The First Masjid In America: A Lesson For Future Generations

The First Masjid on American Soil: A Lesson from History

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ. اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِيْنَ وَعَلَى عَاقِبَةِ الْمُتَّقِيْنَ. وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى رَسُوْلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آنِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ أَجْمَعِيْنَ. أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَأَعُوذُ بِاللهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيْمِ. بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ.

صَدَقَ اللهُ الْعَظِيْم. اللَّهُمَّ وَفِّقْنَا لِمَا تُحِبُّ وَتَرْضَى مِنَ الْقَوْلِ وَالْفِعْلِ وَالْأَمَانِي وَالنِّيَّاتِ وَالْهُدَى. إِنَّكَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيْر. اللَّهُمَّ أَلْهِمْنَا مَرَاشِدَنَا وَأَعِذْنَا مِنْ شُرُوْرِ أَنْفُسِنَا.

Respecting brothers, elders, mothers and sisters — a week ago, I had the good fortune of visiting North Dakota, and in particular, a small town by the name of Ross. Ross, North Dakota, is home to the first known masjid which was established on American soil.

And unfortunately, today, if you go and you visit that area, you will see that there is no trace left of Islam. The history of that city, of that town, is that in the early 1900s — the late 1800s, early 1900s — you had a large group of immigrants from the Arab world who came and they settled in Ross, North Dakota. And that is where they built this masjid, which alhamdulillah continues to stand up until today.

However, there is no one left there to worship Allah. There is no one left there to establish salah, to perform Salatul Jumu'ah. There is absolutely nothing taking place there — completely and totally abandoned.

Adjacent to the masjid, there is a qabristan — a graveyard. They say the graveyard is a silent place with a loud message. And that graveyard was a very silent place. There was no one around, yet it carried a very, very loud message. As we were looking at the names of people who were buried there, you notice that there were names like Mike Abdullah, Maria Jumu'ah — or Mary Jumu'ah — Aisha Smith.

It was very, very clear. The message was loud and clear that these individuals who came — their children, their grandchildren — they married into other cultures, into other religions, other denominations. And unfortunately, within one or two generations, you see that they have completely and totally lost the deen of Islam.

Inside the masjid, there was a little glass container, a glass case, inside of which there was a very old Quran sitting there. And on top of that, there was a letter which was written by a man by the name of Richard Omar. He writes in there how his parents were Muslims, and they used to recite from that mushaf that was sitting there. So he said — he writes in the letter — "I once asked my mother: what is your favorite surah?" She said, "My favorite surah is Surah Jumu'ah." He said, "I asked my father, what is your favorite surah?" And his father said, "I don't have a favorite surah. I recite the entire Quran from cover to cover. So every single surah is my favorite surah."

So I got hold of the number of this person, Richard Omar, and I called him and I spoke to him — I had a long conversation with him. And right at the beginning, he told me very clearly: yes, my parents were Muslim. My mom and my dad used to actually go to that masjid, and they used to perform their prayers there. But today, I am no longer Muslim. He said, "I have absolutely nothing to do with Islam."

And there isn't just one person like this in that town. There are hundreds, there are thousands of them. You can imagine — if you have a group of 50, 60 families that came in the early 1900s, by now their children, their grandchildren, their great-grandchildren — there must be thousands of them around in that area. But unfortunately, there is absolutely no trace of the deen of Islam.

Last year, I visited Cedar Rapids, Iowa, which is home to the second masjid officially established on American soil. And there also, it was the exact same story. You had these immigrants who came from the Arab world around a hundred years ago. But unfortunately, they never really passed this deen down to their children. They never taught their children and their grandchildren. There were no ulama, there were no institutions to pass on this beautiful deen of Islam.

So you see the exact same thing happened there also. Today, when you go there, it's a masjid which has been turned into a historical site — tourists come by, they take pictures, they take a tour, they visit, and then they move on.

The Lesson We Must Take

Now the reason I mention these two masjids — the first two communities that were built in this country — is not for us to just sit back and say, "That's an interesting story," or "That's an interesting part of our history." But rather, the fortunate, the intelligent individual is the one who takes a lesson from what is happening around him.

We see these individuals who came to this country, and when they did not make an effort in passing on the deen to their children and their grandchildren, within one or two generations there is no trace of Islam left. Likewise, many of us sitting here today are immigrants to this country, or our parents — perhaps for some of us, our grandparents — migrated to this country. What guarantee do we have that 70, 80 years down the line, when we are no longer here, that our children will continue to be reciters of the kalima, لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ? What guarantee do we have that our grandchildren, our great-grandchildren, and our progeny to come until the day of Qiyamah will continue to attend the masajid, will continue to be Muslims — proud Muslims — in this country?

In the time that I have remaining, I want to share with you a few steps — a few practical tips — that we need to adopt in our lives so that, insha'Allah, we can ensure that Islam continues to flourish, continues to thrive, continues to remain alive in our progeny.

