The Muslim Center

We visited the Muslim Center of Detroit Masjid and Community Center on Friday, May 2nd, 2008 to attend the Friday Prayer there.

A surprisingly high number of Muslims in the Greater Detroit area have ironically never been to Friday Prayer in a masjid in Detroit; this is because they attend those in the suburbs surrounding Detroit. Therefore, it was a good choice to start here and have people step out of their comfort zones.

It's a friendly community, and I love the brothers and sisters who regularly attend. Subhan'Allah (All Glory Be to Allah), though I rarely attend this masjid because I live far away, every time I show up I'm met with large smiles and warm handshakes. It feels like home, and I suggest for us all to try to attend this masjid even for a prayer if we haven't already or missed the last meeting. I didn't get a chance to take some pictures of the masjid from the outside or inside where we met because I wasn't carrying my camera. However, we did have a good discussion about a few things:

1. Much of the discussion was actually on this Unity Movement, getting to know other people in the group and where we want to go from here. However, you will all see that be implemented Insha'Allah (God Willing) through the efforts in the near future. I thought it was a good attendance with at least 12 people there, ranging from a high school student to a grandmother.

2. We also talked about Seven Shades. This was the name recently decided on by the Muslim Alliance of North America (MANA)'s youth division, but the relationship to MANA and how everything breaks down is still being discussed. It's a new organization, and a movement as well. The purpose of our Detroit chapter is to act as a gateway to other organizations in the Greater Detroit area, maximizing the Muslim activism that is already ongoing in the vicinity. It's not meant to be there to reinvent the wheel or compete but rather invite people to different events, support other events, get people to mix with others they don't usually mix with, and encourage dialogue between the young and old, different races, different communities, and those having different views. Islam is not an impossible way of life, and we cannot forget about the large percentage of Muslims that have been excluded from mainstream Muslim gatherings or struggle to stay on the path. If someone says the shahadah ("Testimony," that there's no being worthy of worship but Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah) with conviction, regardless of their prayer, fasting, or other actions, they're still Muslims. Also, there's an emphasis that Muslim and American don't contradict but rather flow together quite well; Muslims and non-Muslims should come together more often for activities.

3. The Muslim American Society's Detroit Youth Chapter (MAS Youth - Detroit) event, part of the nationwide initiative called Voices for Change (VFC), was mentioned. It's this REALLY great idea about joining together, having our voices heard, and demanding for quality entertainment. I recommend checking out the event's website and getting tickets to the June 14th concert at the Detroit Masonic Temple before they run out!!! Setting comfortable, open environments like this for Muslims to come together is so crucial, especially considering the many youth that have been, unfortunately, turned away from our masjids and Muslim organizations for various reasons. I'm excited about Outlandish performing, opened by a young performer who won the talent competition, because they are so socially conscious in their music.

4. We decided to attend the Muslim Community of Western Suburbs (MCWS) Masjid in Canton for the second Friday Prayer this Friday (9 May 2008):

Location: MCWS Masjid - 40440 Palmer Road, Canton, MI 48188
Time: Second Friday Prayer - 1:40 PM

I'll hopefully remember to bring my camera this time to share the photos on this blog!

-Tammam Alwan