MASJID STUDY

RSS

MASJID STUDY

28 Nov

Post your group’s ethnographic report on the masjid in this thread. All papers are due no later that Thursday 12/14/06.

5 Comments

Posted by azlyrahman on November 28, 2006 in religion

5 responses to “MASJID STUDY”

salehruna

December 15, 2006 at 4:40 am

Runa Saleh
Nazli Askin
Mi Yeong Lee
Nishet Dahya

Islamic Scriptures
Professor Rahman
Mosque paper

The history of Islam in the United States starts in the 18th century, with the first Muslim residents. According to a recent survey, there are 1,209 mosques in America, in which over half found in the last 20 years. Between 17 and 30 percent of American Muslims are converts to the faith. Once very undersized, the Muslim population has grown greatly in the last hundred years. Most U.S mosques are local initiatives, started by groups of Muslims in search of a place to worship together. The mosque is often run by an elected board that prearranged the Imam and decided which national Islamic federations to support. Today, mosques, Islamic centers and schools are established in every community of every size. Islamic organizations and institutions are able to minister to the needs of the Muslim congregation in America. Muslims voices are heard speaking up for their faith in official circles, to the media and in every field of attempt, and Muslims are now able to make a significant contribution, especially in the realm of spirituality, values and morals, to the life of this nation. The number of Muslims in the United States is estimated to be 1.8 billion. It is the fastest growing faith in this country. Estimates signify that the number of Muslims in the United States will be greater then the number of Methodists by the year 2010. Up to one-third of American Muslims are African Americans who have converted to Islam during the last seventy years. According to an article written by George Clack the estimated conversion rate among Americans are 135,000 per year. The Defense Department reports that there are now approximately 9000 Muslims on active duty in the U.S. armed services. It is reported that more than 3000 Americans embraced Islam during the Gulf war alone. An immense network of Muslim ministries also caters to 300,000 converts in prisons, with an estimated conversion rate of 35,000 per year/
The first mosque was built in Medina. in Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) house. This mosque very popular and gets many visitors throughout the year. Even though it is not one of the pillars to go to this mosque, most people will go. The reason they go is not to worship Muhammad, but to honor him as the messenger of Allah .Later on, Mosques started to form a more complex shape. The pulpit where the Imam calls the sermon, also known as the minbar was created. The minarets (the long and lean towers) , where the imam calls the edhan (the call to prayer) became famous later on. The first mosques did not have these minarets. Even though there still are some mosques that do not have minarets, most do.
There are rules one must follow when they enter a mosque. One is that a person needs to be clean in order to enter. Everyone entering the mosque must do the wudu, or the cleansing of the body and everyone must take their shoes off. People also have to dress accordingly. Women must cover up their heads and wear long skirts and long-sleeved shirts. There are also more obvious rules such as not talking while others are praying and no eating and no sleeping. According to the encyclopedia the prayer performed in the mosque should have a leader, which would be the Imam. In the customary understanding, being imam is not a profession, nor is it a qualification. Any respected Muslim who is trained correctly in leading prayer, can in fact become an Imam. In general, it is the most educated and the most respected person amongst the group who would be offered the honor of being imam.
However, in modern times, many mosques have made their Imam into something additional; the Imam has become an employed leader of the congregation, a counterpart of a priest, nothing less. The Imam may be a spokesman for the members of the congregation and advise anyone with answers they may have on Islam. An example of when you would need to go to an Iman is if someone in your family gets really sick with nothing keeping this person alive except machines, and medically there is no chance of coming back, you would go to an Imam and ask for guidance on what to do. A situation like this one is a very difficult judgment to make. An Imam is always there to help and guide you in correct guidelines. The original idea about the imam intends that he be a man of direct descent, not be a minor, be sound in mind and body, have competent knowledge of theology, and have the capacity of being a ruler. The imam is supposed to have a special relationship to God as well as something that comes close to divine powers. He is also supposed to be the guide of the human race, in both religious as well as secular issues. Due to such expectations, there can only be one Imam at a time.
The Mosque that Saif-Ul-Nabi is the Imam of is located in Newark. This mosque was built in 2000. He is from Pakistan and was born into a Muslim family. He became an Iman in 1992. I asked him what he feels the importance of being an Imam is, and what the responsibilities are. He explained to me that he never had a plan of becoming an Imam, it kind of just happened for him. He has always been knowledgeable of the religion and was asked. He said it was offer he couldn’t’ refuse. He mentions how honored he is to lead the prayer and that even though he has been doing this for years now, every time feels like the first, he explains how this feeling is something like no other, and he couldn’t ask for anything better.
In America, Islam plays and important role. It is considered to be one the fastest growing religions out there. I asked him on his view on Islam in America today, and he as expected told me that it is more nowadays that he gets men and women who are not Muslims, coming to him and asking him many questions about Islam. Most of these people are born and raised in this country and ask these questions out of curiosity and are thinking about converting into the faith. He says that in American today many people hold a lot of respect for Muslims, and look as Islam as something very powerful. This in fact, is true, but many people also look at Islam as a terrorist religion. These people, in my opinion, are ignorant, because if they were to look in to religion, they would clearly see that it is a peaceful religion and without a doubt brings no intention of war or evil.

