Title: What is the basic Islamic Facility Question: Do Muslims practice in any type of facility, meaning a church or synagogue etc? Where do they go to pray? Where do Muslims practice their religion, and how many times must they visit it? Answer: The Muslim facility for congregational prayers (five times a day) and the Jum`ah (Friday) address and prayer is called a 'Mosque'. Ideally, the mosque is also the community center for the Muslim population. Muslims may arrange their marriages and other social gatherings in the mosque. It is the responsibility of an Islamic state to build mosques within its territory. If there is an easily accessible mosque from the place of one's residence, one must offer his obligatory prayers (five times a day) with the congregation in the mosque. Jum`ah (Friday) address and prayer is also the responsibility of an Islamic state. Those living in an Islamic state must come to the mosque to attend the Jum`ah address and prayer. Those Muslims who are living in a non-Muslim state may arrange to build a mosque for their community. Such mosques may serve all the purposes mentioned above, except the Jum`ah address and prayer. The Jum`ah address and prayer can be arranged only by or on behalf of an Islamic state. You ask: Where do Muslims practice their religion? The basic facility that I have mentioned above is primarily a facility to facilitate offering the worships that are congregational in nature. However, as far as the question, 'Where do Muslims practice their religion?' is concerned, it is not within the limits of any facility that a Muslim practices his religion. Islam means submission to God's will and His directives'. In the true sense of the word, a Muslim is a person who submits to God's will and His directives. Thus, the practice of his religion is not restricted to the boundaries of any facility. A Muslim practices his religion during all the moments of awareness and consciousness in his life. 26 th February 2000