Step One: Make Abundant Du'a to Allah

Number one — it goes without saying — is making an abundance of du'a to Allah. As is in the ayah which I recited before you, Allah Ta'ala Himself in the Quran teaches us to make this du'a:

"Oh Allah, do not allow us to be misguided after You have guided us." It's one thing that a person is born as a disbeliever and he passes away as a disbeliever. But it's another thing — it's far more unfortunate, and it will be a much greater source of regret to a person on the Day of Qiyamah — that he was born with iman, he was born in a Muslim household, but unfortunately he was not able to hold on to that; he was not able to pass away with deen, with Islam in his life. Imagine the regret that such an individual will have on the Day of Qiyamah.

Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman radiyallahu anhu used to say:

(Reported from Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman radiyallahu anhu)

"A time will come when no one will be rescued from the fitan — from the challenges of the era — except for that individual who calls out to Allah Ta'ala like how a drowning person calls out for help." When a person is drowning, he doesn't just sit there and say, "Is anyone available? Please help, I'm drowning." That's not how he speaks. He's screaming, yelling at the top of his voice: "Help! Help! I'm drowning! I'm dying! Somebody come, please rescue me!" That's how a drowning person calls out — so desperate that any help he can find, he will latch on to.

So likewise, Hudhayfah radiyallahu anhu was saying: if you want your iman to be protected, if you want the iman of your progeny to be protected, then you should be calling out to Allah like how that drowning individual calls out — from the bottom of your heart. Not just:

— just paying lip service while our minds are somewhere else. No — from the bottom of our hearts, these du'as need to come out. Alhamdulillah, in the back I see the Hizbul A'dham is being sold there, as well as other du'a kitabs, which insha'Allah you can purchase after Salatul Jumu'ah. These are beautiful compilations of short du'as that we should be making on a daily basis. For this is our number one protection — to call out to Allah. The Allah who is in control of everything is the one and only one who can protect iman within ourselves, within our lives, as well as within the lives of our progeny.

Step Two: Build a Loving, Deeni Environment at Home

At the same time, of course, we have to also take the correct measures — which leads me to the second point. If you want this deen to continue to flourish in our progeny, then we need to build a very loving, a very affectionate, deeni environment within our homes. I stress the word loving — that this deen cannot be passed on with force.

Allah tells Rasulullah ﷺ:

You may be the paragon of Allah's creation, but if you are harsh with other people — if you yell, if you scream, if you use harsh measures in disciplining — لَانفَضُّوا مِنْ حَوْلِكَ — people will run away from you. They will not want to listen to you, they will not want to follow you.

So likewise, at home, we need to cultivate a very loving environment, where our children are brought up with a true love for the deen of Allah. It's not that "I'm coming to the masjid because my dad told me I have to come to the masjid." "I'm wearing hijab because my mom told me — if I don't wear hijab, I'm going to get a punishment." I've heard these types of remarks from youngsters: "Yeah, I have to come to the masjid because my dad forces me — my dad will ground me otherwise."

My respected parents who are here — if that is the connection that our children have to the masajid, to the deen, that they are only worshipping Allah, they are only adopting the practice of Islam, because we are forcing them to do it — then tomorrow when our eyes close, what is going to motivate them to continue to remain Muslim? They're coming to the masjid because we are forcing them to be here. Tomorrow, once we pass away, who is going to force them? Who's going to hold their hand and drag them here to the masjid?

The basis has to be love for Allah. For if our children are coming to the masjid out of true, genuine love for Allah, then it doesn't matter whether we are present or we are gone, whether we are alive or whether we have passed away — because Allah is Al-Hayy alladhi la yamoot — Allah never passes on. So if they are coming to the masjid due to love for Allah, if they are attached to the deen of Allah because they genuinely love Allah, they want to make Allah Ta'ala happy, then regardless of how long they live after us, we don't have to worry about them — because they are connected to Allah. They are self-motivated to continue to pass on the deen of Allah.

Are We Asking the Right Question?

Every parent has this concern: "What is going to happen to my child the day I leave this world?" But it's about time that we start thinking: what is going to happen to our children the day they leave this world? Are they going to leave with iman?

Imagine Ya'qub alayhis salam is on his deathbed. He gathers his children, and what does he ask them? This is a nabi — this is the household of a nabi. These are children of a nabi. Their brother is also a nabi, Yusuf alayhis salam. But still, he makes sure — he asks them:

"Who are you going to worship after me?" Of course, they gave the answer: "We will continue to worship Allah." But look at his concern — he didn't just rely upon the fact that, "You know what, I'm a prophet of Allah, surely my children will continue to worship Allah." How often do we sit down with our children at home and talk about Allah? How often do we try and plant these seeds of love for Allah within the hearts of our children? This is something for us to think about.

