About the Lighthouse Mosque"...Lighthouse is my regular mosque - but it's awesome! It's an especially great place to go if you're a convert. There's a real friendly, young vibe to it, and all the people are so nice..." Location: 4606 Martin Luther King Jr Wy Oakland, CA 94609 Contact via e-mail: [email protected] Website: www.lighthousemosque.org |
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The Light That Guides Us All
Upon entering the mosque, the members greeted their visitors warmly with jokes and laughter. The Sunday afternoon Arabic class had just come to an end, and the members of the mosque were getting ready for the afternoon prayer. As we prepared for the interview, we began to notice the simplicity in the interior design of the mosque. Brother Adbul Latif explains that the decor inside the mosque is kept simple because the institution is meant to be a place to connect with God, and the minimalist decorations will prevent distractions. In addition, the practice of sitting on the floor is meant to make the members of the community feel equal, to show that it does not matter your background, no one is above anyone else. Even during the brief introduction, it was evident that the doors of the Lighthouse Mosque is open to anyone who is curious and willing to learn about Islam.
Previously, the storefront mosque was home to an older institution established in the 1970s called Masjid al-Iman. Through the years, the membership of the mosque increased to the point that they began to outgrow the space, and they were required to move to a different location to accommodate their growing community. As a result, this space became available for another mosque to prosper and grow. Since Masjid al-Iman had moved away from Oakland, Imam Zaid Shakir, along with his brother Usama Canon (both of whom headed the establishment of the Zaytuna Institute in Hayward), felt the need to maintain a mosque in Oakland, which is known to be a socio-economically disadvantaged area. In 2007, the seed of their efforts blossomed and the Lighthouse Mosque was opened to the Muslim population of Oakland. (data)
One aspect of this mosque that stood out was its diverse membership: among the members that participated in our discussion were Afghans, African Americans, Filipinos etc., all of whom displayed a great sense of enthusiasm in contributing to the rich spirit found at the Lighthouse mosque. Their network of members extends to an even broader range in that the members of different mosque in the area could stop by the institution nearest to them during prayer time and nobody would bat an eye. This is a result of the friendship that the network of mosques has built with each other through their Sunday unity breakfasts and getting together to celebrate Eid, allowing their members to socialize and build strong bonds among themselves. |
The members of the mosque are very diverse. This is calligraphy done by a Chinese brother; the character means concentration
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Initially, the members of the mosque wanted to use the term masjid, but for the sake of Muslims who do not speak Arabic and for the surrounding neighborhood to understand that the location is a place of Muslim worship, they chose the term mosque over masjid. Brother Sundiata also explained the symbolic meaning behind the name Lighthouse, “just as ships are guided in the sea by a lighthouse to find their way toward the light, at Lighthouse mosque members can hopefully find the light that will guide them to spiritual truth.” From this, we were able to witness how impactful is the progressive attitude and environment that is being promoted in this mosque. Thus, it serves an imperative function under this community. We heard the story of the tremendous positive changes that transformed the life of one Muslim convert. He grew up in Oakland and was involved in crimes as a gang member, but he shared with us the great deal of changes that transgressed his life upon becoming a member of the Lighthouse mosque. The members of the mosque reinstate that progress is the most beneficial gain for a Muslim brother as long as he continues to practice Islam.
The Homeless Feed at the Rainbow Recreation Center on Saturday mornings (Source: Lighthouse Mosque website)
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It was mainly due to these types of humanitarian goals that Imam Zaid found the need to maintain a mosque in Oakland that would commit to a greater deal of outreach than other mosques. For instance, during the time of Eid, which is the celebration at the end of Ramadan (month of fasting) and at end of Hajj (the pilgrimage to Mecca), there is a massive gathering between 4-5 mosques in which members interact and share food amongst the community to build stronger bonds. Historically, each mosque celebrated Eid separately and held their own events, however Imam Zaid felt that the point of Muslims gathering in the mosque is for the community to grow stronger in and of themselves, so he encouraged the mosque to hold celebrations together.
As for the Lighthouse Mosque itself, one important practice they partake in is feeding the homeless and handing out groceries to the needy at Rainbow Recreation Center in East Oakland on Saturdays. There is also an emphasis in the mosque for Muslims to pray the right way, and for that purpose prayer classes are held on Wednesdays and Thursdays to teach the Muslims in the community to perform the rituals correctly. On Sunday afternoon, there is an Arabic class for the members who wish to learn Arabic. Finally, on Mondays, the mosque invites speakers to discuss various topics or Imam Zaid holds the "Islam and the Ten Commandments class, examining the relationship between Islam and Christianity. |
Brother Abdul Latif stated that the Lighthouse Mosque is "ground zero" for the community. He tells us that since this mosque was built from scratch, it would be capable of bringing a true Islam that could preserve the authentic traditions of the Islamic faith. Considering that Oakland is adversely affected by negative circumstances such as theft, drugs, hunger, domestic violence and other crimes, it is regarded as “fertile ground” for Muslim converts, and for Islam to effectively solve many of the problems the community in Oakland faces. This goes to show why members can regard this mosque as a place that provides something beyond prayer and religious activity. The Lighthouse Mosque is also a place where they can come to learn, to socialize, and to build their lives around. (They even have a softball team!). The brothers all agreed that the Lighthouse is one of the most important mosques in Oakland; the city needs motivation and a star to guide them in the right direction, and the mosque believes that Islam is the key. Brother Abdul Latif goes on to tell us that the mosque does not have an outreach program to recruit potential Muslim converts, because he believes that simply being a good Muslim will cause the desired ripple effect of attracting people. Effectively, when others see the lives of Muslim converts improve by living a morally balanced life and doing good in the community, those who benefited from them will also want to do the same in turn for others in their situation, prompting them to convert and perpetuating a domino effect.
The Lighthouse Mosque has been expanding successfully throughout the years, as Brother Sundiata expressed the need for the mosque to find an even bigger location. So the time has come for the Lighthouse Mosque to move forward while guiding their community. Soon, the storefront will be vacant once again, awaiting another mosque to be built and carry on the mission that Lighthouse began.
The Lighthouse Mosque has been expanding successfully throughout the years, as Brother Sundiata expressed the need for the mosque to find an even bigger location. So the time has come for the Lighthouse Mosque to move forward while guiding their community. Soon, the storefront will be vacant once again, awaiting another mosque to be built and carry on the mission that Lighthouse began.