Reply
nesibe

December 21, 2006 at 8:08 pm

Humeyra Celikel
NesibeOzden
Mesjid Study.
Our trip to Islamic Cultural center was very interesting, and fun. The reason why we picked this mosque was because; Humeyra went there a couple of years ago and like it very much, so we decided to go there again. We had to call and make an appointment with the head Imam(Imam Omar) of the Mosque since that they get many visitors including journalists, and students’ everyday. When we got there we were amazed because of the beautifulness and the friendliness of the staff. It was very interesting seeing a mosque in the middle of the very busy city life. The mosque stands out with its beautiful work of architecture. After walking around for little we finally found the imam. What a great educated, sweet person. First he gave us some information about the architecture and the history of the mosque. They spent fifteen million dollars building the Islamic Cultural center of NYC. First three million was from all the Muslim Country embassies. And the thirteen Million was From the Kuwait Embassy of Ny.
The mosque is square in plan and is contained within a 27m cube and surmounted by a copper clad, pre-cast dome. The prayer space is open and free of columns due to the structure which incorporates four steel trusses. The square as design principle is carried through to the façade and interior ornamentation.
The Islamic Cultural Center was the first building erected as a mosque in New York City. It contains the two primary elements that traditionally compose an Islamic house of worship: a mosque and a minaret. Within the mosque, the mihrab, or alter niche, faces Mecca, dictating the mosque’s 29 degree angle from the Manhattan street grid. This alignment creates a traditional exterior court for worshipers to gather before services. The geometric form of the mosque, based on a recurring theme of square units, follows Islamic law, which prohibits the depiction of natural forms since they are made in the image of God. The result is a striking blend of ancient Islamic tradition and contemporary design and materials.
One of the most striking buildings in the City, this mosque is located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The thin crescent Moon is the preeminent symbol of the Islamic faith and can be seen here atop the dome as well as the minaret. Ramadan—Islam’s holiest period—is the ninth month of the year, and its start is signaled by the first sighting of the young crescent Moon without the aid of a telescope. In the days preceding Ramadan, the Hayden Planetarium typically receives several hundred phone calls from worshipers asking for confirmation of the day they should expect to see the crescent Moon. Like all mosques, this one was built to face Mecca, in Saudi Arabia. “Easier said than done”. If Earth were flat, all you would need to do is have the building face Mecca straight on. But Earth’s curved surface presents a problem whose full solution requires the application of a branch of mathematics called spherical trigonometry.
The mosque pictured here is in the middle of New York City—at 74°45′ west longitude and 40°56′ north latitude. Mecca can be found at 39°49′ E and 21°27′ N. When you do the math, you’ll find that the mosque faces the direction you would travel along Earth’s surface directly above the straight line that connects New York City to Mecca through the solid Earth. Such a route is more formally called a geodesic or great circle route and represents the shortest distance between any two points on a curved surface, or even between any two points in the curved space of the universe.
With exceptions for the need to fly near tracking stations and to avoid airspace over unfriendly countries, commercial airplanes chart their journeys entirely along geodesics, which accounts for all those odd-looking flight paths over Greenland and northern Canada for trips that connect the United States and Europe.
Near the center of the Great Mosque in Mecca is the Ka’bah, the shrine that houses the black stone that is one of Islam’s most sacred relics. By some accounts, the stone may not be of this Earth but a meteorite from interplanetary space.
Then the Imam-Omar gave us some information about where he thinks Islam is standing in U.S. right now where it will be going in the future. The things he said about the place of Islam made us very happy. He thinks we have all the attention we can ever get, he also stated that everyday many people from different nationalities and different races come to the Islamic Cultural Center of NYC and convert to Islam. And according to him Islam in U.S. is going to spread even more in the future and they are going to stop discriminating us. He also asks us young Muslims to show everybody what real Islam is all about. Since the September 11th he had to give many conferences to different magazines, newspapers, and news channels.
He also made it clear that all major religions are related, he stated that every week a priest, himself (imam) and a Rabbi get together and talk about the seminaries of the three religions. There are also many other event that take place at this very lovely center. They even have match making for the single Muslims.
After all we really enjoyed talking to this very educated, sweet, and friendly Imam( Imam Omar) . We are glad we have people like him to represent us. We actually recorded the whole conerstation we had with him and that will be posted as a slide show on the website. It was very unique experience, and we are glad we picked the Islamic Cultural Center of NYC.

