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Do the Orthodox go to the mosque. What an Orthodox Christian should never do: is it possible for Orthodox Christians to enter Catholic churches, mosques

Each religion has its own religious buildings. It happens that we are on a trip to another country and try to make excursions in various places. Then we are faced with the question of whether it is possible to visit orthodox mosque, synagogues or other places of worship.

The clergy do not have an unequivocal point of view on this issue: Some believe that it is forbidden to visit the temples of other religions and pray in them. The second believe that God is one for all and there are no obstacles in the creation of these actions.

Church canons forbid Christians to pray together with other non-believers or even followers of other Christian denominations. The bottom line is that such a prayer may indicate that you do not believe in the truth and salvation of the Church of Christ. It is from this point of view that this prohibition should be understood. However, if your visit to religious temples is only for informational purposes, then this is not prohibited. It is also necessary to pay attention to the hospitality of the representatives of the professed religion. You need to follow some rules in order not to cause a negative reaction in them.

Visiting the mosque

Can an Orthodox Christian enter a mosque? It has already been said that if the visit is of an introductory nature, then it is possible. Most importantly, compliance certain rules. For example, before visiting a mosque, you need to know some subtleties:

  • it is not advisable to enter the mosque during prayer,
  • clothing should be modest. Shoulders and knees should be covered. Some mosques even offer wraps.
  • the hair on the head of women should be covered with a scarf,
  • Everyone must take off their shoes before entering.
  • it is forbidden to eat and drink in the mosque,
  • it is not allowed to disturb the peace of the worshipers: to pass in front of them or stand close to them,
  • mobile phone should be turned off
  • basically in the mosque it is allowed to take pictures outside of prayer hours. It is forbidden to take pictures of people during their ablution or prayer,
  • You can enter the mosque for free, but no one will refuse donations.

If you have any doubts, then ask the priest. But you can also look at your condition, if you force yourself to go to the temple of another religion, then maybe you should not do this?

“What matters is why a person comes to the mosque,” ​​says Deputy Mufti of Tatarstan Rustam Khairullin. "Man's intentions must be good."

First of all, a person who is going to visit the temple should bring his appearance in order: this applies to clothing and cleanliness of the body.

Enter the mosque only with good intentions. Photo: AiF / Aliya Sharafutdinova

“Women dress so that only their hands, feet and face are visible,” says Rustam Khairullin. - At the same time, clothing should be loose and not very bright. Men also try to cover their bodies as much as possible, they put a skullcap on their heads.”

In his sayings of vice, Muhammad said that Muslims must be ritually pure, that is, they must perform a full bath.

Taharat is a small ablution. Many rites of worship to Allah cannot be performed without ritual ablution. For example, it is not allowed to perform prayer, tawaf - bypassing around the Kaaba (during Hajj and Umrah), touching with hands Holy Quran. All mosques have ablution rooms.

Full ablution, called ghusul, is washing the whole body along with cleansing the mouth and nose. A full ablution is performed in a shower or bath.

What is not clear, you can ask the imam. Photo: AiF / Aliya Sharafutdinova

You can enter the mosque only with right foot with the words "O Almighty, open the gates of your mercy." Once in the room, a Muslim should greet everyone by saying As-salamu alaikum (translated from Arabic - “Peace be with you”). A Muslim must greet even if he does not find anyone in the mosque, since it is believed that angels are always present in the temple.

Shoes are taken off in the mosque. There are special cabinets where you can put shoes so that they do not get in the way. It is preferable for a Muslim to have socks and shoe covers.

How to pray in a mosque?

Five times a day, at a strictly defined time, the azan is heard from the minaret - a call to prayer. It is proclaimed by the muezzin. All mosques are built in such a way that they are directed towards Mecca.

