The Jumeirah Mosque, Dubai
History of Jumeirah:-
Those who inhabited the Jumeirah areas long ago were pearl divers, fishermen, and traders mostly. But after1960 Jumeirah housed the residences of eminent persons and rich expatriates. The large scale expansion of the emirate since year 1995 has seen a spurt in development of housing across Dubai. Jumeirah is the most popular area in Dubai and many places have the name Jumeirah prefixed to it namely the “Jumeirah Beach Hotel” and the “Jumeirah Beach Club etc which shows exclusivity. The up market hotel chain of the ruling family of Dubai is also called “Jumeirah”.
Rules of Jumeirah Mosque:-
Prior booking is not essential for visiting this place during Dubai travel. Visitors have to gather neat the back of the Jumeirah Mosque at 10.00am on Thursday (every week). Ladies have to be fully covered and wear long trousers or skirts and long sleeves with a scarf for the head. Men have to wear trousers and shirt or t-shirts. Before entering the mosque, you have to remove your shoes. You can get information about the religion of Islam near the mosque. The tour can be completed in an hour and a half and visitors will be permitted to take photographs of this place during their visit to Dubai.
Holy Jumeirah Mosque:-
Masjid is the Arabic word for mosque which means the place of prostration. For Muslims the holy day of the week is Friday when all adult Muslim men should go to the Jumeirah Mosque for offering prayers. Women can undertake prayers at home. The Jumeirah Mosque where Muslims gather especially for the Friday prayer is the `masjid jum’a', the Grand Mosque.
Interior of Jumeirah Mosque:
The wall which faces Mecca is the Qibla wall of Jumeirah Mosque. This is the direction which a Muslim has to face while he is praying. In the center of the Qibla wall is Mihrab that shows the precise praying direction. It is also the considered to be the `holiest’ place in the Jumeirah Mosque. A platform to the right of the Mihrab is the Minbar. This is the place where the `imam’, or the religious head delivers the Friday sermon or the `khutba’, which deals with social, religious and political subjects.
Other aspects of Jumeirah Mosque:-
It is very rare to find pictures of any living beings except plants in mosques in general and the Jumeirah Mosque in particular as Islam forbids creating any pictures of living beings. The interior of the mosque is decorated with Arabic calligraphy and ornamental art. The ritual cleansing has to be undertaken before entering the Jumeirah Mosque for Prayer. This is called wudu.
When to see the Jumeirah Mosque:-
Regular tours of this place are a part of Dubai tours and are arranged on every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 10am in the mornings, Children who join the tours must be 5 years or older. Visitors can come to the Jumeirah Mosque for a conducted tour of the Mosque and a cultural understanding of Islam. The fee collected is 10Dhs per person.