Reply
peterhans

December 21, 2006 at 8:13 pm

Trip to mosque
Peter Hans, Lorenc Qose, and Ben Ma

For our project, we visited the Albanian mosque in Garfield. The Imam was very enthusiastic about our visit and answered our questions, often without even waiting to be asked. We asked about the history of the mosque, how the imam became the imam; about the life of the Prophet, the Haddith and Sunnah; What Islam meant to the Imam, Halal vs. Harram, and what is the difference between Shia and Sunni Muslims.

When asked about the history of the mosque, we were told of how Albania has been a communist country for over 40 years, and one aspect of communism being that worshipping God is forbidden, many Albanians immigrated to other countries. Of these, some eventually found their way to the United States where they were free to worship and believe in God as they wanted. The first Albanian church was built in Brooklyn in 1962 by the first group to come here. Then in 1990, the Albanian community built another mosque, the one we visited, in Garfield New Jersey because of a growing Muslim population in the area.

Next the Imam told us about how he became the Imam of this mosque. He was originally from Shpia, Macedonia. The region used to be an Albanian territory, but the soviet union took it after world war 2; there is still a large number if Albanians living there. The Imam finished Islamic high school and came to continue his studies of philosophy and religion here in the United States. At that time, another Imam ran the mosque, but when that imam died in 2000, the community decided to promote the current Imam because he was young, enthusiastic, and still continuing his studies.

When asked about the prophet, the Haddith, and the Sunnah; the Imam said that Prophet Mohammed was born in 571, and through his entire life he did not commit any sin, and was known by everyone as the “trustworthy one”. Then he got married and when he was 40 years old, he became a prophet. For 27 years he would have the Qur’an revealed to him. According to the imam, the life of the prophet is an example for every Muslim. The Haddith and Sunnah are the advice and life of the prophet respectively. Muslims should also believe in the Torah (from Moses), Bible (Jesus), and Qur’an (Mohammad).

Next we asked the Imam what Islam meant to him. He said that Islam is a system of organizing our lives; we should be in peace with God, with our neighbors, and with ourselves. And in order to be a good Muslim, people should be safe from you.

Halal and Harram? The Imam Explained that everything clear and beneficial to your body is called Halal. The word Halal means allowed. On the other side of the coin is Harram. All the things that are harmful and dirty to us and our bodies are Harram. Some things that are Harram include: Eating pork, gambling, and drinking alcohol. But, if under extreme circumstances, we were somehow forced to eat or do something Harram, we would find that God is forgiving.

Lastly, we asked about Shia and Sunni, and what makes them different. The imam said that the schism between the 2 sects began after the death of Mohammed. The problem was who would govern the people? Some said that Ali must because he was a cousin of Mohammed, but the majority of people felt that Abu Bakr to be a better choice. So Ali’s followers differentiated themselves as Shia. They believe that only the people coming from the family of Ali should be leaders of Islam. They also thought that the leaders are unmistakable. Shia are also divided into groups, but the majority accepts Mohammed as the prophet of God.