Inside the building there is a notch - a mihrab (translated from Arabic as "the first front line"). There is a minbar - a pulpit or tribune in the cathedral mosque, from which the imam reads the Friday sermon. Minbar has several steps. The Prophet Muhammad preached a sermon from the topmost of them. As a sign of his respect, all imams stand 2-3 steps below the top.

Minbar in the center of the hall. Photo: AiF / Aliya Sharafutdinova

All other Muslims stand behind him facing Mecca. On Friday, communal prayers are held in mosques, the value of which is 27 times higher than those performed at home.

Every Muslim strives to stand behind the imam in the front ranks, as he will receive more reward from Allah for this.

You can not pass in front of a person who reads prayer. In this case, his prayer is violated and not accepted by Allah. Therefore, bypass the Muslim from behind.

Women and men read a prayer in different rooms, sometimes the women's room is located on the balcony. If there are none, then the women stand in a row behind the men.

Men and women sit separately in the mosque. Photo: www.globallookpress.com

“If you do not know how to pray, do not hesitate to ask one of the employees of the mosque to explain to you. In the temple there are always "cribs" - books that briefly describe how to read namaz. You can perform a ritual by peeping into a book. Over time, you will be able to do it without a prompt,” says Rustam Khairullin.

How to give charity?

A Muslim who wants to give alms - sadaqah - must give it right hand and pronounce the intention to yourself. The one who receives a gift from him also accepts with his right hand, saying to himself “Bismilla-irahman-irahim”.

Alms are given only to those who do not have housing and food. Photo: www.russianlook.com

“In Islam, a person in need is considered a person who is deprived of food or shelter today. It is to such people that sadaqah is given. If a person does not belong to those, but he is given alms, then he, in turn, must give it to someone who fits these criteria,” says Rustam Khairullin.

Who is not allowed to enter the mosque?

Visiting the mosque for tourism purposes is allowed, but in this case, a person must fulfill all the requirements that believers adhere to. “Any traveler should understand that he is entering a religious building. He must make a ghusl, dress, as Sharia norms command. Fortunately, today there are scarves and skirts in temples so that women can cover those parts of the body that cannot be shown, ”adds hazrat.

It is forbidden to go to the mosque under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Photo: RIA Novosti

No noise is allowed in the mosque. Also, people who emit a pungent odor, who smell bad, are not allowed. The Prophet Muhammad said that if a person ate onions or garlic, then he should not appear in the mosque until the smell disappears. Do not use perfumes with a pungent odor.

You can take pictures in the mosque. But you can’t hang photographs and paintings that depict animated objects on the wall, put them in frames.

If you take a child to the mosque, then the responsibility (before Allah) for his behavior lies with the parents.

The mosque cannot be visited by mentally ill people. Women are not allowed to visit the temple in critical days". Those who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs will not be allowed into the building.

“They leave the mosque with their left foot. At the same time, one must say "Allah, forgive my sins." Always adhere to the rules of etiquette in mosques, regardless of what religion you are,” sums up Rustam Khairullin.

Question: Non-Muslims, both men and women, often enter our mosque. They come in to see how the mosque is built from the inside, how we pray. They are surprised at many things, the same carpet on the floor and that you need to take off your shoes before entering. And yet, the question that never ceases to bother me is, are non-Muslims allowed to enter the mosque?

Answer:

Imam ar-Ramli in his book Nihayat al-Muhtaj states:

أما الكافر فله دخوله إن أذن له فيه مسلم ... ودعت حاجة إلى دخوله سواء أكان جنبا أم لا

“Non-Muslims have the right to enter the mosque, even if they are in a state of janabat (a state when it is necessary to make obligatory bathing); if any Muslim permits them; if they have a need to go to the mosque.”

... أما الكافرة إذا كانت حائضا وأمنت التلويث ... والأقرب حمل المنع على عدم حاجتها الشرعية وعدمه على وجود حاجتها الشرعية .

