The Islamic Society of Central New York is a "purpose-built"
Sunni mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
and Islamic community centre located on Comstock Avenue in
Syracuse, NY
Syracuse ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States. It is the fifth-most populous city in the state of New York following New York City, Buffalo, Yonkers, and Rochester.
At the 2020 census, the city's p ...
. Founded in 1981, by Khaja Qutubuddin, the center serves the needs of
Central New York
Central New York is the central region of New York State, including the following counties and cities:
With a population of about 773,606 (2009) and an area of , the region includes the Syracuse metropolitan area.
Definitions
The New York ...
's estimated 15,000 - 20,000 Muslims providing various services and outreach programs for the
Muslim and non-Muslim community. It also runs an Islamic cemetery and the Madrasat Al Ihsan/School of Excellence (founded in 1993) on West Onondaga Street. The mosque is served by a full-time Imam and is administered by an elected
Shura
Shura ( ar, شُورَىٰ, translit=shūrā, lit=consultation) can for example take the form of a council or a referendum. The Quran encourages Muslims to decide their affairs in consultation with each other.
Shura is mentioned as a praisewort ...
Council.
The mosque is home to a diverse congregation. Over a quarter of the mosque's congregants are
African-Americans
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of enslav ...
, one quarter
Arabs
The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...
and one fifth represent
South Asia
South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical
Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth descr ...
. The remainder are from various parts of the world, with European Muslims (primarily immigrants from
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...
and
Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
, and a much smaller group of White American converts) making up approximately 5% of mosque attendees. Between one and two thirds of the community is estimated to be foreign born.
Purposes and activities
This society is formed to practice
Islam according to the commands of
Allah and the
Sunnah of
Prophet Mohammad in the ways of
Sunni principles. The major activities of this corporation revolve around the five daily prayers and teaching members. Members gather at prescribed prayer times for participation in the obligatory prayers. The time of the prayers is related to the position of the sun, and therefore these times change throughout the year depending upon the times of sunset and sunrise.
While the daily obligatory prayers only take 5–10 minutes, generally a short teaching session takes place right after prayer. Every Friday, a major sermon is delivered before the afternoon prayer. Other activities include teaching children about Islamic practices, the timing of such sessions depending upon student availability after school hours. The society also establishes the work of
dawah
Dawah ( ar, دعوة, lit=invitation, ) is the act of inviting or calling people to embrace Islam. The plural is ''da‘wāt'' (دَعْوات) or ''da‘awāt'' (دَعَوات).
Etymology
The English term ''Dawah'' derives from the Arabic ...
and conveys the message of Islam to people of other faiths, promoting better understanding and harmony in the community at large. Additionally, in the month of
Ramadan special prayers and
Iftar
Iftar ( ar, translit=Iftar Ramadan, إفطار رمضان), also known as (from , , 'breakfast'), (), is the evening meal with which Muslims end their daily Ramadan fast at sunset. They break their fast at the time of the call to prayer ...
are arranged for fasting obligations.
Imams of the Islamic Society of Central New York have served on the InterReligious Council of Central New York and as a chaplain at
Syracuse University. Outreach activities of members of the mosque include co-founding Women Transcending Boundaries, a group bringing women of faith in central New York together after
9/11, and teaching English classes to refugees at the North Side Learning Center in
Syracuse.
See also
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List of mosques in the Americas
This is a list of notable mosques and Islamic centres in the Americas, meaning individual buildings and congregations and administration, including notable current and former examples. This list is sorted alphabetically by country and building na ...
*
Lists of mosques
*
List of mosques in the United States
This is an alphabetical listing of notable mosques in the United States (Arabic: ''Masjid'', Spanish: ''Mezquita''), including Islamic places of worship that do not qualify as traditional mosques.
History of mosques in the United States
A mosque ...
References
External links
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{{Mosques in the United States, state=collapsed
Mosques in New York (state)
Religious buildings and structures in Syracuse, New York
Central New York
Sunni mosques in the United States