In all, we found the imam to be as informative as he is enthusiastic about Islam. We really didn’t even have to ask the questions, he just kept looking at the paper we had written them out on and kept going with them. He also mentioned throughout the interview about how happy he was for the religious freedom of the United States. We were all thankful to have met with him afterwards.

Reply
nazlia

December 22, 2006 at 8:01 pm

1. Runa Saleh
Nazli Askin
Mi Yeong Lee
Nishet Dahya
Islamic Scriptures
Professor Rahman
Mosque paper
The history of Islam in the United States starts in the 18th century, with the first Muslim residents. According to a recent survey, there are 1,209 mosques in America, in which over half found in the last 20 years. Between 17 and 30 percent of American Muslims are converts to the faith. Once very undersized, the Muslim population has grown greatly in the last hundred years. Most U.S mosques are local initiatives, started by groups of Muslims in search of a place to worship together. The mosque is often run by an elected board that prearranged the Imam and decided which national Islamic federations to support. Today, mosques, Islamic centers and schools are established in every community of every size. Islamic organizations and institutions are able to minister to the needs of the Muslim congregation in America. Muslims voices are heard speaking up for their faith in official circles, to the media and in every field of attempt, and Muslims are now able to make a significant contribution, especially in the realm of spirituality, values and morals, to the life of this nation. The number of Muslims in the United States is estimated to be 1.8 billion. It is the fastest growing faith in this country. Estimates signify that the number of Muslims in the United States will be greater then the number of Methodists by the year 2010. Up to one-third of American Muslims are African Americans who have converted to Islam during the last seventy years. According to an article written by George Clack the estimated conversion rate among Americans are 135,000 per year. The Defense Department reports that there are now approximately 9000 Muslims on active duty in the U.S. armed services. It is reported that more than 3000 Americans embraced Islam during the Gulf war alone. An immense network of Muslim ministries also caters to 300,000 converts in prisons, with an estimated conversion rate of 35,000 per year.
The first mosque was built in Medina. in Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) house. This mosque very popular and gets many visitors throughout the year. Even though it is not one of the pillars to go to this mosque, most people will go. The reason they go is not to worship Muhammad, but to honor him as the messenger of Allah .Later on, Mosques started to form a more complex shape. The pulpit where the Imam calls the sermon, also known as the minbar was created. The minarets (the long and lean towers) , where the imam calls the edhan (the call to prayer) became famous later on. The first mosques did not have these minarets. Even though there still are some mosques that do not have minarets, most do.
There are rules one must follow when they enter a mosque. One is that a person needs to be clean in order to enter. Everyone entering the mosque must do the wudu, or the cleansing of the body and everyone must take their shoes off. People also have to dress accordingly. Women must cover up their heads and wear long skirts and long-sleeved shirts. There are also more obvious rules such as not talking while others are praying and no eating and no sleeping. According to the encyclopedia the prayer performed in the mosque should have a leader, which would be the Imam. In the customary understanding, being imam is not a profession, nor is it a qualification. Any respected Muslim who is trained correctly in leading prayer, can in fact become an Imam. In general, it is the most educated and the most respected person amongst the group who would be offered the honor of being imam.
However, in modern times, many mosques have made their Imam into something additional; the Imam has become an employed leader of the congregation, a counterpart of a priest, nothing less. The Imam may be a spokesman for the members of the congregation and advise anyone with answers they may have on Islam. An example of when you would need to go to an Iman is if someone in your family gets really sick with nothing keeping this person alive except machines, and medically there is no chance of coming back, you would go to an Imam and ask for guidance on what to do. A situation like this one is a very difficult judgment to make. An Imam is always there to help and guide you in correct guidelines. The original idea about the imam intends that he be a man of direct descent, not be a minor, be sound in mind and body, have competent knowledge of theology, and have the capacity of being a ruler. The imam is supposed to have a special relationship to God as well as something that comes close to divine powers. He is also supposed to be the guide of the human race, in both religious as well as secular issues. Due to such expectations, there can only be one Imam at a time.
The Mosque that Fevzi Kilic is the Imam of is located in Paterson. This mosque was built in 1977.It was built by the Turkish population that arrived around that time. Since Muslims were scarce 30 yaers ago, they thought it would be a good I dea to build one. He is from Turkey and was born into a Muslim family. He has been an Imam for 25 years. He has been serving as an Imam in this mosque since 1990.
In America, Islam plays and important role. It is considered to be one the fastest growing religions out there. I asked him on his view on Islam in America today, and he as expected told me that it is more nowadays that he gets men and women who are not Muslims, coming to him and asking him many questions about Islam. Most of these people are born and raised in this country and ask these questions out of curiosity and are thinking about converting into the faith. He said that they Muslim community has grown in the United States and he is very proud. Even though there has been a backlash towards the Muslims, he still believes that every Muslims should do the best that they can to tell people the real side of Islam. He also said that the best way to live is through the sunnah of the Muhammed. He explained to us that everything that Muhammed did is the very best way of living. His sunnahs are basic things, such as being clean, being good to people and animals and etc.