“As for a non-Muslim woman who is in a state of menstruation, she can also enter the mosque if there is no fear of dirtying the room; if she has a Sharia-related need (for example, to get an answer to a Sharia question, etc.). If she does not have Sharia needs, then it is forbidden to enter the mosque.

Commenting on the above, Imam ash-Shabramallisi writes:

( قوله : ودعت حاجة) أي تتعلق بمصلحتنا كبناء المسجد ولو تيسر غيره ، أو تتعلق به لكن حصولها من جهتنا كاستفتائه أو دعواه عند قاض .

“The word “need” means a need that we (Muslims) need, for example, the construction of a mosque (renovation, etc.), even if it is possible to hire a Muslim for this. Or if a non-believer has a need to satisfy his interest, for example, he wants to receive an answer to a question from the imam, etc., or if he wants to file a complaint with Qadi. (See: Nihayat al-Muhtaj, vol. 1, p. 219).

Imam an-Nawawi in the book "Ravzat at-Talibin" notes:

ولا يؤذن له في دخولها لأكل ولا نوم، لكن يؤذن لسماع القرآن أو الحديث والعلم، قال الروياني: وكذا لحاجته إلى مسلم، أو حاجة مسلم إليه .

“You cannot allow a non-Muslim to enter the mosque to eat, sleep, but you can allow him to listen to the reading of the Koran, hadith, Sharia sciences. Imam Ar-Rav'yani adds: "And you can also allow him to enter the mosque if he needs something from a Muslim who is in the mosque, or a Muslim who is in the mosque needs something from him." (See: Ravzat at-Talibin, v. 9, p. 499).

Similarly, Imam al-Nawawi in the book Al-Majmoo’ writes:

قال أصحابنا: لا يمكن كافر من دخول حرم مكة .

“The scholars of our (Shafi’i) madhhab say that non-Muslims should not be allowed to enter the territory of Haram (the city of Mecca and a certain area around it).” (See: Al-Majmu', vol. 2, p. 201).

The well-known scholar of the Hanafi madhhab, ibn "Abidin, in his comments on "Radd al-Mukhtar", conveys the words of Imam al-Sarhasi:

فأما عندنا لا يمنعون كما لا يمنعون عن دخول سائر المساجد .

“According to our (Hanafi) madhhab, non-believers should not be prohibited from entering the Masjid-ul-Haram (the mosque in Mecca), as well as other mosques.” (See: Radd al-Mukhtar, vol. 4, p. 209).

Conclusion:

1. Gentiles have the right to enter any mosque, except for mosques in the territory of Haram (Mecca and a certain area around it), if any adult Muslim or Muslim woman gives them permission to do so; if they have a need to go to the mosque, for example, to learn something about Islam, etc.

