The Islamic Center of McLean County marked the holy month of Ramadan in a new masjid.
The masjid, or mosque, opened in February and aims to attract area Muslims and other community members. All ages and faith traditions are welcome to attend.
Imam Sa’ad Palwala said the building was designed to give both adults and children a place to gather.
“We want to attract the youth,” Palwala said. “We believe they are the cream of the crop.”
The mosque is open for prayer five times a day and on Friday evenings for community worship. Palwala said it is according to Muslim tradition that this is done on Friday nights. Men gather in one designated area while women gather in a separate area upstairs.
The mosque is named "Masjid Ibrahim" after the biblical figure Abraham because of "his willingness to submit to God," said Palwala.
Abraham is recognized in the Muslim religion, Judaism and Christianity. Together, all three make up the Abrahamic religions.
“We all worship one creator and that brings unity amongst us,” Palwala said of his Judeo-Christian neighbors. “If we have mercy on each other, every community will have peace."
A dedicated place to pray
Until February, prayer took place in a multi-purpose gymnasium built at the Olympia Drive location in 2019. Board president Sheheryar Muftee said the new center was made possible by joining McLean County's Muslim community together.
“We had two places of worship before. They were a little bit smaller and they were kind of scattered [across town], so we combined them,” Muftee said.
The two previous worship centers were located on Gill Street and Washington Street. The new masjid is made out of brick and follows traditional architecture with a dome at the top.
“This is the future of Islam in Bloomington and McLean County; this is the only mosque that is within a 50-mile radius,” Muftee said.
Muftee said the center took no loans to purchase the property and build the multi-purpose space and attached masjid. They raised $2 million through donations from the community.
One of the worship center’s goals is to further engage with the community by adding a children’s school, which will have an “Islamic component,” and possibly a food pantry, according to Muftee.
OSF gastroenterologist Dr. Omar Khokhar has lived in Bloomington-Normal for 13 years and was peripherally involved in the construction process from conception to completion. He said having a space large enough to worship together and build community has been the biggest change.
“We’re so fragmented in this day and age; there’s very few things that bring us together. Sports does that, music does that [and] religion does that,” he said.
Ramadan in the new mosque
Islamic Center of McLean County leaders encourage members to adhere to the practices of Ramadan, which lasted through the month of March.
Ramadan is a period of fasting, community prayer and reflection observed during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. This is when the Quran, Islam’s religious text, is believed to have been revealed to the prophet Muhammad. Muhammad is credited for having introduced the Muslim religion to the world.
“Everyone gathers for special prayers, we have community dinners—or breaking of the fast—and so on. All over the world it’s a very important part of Muslim culture and society,” Muftee said.
Khokhar said the worship center hosted weekly meals every Saturday night during Ramadan, which were open to the community and free of charge.
There is a special night prayer that is spoken during the month of Ramadan called Taraweeh, which is given after the regular night prayer, or Isha.
The worship center celebrates Eid-al-Fitr, meaning “the festival of breaking the fast.” This marks the end of Ramadan according to the first sighting of the new moon according to the lunar calendar.
Sitting on the floor to eat, also known as Sunnah, is what attendees of the worship center do when having meals. This is inspired by the Sunnah practices of Muhammad. “Families come together, share, meals and give to those in need,” Palwala said, describing Eid-al-Fitr.
Khokhar said he wants the community, specifically those with differing beliefs, to know about the worship center.
“I think it’s important to remember that we all have so much more in common with each other than we do differently, and so we’re just happy to be a good neighbor, very fortunate, thankful blessed to be a part of this community here in Bloomington-Normal,” Khokhar said.
