The Quran warns the believers that some people have established masjids to cause harm and to promote disbelief and that the devotees of God alone should avoid such masjids for the sake of protecting their souls.
9:107 There are those who abuse the masjid by practicing idol worship, dividing the believers, and providing comfort to those who oppose GOD and His messenger. They solemnly swear: “Our intentions are honorable!” GOD bears witness that they are liars.
9:108 You shall never pray in such a masjid. A masjid that is established on the basis of righteousness from the first day is more worthy of your praying therein. In it, there are people who love to be purified. GOD loves those who purify themselves.
In this world, there are two paths. There is God’s path, which is strict monotheism, while all other paths lead to idol worship and constitute the path of Satan.
36:60 Did I not covenant with you, O Children of Adam, that you shall not worship the devil? That he is your most ardent enemy?
Therefore, a masjid that is not dedicated to God alone is actually a masjid of Satan.
How to Distinguish God’s Masjid from Satan’s Masjid
So, how do we determine if the masjid we attend belongs to God or Satan? Luckily for believers, it is easy to distinguish which masjid is dedicated to God alone and which one is polluted with idol worship. Below are a series of questions one can pose to determine which one they are attending in case they are not sure.
Exclusively Devoted to God Alone
The Quran tells us that the true worshipers of God alone not only love God the most but do not associate anything with God.
2:165 Yet, some people set up idols to rival GOD, and love them as if they are GOD. Those who believe love GOD the most. If only the transgressors could see themselves when they see the retribution! They will realize then that all power belongs to GOD alone, and that GOD’s retribution is awesome.
4:36 You shall worship GOD alone—do not associate anything with Him. You shall regard the parents, the relatives, the orphans, the poor, the related neighbor, the unrelated neighbor, the close associate, the traveling alien, and your servants. GOD does not like the arrogant show-offs.
Association (shirk) is not limited to thinking that the other entity has powers independent of God, or that they are part of God, or hold any of God’s attributes, but merely frequently associating God with some other entity, even if we call that other entity God’s slave, constitutes association (shirk).
Therefore, a true masjid of God should be exclusively devoted to God alone. Most masjids will profess that their masjid is devoted to God alone. Still, just as the people who pollute the masjid in 9:107 claim that “their intentions are honorable,” we cannot always go with their claims and have to do a little investigation to see if they are true.
For example, if the masjid is named after someone other than God, it is a good sign that it is not devoted to God alone.
If the walls of the Masjid mention other than God, then it is a sign that it is not devoted to God alone.
If up on the wall in the direction of Salat, there is the name of any other entity other than God, then that masjid is not devoted to God alone.
For instance, if you walk into the mosque and up on the wall in the direction of the Qibla there is more than one name then that masjid is not dedicated to God alone.
For instance, most Sunni masjids will have two names in the direction of their Qibla. One name will be the name of God, while the other name will be other than God. Yet the two names will be the same size, shape, and distance from the ground, and if one didn’t know Arabic, they would not be able to tell which one is God’s name and which one is not God. Such masjids are the masjids of Satan and should be avoided.
Satisfied with the Mention of God Alone
A true masjid of God is satisfied with the mention of God alone and not only satisfied when others are mentioned beside God.
39:45 When GOD ALONE is mentioned, the hearts of those who do not believe in the Hereafter shrink with aversion. But when others are mentioned beside Him, they become satisfied.
If a masjid has issues with devoting their masjid to God alone and is only happy when others are mentioned beside God, then that is a masjid of Satan. For example, most Sunni mosques will mention the prophet’s name in their call to prayer (adhan). If they are not capable of only mentioning God’s, then it is a sign that the masjid is not devoted to God alone and should be avoided.
Call Upon God Alone
A true masjid of God calls only upon God alone.
72:18 The places of worship belong to GOD; do not call on anyone else beside GOD.
If you go to a masjid of Satan, it will call upon other than God. For example, if their Salat calls upon other than God, then that is a masjid of Satan. This is because the Salat should be devoted to God alone and not call upon any other entity.
6:162 Say, “My Contact Prayers (Salat), my worship practices, my life and my death, are all devoted absolutely to GOD alone, the Lord of the universe.
Yet, if you look at Sunnis’ Tashahhud, what is stated in the sitting position during their Salat, they call upon other than God.
“Salutations to God and prayers and good deeds. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, as well as God’s mercy and His blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of God. I bear witness that there is no deity but God, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His messenger.”
at-taḥiyyātu li-llāhi, wa-ṣ-ṣalawātu wa-ṭ-ṭayyibāt u. as-salāmu ʿalayka ʾayyuhā n-nabiyyu wa raḥmatu -llāhi wa barakātuh u. as-salāmu ʿalaynā wa ʿalā ʿibādi -llāhi ṣ-ṣāliḥīn a. ʾashhadu ʾan lā ʾilāha ʾillā -llāhu wa ʾashhadu ʾanna muḥammadan ʿabduhu wa rasūluh ū.
The use of “Peace be upon you, O Prophet” ( ٱلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِيُّ) is a direct call upon the prophet of God, who is not only another entity beside God but also dead and incapable of hearing their supplications. So a masjid that utilizes this statement in their Salat is not a masjid that is devoted to God alone, but a masjid of Satan.
Check Their Response
Now that we know the signs to tell if we are in a masjid of God or Satan, the last test is to see what is the response of the masjid when confronted with these facts.
If the response of the masjid when these points are brought up is to oppose the truth, then it is a sign that it is a masjid of Satan. This is because believers love the truth.
72:18 The places of worship belong to GOD; do not call on anyone else beside GOD.
If the response of the masjid is anger and rage when pointing out their hypocrisy, then it is a sign that it is not a masjid devoted to God alone and instead is a masjid of Satan. This is because true believers love to have their religion purified and will actively avoid all forms of idol worship (shirk) when it is pointed out to them.
22:72 When our revelations are recited to them, clearly, you recognize wickedness on the faces of those who disbelieve. They almost attack those who recite our revelations to them. Say, “Shall I inform you of something much worse? Hell is promised by GOD for those who disbelieve; what a miserable destiny.”