2. According to the madhhab of Imam Abu Hanifa, non-Muslims have the right to enter any mosque without any conditions.

Department of Fatwas of the Muftiyat of the Republic of Dagestan

Telegram channel of fatwa department: t.me/fatawadag

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- Andrey, to the editor Orthodox Life» come regularly various questions from readers. We have selected the most frequently repeated ones and would like to discuss them with you. Let's start with this question: is it possible for the Orthodox to enter Catholic churches, mosques? How to behave there? – In one of his Epistles, the holy Apostle Paul says: “Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial” (1 Cor. 6:12). Therefore, in order to more correctly answer this question, it is first necessary to determine the very purpose of visiting a heterodox or non-Orthodox religious building. If we go to a church or a mosque to look, so to speak, to expand our cultural horizons, then, in principle, there is nothing reprehensible in this. If we visit non-Orthodox churches in order to pray, we should remember the 65th Apostolic Canon: “If anyone from the clergy or a layman enters a Jewish or heretical assembly to pray: let him be cast out of the sacred order and excommunicated from church fellowship” . But there are exceptions: in many Roman Catholic churches, as well as in churches belonging to the jurisdiction of the so-called Kyiv Patriarchate, there are shrines revered by the Orthodox. In the above Apostolic Canon we are talking on the prohibition to participate in PUBLIC worship together with non-Orthodox. Therefore, there is nothing wrong with Orthodox Christian will prayerfully honor one or another shrine located in a non-confessional church. As for how one should behave in non-Orthodox churches, only one factor can be the rule for leadership: good manners. An Orthodox Christian, wherever he is, must behave in a civilized and restrained manner. Despite our personal convictions, we have no right to offend the religious feelings of other people in any way, because the main criterion that distinguishes a Christian is, first of all, love. And this criterion was determined by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself: “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). - Is it possible to turn to alternative medicine, such as Chinese? - Orthodox Church never considered advances in medicine to be a spiritual obstacle. But before resorting to the help of one or another “non-traditional doctor”, a person must understand for himself: what sources he uses, otherwise you can bring considerable harm to both your body and your soul. One of the researchers of alternative methods of treatment once noted: the Chinese, for example, treat their medicine as a religion. Such an attitude towards medicine should alert Orthodox person, because there can be nothing higher and more sacred than religion. In addition, German scientists, exploring the practice of acupuncture, conducted the following experiment: some patients were given needles, so to speak, according to all the "canons" of Chinese medicine, while others, roughly speaking, at random, just so as not to hurt important organs and do no harm. As a result, the effectiveness of the first acupuncture was 52%, and the second - 49%! That is, there was practically no difference between "smart" and "free" acupuncture. However, the question of the use of some spiritual practice in medicine is more acute. So, for example, some "healers" in order to cure this or that ailment, offer their patients to try to get out of the physical world into the supersensory, extrasensory world. But we must remember that our physical body is a kind of barrier that separates us from direct communication with the spiritual world and, in particular, the world of fallen spirits. Some Eastern cults use a whole range of exercises that contribute to such an exit in “ spiritual world and this practice weakens our defenses against demons. Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov (Caucasian) warns: “If we were in sensual communion with demons, then they would shortest time would completely corrupt people, incessantly suggesting evil to them, clearly and incessantly contributing to evil, infecting them with examples of their constant criminal and hostile to God activity. That is why any "alternative medicine", practicing some kind of communication with the spiritual world, even if it promises its patients a physical recovery, eventually becomes dangerous for their spiritual health. What does it mean not to go to the council of the wicked? - The meaning of this verse, which is the first verse of the first psalm of the Book of Psalms, is very deep and ambiguous. Thus, St. Athanasius the Great says: “the council of the wicked” is a collection of crafty people who seek to deviate the righteous from following the path of God. And St. Basil the Great clarifies: “the advice of the wicked” is all sorts of wicked thoughts, which, like invisible enemies overcome the person. In addition, it is very interesting that in the cited psalm about the opposition of the righteous to the "council of the