Reply
ajaouni

October 28, 2009 at 1:49 am

Alaa Jaouni
Omed Baher
Masjid report

The history of Islam in America is very diverse. Many of the Muslim’s in America are from different ethnicities. Just like the heritage of Africans, Egyptians, Afghans, Iranians, and many others. One of the first to come to America is the Africans they are very important to the Islamic history in America. They are important because it dates back to the time of slavery which many of the slaves that were sent to America were Muslims.
“Over the last five centuries, two different trends began in the Islamic world. The two trends led to a decline in power and a rebirth. It started with a decline in power because the Islamic world began to decline into a weakened state that it became an easy prey. During this time the Europeans saw a chance to take advantage of the situation at the time. The Europeans began to take over territories and started to enslave the Muslims. The majority of the slaves were from African heritage. The Europeans exported them to American colonies in a brutal manner. Most of those unfortunate slaves were Muslims because of this slavery the lives of many Islamic followers were wiped out.”(Emerick)
“Just as Christopher Columbus set sail from Spain in 1492, many the European Catholics had just accomplished successfully captured the last Muslim stronghold, known as Granada. Due to the capture of Granada there were now hundred of thousands of Muslims under Christian control. Many of the Muslims were forcibly converted to Christianity. A large number of pretended to convert to save themselves from torture.” (Emerick)
“Columbus’s crew even consisted a small but significant number of sailors that were Muslim. They also had to hide their faith to avoid persecution. When Columbus landed in America he was stunned to find people that were black skinned and wore the same clothing style as those of Granada and West Africa. It was soon to be found out that many Africans landed in America before Columbus had arrived. Majority of those Africans consisted of Muslims.” (Emerick)
“During this time some slaves that managed to retain their Islamic faith; most of those slaves desired to return to their homeland. One man managed to achieve his name is Abd Raham Ibrahima, a West African prince that was sold into American slavery during 1787. Throughout his years as a slave he tried to oppose his master but all his attempts were futile. He would soon find a way to petition President John Quincy Adams for his freedom. During 1829 he was returned to his homeland, where he died in the faith of his fathers.” (Emerick)
“In addition to African Americans, other immigrants that followed the way of Islam came to America. They came to America freely and they were not forced to convert. From 1875-2001 many different Muslim ethnicities would come to America such as Syrians, Arabs, Lebanese, Egyptians, and many others.”(Emerick)”
These people that emigrated to America primarily came in four great waves from various parts of the Muslim world. The Muslims in the first two waves were quickly assimilated in to America, and nothing is left of their presence there except for a few town names and abandoned mosques scattered throughout places. The third wave built many older mosques that are still being used as of today in most urban centers of the United States and Canada. The fourth wave is the most recent one which has been mainly active in political and social affairs in their communities and in the nation at large.” (Emerick)
“Though there was a decline in power during the time of slavery there is rebirth as of today in America. Islam is spreading quickly throughout the world; many ordinary people began to take a look at their faith that has shaped their way of life in so many ways. The African Americans began to look into their own heritage and begun to reach back into their religious and cultural roots. For many of the Africans this meant accepting the teachings of Islam.” (Emerick)
“Its not just the Africans that are converting to the way of life of Islam. Many other races in the west are converting to Islam such as Caucasians, Hispanics, and many others. Converts to Islam increases every year. As the increase of Islam through bother conversions and immigrations, Muslims in North America now enjoy the support of many organizations that work tirelessly to bring their hopes and concerns to the nation.” (Emerick)
“Egyptian Americans are one of the main groups of people that most recently immigrated to the United States. Most began to arrive to America from 1947 to 1960. Most of the Egyptians were well educated and moved into the professional mainstream quickly. The Egyptians immigrated to America in significant numbers. After Egypt’s defeat in 1967 in the Arab-Israeli war, approximately 15,000 Egyptians immigrated to the United States from 1967 to 1977. For the past three decades there have been a never before seen movements of the Egyptian population to America.” (Mikhail)
