Muslims worship in mosques, which are houses of worship, but they can worship anywhere
. The word "mosque" comes from the Arabic term "masjid," meaning "place of prostration"
. During Islamic prayer, Muslims kneel and touch their foreheads to the ground in submission to God
. The holiest sites in Islam are located in the Middle East
:
- Mecca is considered the holiest city in Islam because it houses the Kaaba in the Al-Masjid Al-Ḥaram (The Sacred Mosque)
- Medina is the second-holiest site. Al-Masjid an-Nabawi (the Prophet's Mosque), is located in Medina and contains Muhammad's grave
- Jerusalem is the third-holiest site. The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound (Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa) in Jerusalem is highly esteemed by the Muslim community
- The Umayyad Mosque in Damascus is considered by some to be the fourth holiest site in Islam
- The city of Hebron in Palestine, which contains the Ibrahimi Mosque, is also considered by some to be the fourth holiest site in Islam
