What term refers to the principal place of worship in Islam used for Friday prayers?

What term refers to the principal place of worship in Islam used for Friday prayers?

• A. Masjid
• B. Mosque
• C. Madrasa
• D. Minaret

Answer: (A)

Masjid is the term for the principal place of worship in Islam where Friday prayers (Jumu’ah) are held. It comes from the Arabic root related to prostration and prayer, emphasizing its function as a dedicated sacred space for communal worship led by an imam with a Friday sermon (khutbah). In architectural history, masjid denotes the building’s religious purpose rather than just its exterior form. The other options don’t fit: a madrasa is a religious school, a minaret is the tall tower often associated with mosques, and the word mosque is simply the English translation, while the specific Islamic term used in practice is masjid.

Masjid is the term for the principal place of worship in Islam where Friday prayers (Jumu’ah) are held. It comes from the Arabic root related to prostration and prayer, emphasizing its function as a dedicated sacred space for communal worship led by an imam with a Friday sermon (khutbah). In architectural history, masjid denotes the building’s religious purpose rather than just its exterior form. The other options don’t fit: a madrasa is a religious school, a minaret is the tall tower often associated with mosques, and the word mosque is simply the English translation, while the specific Islamic term used in practice is masjid.