 After so many of his departures and returns of the years without me, I was now deemed ready to join him on this short journey. Dressed to the nines, hand in hand we walked. A ritual that for me would be experienced under the tutelage of my father, and an experience that would eventually be repeated for hundreds if not thousands of times over a lifespan. The air of the day projected a celebration looming, maybe a Ramadan or A'id. It was neither, I think, but nonetheless the day felt different. Special, exciting. We walked on streets, we've walked through numerous times before. Streets that were familiar in every way possible. The neighborhood, the roads, the sidewalks and the houses, the shops and the people, all hadn't changed. But again, this time things felt different. This was the day I discovered the world of mosques. In Arabic, a mosque is referred to as a Masjid. This most likely originated from the Spanish word for mosque Mesquita, that in time developed into the English version, Mosque. Mesquite means a place for prostration to God. In its most simplistic form, a Mesquite is an open space for prayer protected from the elements, a serene environment that offers a basic sense of mental and physical security and safety while in the midst of connecting to God. In Islam, Mesquites are not considered sacred spaces, but places where worship to God can be practiced with sharp focus and without potential distraction. Islam, as you might well know, is reserved in linking the physical and worldly realm with sanctity. Only the holy sites of Ka'ba and Masjid al-Haram in Makkah, and Masjid al-Nabawi, the prophet's mosque in Medina, and Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem carry such distinction, and of course as well, the holy book, the Qur'an, as it is the word of God. The first Masjid in Islamic history was the Qubba Mosque in Medina, the cornerstone of which was laid by the Prophet Muhammad in 622 CE and completed later that year. And based on this prototype, would Masjids be constructed over the next 1500 years? The archetypal elements that make up the architecture of Masjids are five in number, the Haram, Mehrab, Mimbar, Minara, and Meila. The Haram is the prayer hall that is typically a wide and deep open space where individual and collective prayer takes place. It is also a place of benediction, meditation, and spiritual introspection. It is a space of utmost purity, silence, respect, and humility. The Mehrab is the wall that faces Makkah, that identifies the direction of prayer within the Masjid, known as the Qibla. The Qibla wall at times might be designated by a physical niche in the wall, or with a more visually adorned and richer materiality. The Mimbar or pulpit is a centrally located elevated platform that includes a short set of steps where the Imam or religious speaker performs the Khutbah, the Friday sermon. It also acts as an easy identifier of the Qibla direction since it is always positioned in adjacency to the Qibla wall. The Minara is the tower that is connected to the mosque and has over time increased in height. Ancient minarets were practically a small platform slightly elevated above the roof of mosques. But as time progressed, the need for more vocal projection of the Adhan, the call to prayer, required higher elevations to reach as great a number of believers as possible. The final element is the Meila, meaning space for ablution, or ceremonial act of cleansing oneself prior to prayer. This space was always adjacent but outside the prayer hall area. In the past, a Meila could simply be a fountain. But in time, this facility expanded to become a more bespoke solution for the Islamic cleansing ritual. You'll find these five functional elements throughout every single Masjid around the world, whether historic or contemporary. The number of Masjid components progressed as did the number of people within Islamic society increased. Further additions such as libraries, schools, and community centers started to become a secondary, yet critical aspect of the Masjids and became a vital element for improved educational and social support systems for the Muslim community. Did you know that at the beginning of Islam, the Qibla faced towards Jerusalem and the Masjid al-Aqsa and in 623 CE, during a congregation of prayer in Medina, the Prophet Muhammad experienced a revelation with new Quranic verses that instructed him to turn your faces to the sacred mosque, sacred mosque being the Masjid al-Haram in Makkah. And within the same prayer, the Prophet and his followers turned to face Makkah. This Masjid went on to become known in Islamic history as Masjid al-Qiblatayn, the mosque with two Qiblas, for over a millennium and as one of the earliest in Islamic history, this mosque, as well as a few others, would retain the two Qiblah walls and mehrabs from strictly an architectural angle. Only in 1987, when the Qiblatayn mosque was entirely rebuilt, would the Qibla towards the Masjid al-Aqsa cease to exist. From a faith perspective, Islam is not predicated on the presence of the Masjid within its religious practice. It is absent from the five pillars of Islam, the five fundamental acts that make a Muslim Muslim. A Muslim may indeed practice the faith fully without ever placing a foot in a Masjid. But there are definite tangible positives to the practice of the faith at the Masjid. In fact, the reward is 27 times more than a prayer offered alone. The Prophet clarified that the entire experience of attending the mosque, including every step taken to the house of God, would be recognized. One of the reasons for this multiplied benefit to attending mosques is quite worldly. It is Islam's great emphasis on community, brotherhood, and unity. In reminding all rich or poor, healthy or sick, the equality and humility reigns supreme. Beyond prayer and prostration, a Masjid's function multiplies during the month of Ramadan when it becomes a place to provide to the needy or unable. To provide iftar dinners or breakfast to the poor. To offer charity to those who are struggling in life and require assistance. Ultimately, Masjids are the physical embodiment of belonging to the Islamic faith. Belonging to its community that will never turn its back on those in need or seeking help. Muslims have a very powerful connection to Masjids. A powerful sensory link that is established from a very early stage in our lives. When we're first exposed to the calls to prayer that resonate throughout our homes. When we observe the minarets that tower above us within the urban settings of our neighborhoods. When we hear the silence and solitude of the prayer halls upon our barefooted entrance. And the moment of community when we speak in unison and out loud the word amin. Amen. There's a solemn memory linked with one's presence and experience in a Masjid that is compounded by the triggering of all our senses. Yet again, in that moment, even with all the senses activated, the external world disappears. And for a brief flash of time, we're able to seamlessly connect with the Divine.