Usage

• The word "mosque" is a countable noun. It refers to the physical building itself.
• It is used with articles (a, the) and can be pluralized (mosques).
• The term is specific to the Islamic faith. For places of worship in other religions, different terms are used (e.g., church, temple, synagogue).

Examples

• Noun:
  • The local mosque holds five daily prayers.
  • We visited the beautiful Blue Mosque in Istanbul.
  • The community is raising funds to build a new mosque.

Advanced Usage

• "The mosque": Can be used to refer to the Muslim community or its leadership in a specific area.
  • The mosque has organized a food drive for the needy.

Variants and Related Words

• Masjid (n): An Arabic word meaning "place of prostration," which is the original term for mosque. It is often used interchangeably with "mosque" in English.
  • The word "mosque" comes from the Arabic "masjid".
• Musalla (n): A smaller prayer room or a temporary space designated for prayer, not a full mosque.
• Jama Masjid (n): A term meaning "congregational mosque," often used for a central or Friday mosque.

Synonyms

• Place of worship: A general term for any building where people gather to pray.
• Temple: A place of worship for various religions, but not typically used for Islam.
• House of God: A poetic or general term for a place of worship.

Related Phrases

• Friday mosque: A mosque where the special congregational Friday prayer (Jumu'ah) is held.
  • He attends the Friday mosque for the weekly sermon.
• To attend mosque: The common phrase for going to a mosque for prayer.
  • He attends mosque regularly for the dawn prayer.

Related Idioms

• (To be) as quiet as a mosque: An informal expression describing a place that is very quiet and peaceful, akin to the solemn atmosphere of a mosque outside of prayer times.
  • The library was as quiet as a mosque.

Học thuật

Noun

1. (Islam) a Muslim place of worship that usually has a minaret