wicked" it is said "in three dimensions" - walking, standing and sitting: the seats of the destroyers are not gray.” According to St. Theophan the Recluse, the purpose of such a threefold indication is a warning against the three main degrees of deviation into evil: in the form of an internal attraction to evil (the march to sin), in the form of affirmation in evil (standing in sin) and in the form of a fight against good and propaganda evil (coexistence with the destroyer, that is, the devil). Thus, going to the council of the wicked is all possible participation in evil, whether by thought, word or deed. According to Reverend John Cassian the Roman, in order to be saved, a person must constantly control himself, exercising in spiritual work: without the latter there will be no spiritual life. - Is it possible to go on vacation, for example, to a ski resort on Christmas Day? - According to St. Ephraim the Syrian, the purpose of fasting is to enable a person to overcome lusts, vices and sins in himself. If fasting does not help us overcome sin, we should think: how do we fast, what are we doing wrong? Unfortunately, historically it turned out that in the life of a modern person most of vacation falls on the time of Advent - during the period new year holidays. The purpose of the Nativity Fast is to prepare a person for the acceptance of the Divine Infant Christ, Who comes into this world and becomes a man in order to save each of us from the power of sin and death. And therefore, the main thing that an Orthodox Christian should think about on the eve of Christmas is how best, most correctly, to prepare himself for the meeting of the Savior. Leisure, for example, skiing, is very good for health, if it is combined with the spiritual growth of a person. Otherwise, there will be no benefit from such a “recovery”. Therefore, if our rest does not allow us to make our heart a worthy receptacle of the Living God, it is better to refuse such rest. - Is it possible to make a tattoo for a woman, for example, in cosmetic purposes? - In order to answer this question, one should decide: why is such a tattoo needed at all, what are the reasons that encourage a person to make certain images on his body? Also in Old Testament it was said: “For the sake of the dead, do not make cuts on your body and do not prick writing on yourself” (Lev. 19:28). This prohibition in the Pentateuch of Moses is repeated twice more: in the same Book of Leviticus (21:5), and also in the Book of Deuteronomy (14:1). Moses forbids mutilating the human body, since such an action is an insult to the Creator, who gave man beautiful flesh. Historically, a tattoo is a sign of belonging to a pagan cult: with the help of a tattoo, people hoped to gain special favor from one or another deity. That is why, since ancient times, tattoos have been “an abomination before the Lord.” According to Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh, the body is the visible part of the soul, so any outward change- this is primarily a sign of internal, spiritual changes occurring in a person. The main characteristics of a Christian are modesty, meekness and humility. A tattoo is, according to one modern author, an escape from modesty, an attempt to present oneself more elegantly and, perhaps, with the aim of some seduction of others. Based on this, we can draw a confident conclusion: even the most seemingly harmless tattoos can cause irreparable spiritual harm to a person. - Is it possible to listen prayer rule wearing headphones on the way to work or using a drive in the car? Prayer is first and foremost a conversation with God. And therefore, the statement that it is possible to pray under an audio recording seems very doubtful. Unfortunately, modern man, who has simplified his life so much with the help of certain technologies, is ready to devote less and less time to God and communion with Him. Therefore, we try to pray to audio recordings, listen to evening and morning prayers in the car or on the way home. But, if you think about it: how carefully can we listen to such recordings? How focused can we pray to them? The Holy Fathers have always said: it is better to sincerely say a few words to God than, without thinking about Him, to say long prayers. The Lord does not need our words, but our heart. And He sees its contents: striving for His Creator and Savior, or an attempt to brush Him off by hiding behind a half-hour audio recording. What should an Orthodox person never do? – The Orthodox must first of all be afraid to sin, but not because of the fear of God's punishment. The Monk Abba Dorotheos says: the fear of God is not at all the fear of God as some kind of avenger for sins; the fear of God is the fear of offending the love of God manifested in Christ. Therefore, every Orthodox Christian should try to control himself, stopping even the very thoughts of committing a sin, because with our sins, according to the word of the holy Apostle Paul, we again crucify our Lord Jesus Christ. With sins, we destroy everything that God has done for our own salvation. And that is what we should fear and avoid in our lives. Interviewed by Natalia Goroshkova (Orthodox Life)

