Friday at Masjid Muhammad

Usually cities are full of lights, fast cars, music and latest fashion. Few would argue that Washington DC is also same but there are city within cities, which remain hidden from the usual sight of visitors. I happen to be in one of such parts of DC, It is an African American Mosque on New Jersey Avenue named as ‘Masjid Muhammad’. I am doing a lot of generalization on the basis of my ‘Jumah’ (weekly Friday prayers) visits to this mosque. I was surprised to see the amazing full of life culture this small mosque presents to me. Here is what I found interesting:


Cafe
There is a cafe, kitchen, and a bookstore in the basement. The group is so vibrant and active that they utilize not only the space of Mosque but also build network to promote business, Raise funds for community needs like Education through selling game tickets and a lot more. Not to forget the DVDs and journals of Imam Muhammad who is the Man behind this community.

Changing roles and speakers
Each week a new person takes over the dice for Khutba (Sermon & speech), which is recorded. And it’s amazing to hear them, one of them referred to Science fiction films and Quran at the same time while describing the concept of time in his speech, other day our Imam made some good boxing moves to explain how Muslim should face the world. And theatrical stories of various people and prophets are a common act with voice modulation and tone control. after the parayers you see that same person is selling Oil aur pumpkin pie.

Business
After the prayers one can meet a lot of people in the basement while having delicious lunch, Salmon kebab sandwich and apple cobbler is my favorite. Then there are few stalls of tickets for fund raising, collecting zakat, pumpkin pie and Oil and thermal wear etc. the mosque has its in house café, which produces all the food, and sometimes it also sought services from the volunteers.

Flea market
Its parking space is used as the weekly flea market for the local goods. Flea market is very similar to weekly Bazaar's in India. I plan to write more on it soon.

Slavery
This would require another full post, for now just sleep over the comment that slavery is the most talked issue in the masjid and also in the city, during the khutba I feel it is this ‘collective deprivation’ or shared history that binds this community together and also excludes me at the same time.

Film Promotion
Few weeks ago film produce Alex Wolf came to masjid Muhammad during Jumah prayer took part in prayers and promoted his new film on Slavery, he has produced the famous film on Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) ‘legacy of prophet”.

Documentation
Imam Muhammad’s DVD’s, weekly Khutba & journals and more than a dozen publications record the changes brought and sought by the community. Imam Muhammad is also mobilizing resources to make a museum of Muslim history in America. Currently its in the form of “ Collection & Stories of American Muslims Inc. Traveling exhibition Archives and museum.”