A mosque (/mɒsk/; from Arabic: مَـسْـجِـد, translit. masjid) is a place of worship for Muslims. There are strict and detailed requirements in Sunni jurisprudence (Arabic: فِـقْـه, fiqh) for a place of worship to be considered a mosque, with places that do not meet these requirements regarded as musallas.[1] There are stringent restrictions on the uses of the area formally demarcated as the mosque (which is often a small portion of the larger complex), and in the Islamic Sharī‘ah (Arabic: شَـرِيْـعَـة, Law), after an area is formally designated as a mosque, it remains so until the Last Day.[1]
Many mosques have elaborate domes, minarets, and prayer halls, in varying styles of architecture. Mosques originated on the Arabian Peninsula, but are now found in all inhabited continents. The mosque serves as a place where Muslims can come together for Ṣalāh (Arabic: صَـلَاة, meaning "prayer") as well as a center for information, education, social welfare, and dispute settlement.[2] The Imām (Arabic: إِمَـام, Leader) leads the congregation in prayer.