To the question Is it possible for an Orthodox Christian to enter the mosque and how to behave there? given by the author chevron the best answer is Any person who has come in peace can go to the mosque.
Only if you are not going to take part in collective prayer, it is advisable to choose a time to visit not during prayer, but in the intervals between them, so as not to distract believers from prayer. Moreover, on Friday, at lunchtime, the mosques are overcrowded.
Dress appropriately, close and modest. In general, if you fully follow the rules, a headscarf is obligatory, which hides the hair with sweat, and the clothes must also completely hide the body, only the hands and face can be open. Also, clothes should not be too tight and transparent, that is, they should not cause sexual thoughts in men, so as not to distract them from prayer. Otherwise it is a sin tantamount to fornication.
Show respect for the faith of other people, miniskirts, necklines, blouses with an open navel are best reserved for other occasions.
You must take off your shoes before entering the mosque.
And one more important point, Women are not allowed to go to the mosque during their menstruation.. The same goes for church.

Answer from pre-soviet[expert]
Yes, you certainly may. dress appropriately, cover your hair.


Answer from User deleted[active]
a person has built and has the right to disintegrate with it as he wants


Answer from viewed[newbie]
women are allowed into the mosque. everyone can go to the mosque in order to learn about Islam!))


Answer from Boxing[guru]
like what!? tell them that they are unfaithful, and try to persuade them to Christianity.


Answer from LIS[guru]
Perhaps you can, but why? After all, this prayer house What is the Orthodox to do there?


Answer from User deleted[guru]
During the life of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), the mosque was the center of worship, as well as cultural, educational and political activity members of the Muslim community. It was not just a place for men, as has become the practice in many places these days. Both men and women attended mosques.
For women, we note that visiting the mosque was normal, and from the point of view of Islamic dogma, it had specific goals.
The first two are prayer and Itikaf, the order of which involves staying in the mosque for 10 days in the month of Ramadan and performing all obligatory prayers during this period.
The third purpose for which the women visited the house of prayer was to hear everything they could learn there. The need to study made it necessary to visit the mosque, both men and women. Fatima (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “I went to the mosque and joined the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in prayer. When he finished his prayer, he sat down on the dais smiling.” (Muslim)
In another version, narrated by Al-Dari, it is said that Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) transmitted the story of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), which he began with the words: “A certain number of nomads were in the room when it collapsed. Some could hold on to the edge of the ruins...” Obviously, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cited a story with an instructive purpose as an example. Women were present at this story, as well as men.
Women may come to the mosque for the purpose of visiting those who are there during the Itikaf period. Safiyya, the wife of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), visited him during Itikaf, the last ten days of the month of Ramadan. She spoke to him before going back home. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) went with her to bring her home. When she stood at the door of the mosque, two men from the Ansar passed by and greeted the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). He told them, "This is my wife Safiyya." They replied: “Messenger of God! All glory to him” and felt very embarrassed. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) understood that this was because a woman was next to him and said to the men: “Satan can be as close to a person as blood is to vessels” (Bukhari, Muslim).
Ibn Hajar and Ibn Daqiq Al-Eid comment that a woman can visit a man during Itikaf.
Spending time with other Muslim women is also a good goal for visiting the mosque. Muawiya (may Allah be pleased with him) reports: “On the morning of the tenth day of the month of Muharram, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) sent messengers to convey that those who began the day in fasting, let them continue it. And those who did not fast, let them fast the rest of the day. We demand that our children also observe the fast. If the child asks for food, you can give him a toy. This will help him until the end of the fast.”
“In the early years of the reign of Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), we women went to the mosque. We took knives with us to cut dry palm leaves. Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I must stop you (in the intention to work)." We continued our joint prayer (in the mosque) at the appointed time,” - this is how Al-Kubra, the daughter of Qays, narrated the story of Howli.
Answering the call to attend a public meeting is also the reason why women came to the mosque during the lifetime of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Fatimah, the daughter of Qais, narrated: “After the completion of my waiting period, I heard the loud voice of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) who called on everyone to go out and follow to the place general meeting. I went out with other people, following the call. I stood in the first line of praying women."
Women can and should visit the mosque to join


Answer from Panther@-do not iron against wool[guru]
God is One! Religions differ from each other only in decorations. It seems to me that if you really want to go there, then go in ... the sky will not fall on you for this! And how to behave ... well, at least respectfully!


Answer from Joanna[guru]
most likely they won't let you in. especially since women are not allowed into the mosque.


Answer from Ivan Ivanov[guru]
You can go, but it is better with a familiar Muslim who will tell you the rules of conduct.


Answer from Neutron[guru]
Watching for a loan you went! If you want to learn about Islam, then of course you can!