Why have mosques when a prayer mat facing towards Mecca would suffice?
It is a feature of religions through the ages that they have always had places of worship. For many religions, the faith is more than a belief alone: they hold together communities and worship brings them together. The Prophet Muhammad said that the whole of the Earth is a place of prayer, but Muslims are encouraged to pray in congregation, either as a family or with other people in the community. This is because Islam encourages interaction and integration of families and neighbours into a community. Although we all need a little quiet time to ourselves every now and again, Islam does not encourage people to wander off into the wilderness abandoning their families and communities so the mosque is also a brief spiritual retreat.
