Islam

=== Prayer ===
{{Main|Salah}}
{{See also|Mosque|Jumu'ah}}
[[File:Mosque.jpg|thumb|Muslim men [[prostration|prostrating]] in prayer, at the [[Umayyad Mosque]], [[Damascus]]]]
Prayer in Islam, called [[salah|as-salah]] or aṣ-ṣalāt ({{lang-ar|الصلاة|link=no}}), is seen as a personal communication with God and consists of repeating units called [[rakat]] that include [[Ruku|bowing]] and [[Sujud|prostrating]] to God. There are five timed prayers each day that are considered duties. The prayers are recited in the Arabic language and performed in [[Qibla|the direction]] of the [[Kaaba]]. The act also requires a state ritual purity achieved by means of the either a routine ''[[wudu]]'' ritual wash or, in certain circumstances, a ''[[ghusl]]'' full body ritual wash.<ref>{{harvp|Esposito|2002b|pp=18, 19}}</ref><ref>{{harvp|Hedayetullah|2006|pp=53–55}}</ref><ref>{{harvp|Kobeisy|2004|pp=22–34}}</ref><ref>{{harvp|Momen|1987|p=178}}</ref>

A [[mosque]] is a [[places of worship|place of worship]] for Muslims, who often refer to it by its Arabic name masjid. Although the primary purpose of the mosque is to serve as a place of prayer, it is also an important social center for the [[ummah|Muslim community]]. For example, the [[Al-Masjid an-Nabawi|Masjid an-Nabawi]] ("Prophetic Mosque") in Medina, [[Saudi Arabia]], used to also serve as a shelter for the poor.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |last=Mattson |first=Ingrid |year=2006 |title=Women, Islam, and Mosques |pages=615–629 |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Women and Religion in North America |series=Volume 2, Part VII. Islam |editor1=R. S. Keller |name-list-style=and |editor2=R. R. Ruether |place=Bloomington and Indianapolis |publisher=[[Indiana University Press]] |isbn=978-0-253-34687-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WPILfbtT5tQC&pg=PA615 |access-date=2 October 2021 |archive-date=28 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231228023019/https://books.google.com/books?id=WPILfbtT5tQC&pg=PA615#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Minaret]]s are towers used to call the [[adhan]], a vocal call to signal the prayer time.<ref>Pedersen, J., R. Hillenbrand, [[John Burton-Page|J. Burton-Page]], et al. 2010. "{{Doi-inline|10.1163/9789004206106_eifo_COM_0694|Masd̲j̲id}}." ''Encyclopedia of Islam''. Leiden: [[Brill Publishers|Brill]]. Retrieved 25 May 2020.</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/mosque |title=Mosque |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |access-date=17 September 2021 |url-access=subscription |archive-date=28 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210928065350/https://www.britannica.com/topic/mosque |url-status=live }}</ref>