Alhamdulilah, this time we planned ahead and contacted Shaykh Ali Suleiman Ali (the imam of this masjid) beforehand. It was a really great khoutba (sermon) that Dr. Nadeem Siddiqi gave that day about how we should stop focusing on the little that is forbidden in Islam and encourage ways of enjoyment and expressions that are allowed such as the upcoming MAS Youth Voices for Change concert. I enjoyed it and learned from it as well.
We had the honor of sitting with Masood Uncle, one of the very early Canton community members, who told us about the community's history. He also generously provided us with some delicious desi (south Asian) food, mango juice, and we also got to eat some scrumptious cake.
The community started around 1977 when Sultan Muhiuddin, one of the founders, organized meetings in the basements of different Muslims in the area to study Qur'an and tafsir (exegesis). In 1978, MCWS was officially registered as a non-profit organization; the focus was on providing a good environment for the youth.
Next, they moved on to renting out from the Livonia Public School System. In 1981-2, Brother Mustansir started conducting tafsir. I found it interesting that although this is a primarily Sunni-identified community, Imam Jawad Shirri (the first listed qualified Shi'i Imam in Michigan) of the first Shi'i Masjid here in Michigan (it was on Joy Road and Greenfield but now has moved to Ford Road) used to come to speak. It just goes to show how integrated the Muslims were and, Insha'Allah (God Willing), can become in this area.
In 1986, some members from the community helped found the Michigan Islamic Academy. Apparently Yusuf Islam actually came to speak for one of the earlier fundraising dinners!!! I couldn't believe it when I heard it.
Two years later, in '88, the community members did a survey about Muslims in the area and found Canton to be central (and it still is!) and the best location for a combined unity school.
This school, Crescent Academy, was started in 1991; part of it was used as a prayer area with a capacity of 150 people. The building was multi-purpose, and it had huge doors, which opened up from the gym to expand the prayer area (I've taken a picture of this and posted it below). In 2007, however, the expansion and new building was built; it is truly amazing and very impressive, and I was given the full tour by the current principal recently.
Shaykh Ali has been the Imam for the last 7-8 years. He has brought different scholars and offered various programs. As one of my teachers, I really look up to him for how he has coupled his expansive knowledge with his activism.
In addition to this one-of-a-kind full-time school right next to the MCWS Center that contains the musalla (area for prayer), parents in the area also have the option of enrolling their children in summer school, which is held three days a week.
I found a lot of emphasis on being together, supporting each other, and important family values. I'm not going to lie. My number one place to raise my children is in this community, and something I loved about visiting it was that I would see dads, their sons, and their grandchildren all within the same prayer hall. It doesn't seem out of the ordinary for a Muslim in the area to go away for college then come back and raise his or her family there. I think that their focus has truly brought about positive change. I've posted some pictures below. Please post your comments and also try to attend this Masjid for a prayer, a Friday prayer, talk to members from this community, or do what you can to reach out and unite.
These are three pictures from the small gathering we had after the prayer. There was actually one more brother in attendance that had to leave early, but I am still saddened. It is not because of the small number but rather because no sisters showed up. I hope some can come this next week!
These are the beautiful doors, which brothers enter to go to the prayer area.
This is the brothers' prayer area; it's very large as you can see.
This is the sisters' prayer area. What I really like about this is that they have the choice of either praying behind the one-sided mirrors or in front of them with no barrier between the men, though they're still behind them. It allows for Muslim women all across the spectrum to feel comfortable or at least I think it does; I'm biased because I write this from a male's perspective.
This is where the Imam will give the Friday Sermon, announcements, will lead prayer, etc. It is the front of the prayer hall. I'm impressed by the sound system in this musalla. It is set up so that there isn't really a microphone that is connected to anyone but rather a system that picks up sound automatically; I can't really explain how it works, but I've used it myself, and it is unique.
This is the brothers' wudu (ablution) area where they wash up before prayer.
This is the gym where community events and dinners are held. After taking these pictures I saw some Crescent Academy boys playing, and they were VERY good! They told me they were on the basketball team and were preparing for a game soon.
These are the double doors that I wrote about above. They open up into the back of the sisters' prayer area and were used for overflow when the center was smaller.
This is the front entrance of the MCWS. The cones were there because parents were picking up their children from the school next door.
This is the front of Crescent Academy. I'm serious when I say that this is one of the best Islamic Schools in the area. I've went through it in-depth, and I want to enroll my own children here. I had the honor of meeting Br. Dawud Tauhidi, its director, afterwards; he has presented internationally about his Tarbiyyah Project and the very interesting methodology of Islamic education. You should check it out some time!-Tammam Alwan
