Why are mosques built with minarets?
Why are mosques built with minarets?
Today, it is impossible to imagine the appearance of a mosque without a minaret. This is a tall tower-like structure erected in a corner or corners of a Muslim religious building. For what purpose minarets are built, were they present in early mosques and when did they first appear, is what this explanation is about.
The word “minaret” or “minara” in Arabic means “a place where something is lit” or “emitting light”, that is, a kind of “tower of light”, “beacon”. In previous centuries, the minarets of coastal cities were indeed used as beacons by which ships determined the correct course.
The main function of minarets is, of course, to call Muslims to the mosque for prayer. Five times a day, muezzins used climb the stairs to the minaret platforms and announced the adhan. The higher the minaret, the further the muezzin’s voice could be heard.
And although today there is no such need for minarets, due to the use of sound amplification equipment, they continue to be built, preserving the traditional appearance of mosques.
The first minaret
The first mosques did not have minarets due to their simplicity.
In the collection of hadiths of Imam Abu Dawud in the section “Azan” the story of Ibn Saad (may God be pleased with him) is given: “In the area around the Prophet’s Mosque (in Medina), my house was the highest and Bilal used to proclaim the adhan from its roof at first, until the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) completed the construction of his mosque. And after the mosque was built, he used to proclaim the adhan from its roof. Later, a platform was built for him on the roof, from which he used to proclaim the adhan."
Over time, Muslims began to build separate towers for proclaiming the adhan.
In the fifty-third year of the Hijra, Muawiya ibn Abu Sufyan (may God be pleased with him) gave the order to build a minaret.
Historians are divided on who built the minaret first. Some claim that the first minaret was built by the ruler of Basra, Ziyadu ibn Ubayh (may God be pleased with him), on the orders of Muawiya. Others are of the opinion that the first minarets were erected in the Amr ibn al-As mosque in Fustat (old Cairo) on the orders of the Egyptian governor, Maslama ibn Mukhallad (d. 682). Four towers were located at the corners of the mosque. This version is considered more reliable. At the same time, the first person to proclaim the adhan from this minaret was narrated to be Shurahbil ibn Amr.