“The majority of the first Egyptian immigrants that arrived to the United States were educated professionals and skilled workers. Their immigration to America was eased by the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act. This act welcomed many certain professionals, especially scientist.” (Mikhail)
“It has been estimated that the Egyptian population varies from 800,000 to two million. There has been a large population of Egyptians in New Jersey, New York, Florida, California, Illinois, and Texas. The climate has had an important influence on where the Egyptian Americans decide to live. The reason being is because they are accustomed to the warm and temperate climate of their homeland. Many of the Egyptians are known to live in the southern states due to the warm weather.” (Mikhail)
“The Egyptian immigrants and their children that were born in America had very little difficulty adjusting to the new life in American culture. The reason being is that the Egyptian Americans have a very strong educational background. Many Egyptians have married out of their ethnicity; this has eased their assimilation into the American society.” (Mikhail)
“Though the Egyptian Americans have been able to establish many different organizations. Many of these organizations include professional, academic, or business orientations. The organizations include the Egyptian American Professional society, the Egyptian Physicians Association, and the Egyptian Businessmen’s Association.” (Mikhail)
“Most Egyptians that live in urban areas do not wear their traditional clothing’s. The Egyptians adopted the Western style clothing and the majority of the Egyptians that came to the United States have retained to this custom. It is known that in the past two decades those Muslim women (not just Egyptians) have chosen to dress in traditional Islamic garments.” (Mikhail)
“Having being raised in conservative and in a traditional society, Egyptian Americans mainly Muslims worry about their children’s dating habits and they urge their children to marry someone of Egyptian descent or someone from an Arab community. Egyptian families commonly send their children back to Egypt to immerse them in the Egyptian society in the hope that they will choose a bride or groom there. Some Egyptian parents commonly encourage marriage between cousins, a practice common in Egypt.” (Mikhail)
“For these reasons, the role of the mosque as a social center and as a religious gathering place is changing from what is was in Egypt. As of today it is known that women not only pray at the mosque but also participate in social activities there. The custom of women praying at mosque has become common these days in Egypt.” (Mikhail)
“In the Egyptian culture boys are often treated differently than the girls. Their parents are more lenient to the boys when it comes to curfew and dating. In the Egyptian culture education is highly esteemed by the Egyptians, and because of many of the first generation Egyptian Americans posses advanced college degrees they encourage their children to attend college. Many of the Egyptian families encourage their children to attend college in Egypt. Its not just because its less costly but also that they will be supervised by members of their family.” (Mikhail)
Islam is known to have been rapidly growing not just in America but throughout the world. From the time of the slaves being sent to America and too the time of the various ethnicities coming to America Islam has been with this country since the beginning. Islam is a religion that will continue to prosper in the future in America and the whole world.
The mosque that was interviewed is the Bergen County Islamic Center located in Hackensack, New Jersey. This is one of the most well known mosques and the main mosque in Bergen County. It is lead by Egyptians and the well known imam of the Egyptian masjid is Imam Yasser AlRashidi. Imam Al Rashidi is one of the most intelligent and also has his fame in the biggest masjid of the world located in Cairo Egypt called the Al Azhar University. Imam AlRashidi has his own different ways to spread the teachings of Islam and his own ways to get people to follow the right path of Islam from his khutbahs and teachings.
Imam Yasser AlRashidi became a professor at the AlAzhar University in Cairo, Egypt and was with the part of the university called the Mansoura branch. He teached the factually of fundamental of religion and Islamic cultural and call. He has a masters degree which he got in the year of 1996 and a P.H.D in the year 2000 and both in Islamic studies special in the call to Islam and Islamic culture. He was born in Mansoura in the year 1968 and he is married to his wife and has four daughters and a boy which are all living in Egypt. He started to be the imam of the Bergen County Islamic Center masjid in December of the year 2007 right after leaving the Beyt AlMaqudis Islamic Center located in Brooklyn, New York. The Hackensack was originally an apartment room located across the street from its location today back in 1996. In the year 2000 they moved the masjid to a big building located on trinity place in Hackensack which is where the masjid is located today.
