St. Petersburg Masjid
(St Petersburg, Russia)
Ramadan is around the corner. Many of the
observances of the blessed month like tarawih
and i‘tikaf are associated with the masjid, which
indicates the importance of reviving the Houses of
Allah with devotions, prayers and remembrance of
Allah in Ramadan. One of the best ways to animate
the masajid with remembrance of Allah is to take
a break from our overconnected world and sit
in Sunna i‘tikaf for the last ten days. Remember,
populating the masajid and reviving them with
remembrance of Allah identifies one as a true
believer just as shutting down (St. Petersburg Masjid)
or demolishing the masajid (Ayodhya Masjid was
demolished in India in 1993) is a sign of desecration
and disbelief. Allah says, “The houses of Allah are
maintained only by those who believe in Allah and
the Last Day and those who establish salat and pay
zakat and fear none but Allah” (9:18).
St. Petersburg Masjid was the largest
masjid in Europe outside of Turkey
when it was built in the czarist era in
1913 under the patronage of the emir
of Bukhara. The masjid was converted
into a warehouse by the Bolsheviks
in 1940 until President Soekarno of
Indonesia diplomatically pressured the
former U.S.S.R to return it to the Muslim
community in 1956.
20 March - April 2020 | AL-MADINAH