The imam has different ways of teaching the Islamic scripture through different activities, talks, and khutbahs. One of the imams ways to get across the message of the book is through the Friday khutbahs. Than after the Friday prayer, he holds a talk to whom ever wants to come and ask him any question related to the religion. He hold daily sessions after the isha prayer and talk about different topics and uses Friday and the Saturday talks to be about the Muslim daily life. He holds youth gatherings for teens and any age up after every Sunday night between seven and eight.
Other ways the imam gets Muslims to become motivated in the religion practices is to do a competition every year with the pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj). Last year there was 2 Omrass and 1 hajj that represented the mosque and the year of 2007 was 2 hajj and 3 omras. The imam states that due to the economy, the number of people to represent the masjid is decreasing. The imam tries to get the children involved with the religion by having kid classes every Friday and Saturday evening from six thirty to eight. These classes are to teach the children the Islamic studies, and the Quran and the Arabic language. There are also sport activities for the kids such as karate classes and a soccer team. And the ladies also have a special class to teach them the religions which are from five to six thirty Saturday night and Tuesday afternoon from twelve to one thirty.
The imam has seen face changes in the past years he has been in the masjid in Hackensack. He has seen more Pakistani people coming to the masjid and also much more African American people. He has seen the increase of the amount of people coming to the Friday prayers and getting involved with the masjid’s activities. This is a sign that the imam loves to see and believes that he hopes the increasing number will continue as he continues with his plans on getting the Muslim community to open up and spread.
The imam decided to become an imam because he likes and enjoys to do the job of a prophet. He enjoys to continue to spread the message of Islam and it is a way of being a good person under the eyes of Allah and this is a way he will be rewarded from Allah. He likes to explain and spread the message to Muslims and non Muslims about the religion and wants to be a part of the spread of Islam. There is a hadith by prophet Muhammad (PBUH) that states that Allah says if you let one person to convert to Islam, it is better than the whole world.
As an imam, he studies the environment around him, the community and looks for the mistakes, problems and other bad things he sees going on in the world and people around him and tries to teach in the khutbahs about how to avoid the problems and how to become a better Muslim through his speech. He looks at the good things he sees around and also tries to get people to do more good to others just as the Quran tells every Muslim to do. The imam tries to improve and to get people to practice the religion more seriously. The imam looks into the family life styles, personal life styles, and how to be a good Muslim in an American community. He teaches how to practice the religion the America. He tries to get people to get involved in the American community without interfering with any religious beliefs. He tries to bring unity between Muslims and non Muslims and other cultures.
Islam is the first religion the increased so rapidly in America. There are about eight million Muslims only in America. There is about 1.57 billion in the world. About twenty three percent of the United States population is Muslim. The imam believes that is Muslims now continue to do good and makes good plans for the future; the unity with other cultures will get stronger.
The imam is worried of the second and the third generations of people in the religion due to the cultural diversities and people are falling to a wrong path. The unity he wants the other generation to take care of is between other cultures and tries to strengthen and improve the foundation of the masjids the Islamic culture in general. He believes that there is weak connection with the religion and the other generations coming along and there is very little attention taken between them. He believes if we continue to do good and improve the teachings or continue the spread of the message of Islam that Islam will be the number one religion in the United States.

Reply