The Hadith on Teaching Children Salah

Nabi ﷺ mentions in the hadith:

(Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 495)

"When your children reach the age of seven, already start encouraging them to perform their salah." What does a seven-year-old know about salah? He's not accountable — he's not going to be held liable whether he prays or not. But the idea is that from that young age, if you already cultivate this love — "Oh my son, come, let's pray to Allah Ta'ala, let's worship Allah" — then by the time he comes of age at 14 or 15, and now salah is obligatory upon him, it's not something new, it's not something foreign to him. He's already accustomed. For the last six, seven, eight years, he's been performing his salah. So now he's just continuing on with what he's already used to.

You instill the practice of hijab within your children at a young age — and what's going to happen? When they come of age, it's not something new. That girl is already used to, already accustomed to wearing the hijab for eight or ten years by that time. It's something which will be very easy for her to continue to practice upon.

So this is a very important point — that we don't just tell our children "do this, do that, perform salah, go to the masjid," but rather we need to instill within them that love for Allah, so that they understand: what am I doing, and why am I doing what I am doing? Otherwise, when we are no longer there to tell them, to command them — who is going to teach them? This, of course, requires a lot of time, a lot of effort, and a lot of love from the side of the parents.

The Danger of Phones and Social Media

Unfortunately today, how many parents are there that just as soon as a child opens his eyes — as soon as he's able to read a little bit, able to see, able to move his fingers — the first thing a parent does is put the phone in the hand of that child. It's like putting a loaded gun in the hand of that child.

I came across a quotation some time ago which read: "Putting a phone in the hand of a teenager is like putting a knife in the hand of a toddler." And when I read that, I said that's very profound. But if I can just twist that a little bit, add my own masala to it, and say: putting a phone in the hand of a teenager is more detrimental than putting a knife in the hand of a toddler. For if you put a knife in the hand of a toddler, what's the worst possible outcome? The worst possible outcome is that he'll stab himself — he'll claim his own life. But when you put a phone in the hand of a teenager, in the hand of an innocent child, it's not going to claim his life — it's going to claim his iman, which is far worse.

But this is what the children of today are being brought up upon. From a young age already, they're just scrolling through YouTube video after YouTube video after YouTube video. YouTube Shorts, TikTok video after TikTok video. As they say, TikTok is not "tick tock" — it's khatarnak. TikTok is not something which our children should be exposed to. It's not something that any of us should be exposed to. And likewise, all of these social media applications — these are things which will completely and totally ruin the iman of our children. They will ruin the worldview, the mindset of our children. These are the people our children are idolizing, the people they are watching all day, every day, hours and hours being spent upon it. What love do you think such a child will have for Allah Ta'ala? What love will he have for the sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ — when all he is watching is people who are promoting nothing but the absolute and total opposite?

Conclusion

My time is up — there is much more which can be said about this. But this is a very important point which I want to conclude upon. If we want iman to remain alive within our own lives and within the lives of our progeny, then:

Number one — we need to make abundant du'a to Allah.

Number two — we need to create a very loving, deeni environment within our homes, where our children are brought up from a young age with the love of Allah. As soon as they are able to speak, the first words that they are taught: اللهُ اللهُ، لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ، صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ.

Insha'Allah, if we raise our children — if we nurture them — with this love of Allah, with love for the masajid, with love for the Prophet ﷺ, insha'Allah this will be something which will continue to motivate them. And it will continue to be a means of Islam remaining alive in their lives. And insha'Allah, it is hoped that they will pass it on to the generations to come.

May Allah make that a reality for each and every single one of us. Ameen, ya Rabb al-'Alamin.

Announcements

Please pass the donation boxes from left to right and donate generously. Sadaqa wards off calamities and draws the mercy of Allah Ta'ala.

Please join us for our 7th Annual Winter Intensive — Harmony Within: Cultivating Love and Unity in the Modern Muslim Household. This will be taking place from December 21st to December 23rd, here at Dar al-Salam. On the brothers' side, some of the key sessions include:

• Beyond the Spectrum: Upholding Marriage and Morals in an Evolving World — with Dr. Shadi
• Heart to Heart: Mastering Marital Communication — by Dr. Humaan and Mufti Azeem
• Safeguarding Marital Bonds: Islamic Guidance on Divorce — with Mufti Minhaj

There will also be a simultaneous winter intensive for the sisters, which will be led by esteemed female scholars as well as professionals, insha'Allah. You can register at our website: masjidds.org/winter.

Al-Furqan Foundation has been distributing the Quran across North America for over 20 years now. They are establishing the largest Dawah Center in North America, and they are asking each of you to donate just $104 — to join 55,000 people to reach their goal of $5.7 million by December 13th, insha'Allah. You can pick up a flyer on the way out and donate generously.

We have a clothing drive for global refugees, which will take place tomorrow, December 7th, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Darussalam. Please join us — helping hand, to provide relief to many of the refugees who are suffering from a shortage of clothing.

Please join us for our weekly programs:

• Team Fajr — tomorrow after Salatul Fajr (Fajr Iqamah at 6:15 a.m.)
• Tuesday Tafsir — after Salatul Isha, insha'Allah. We are currently covering Surah al-Taghabun.
• Weekly Urdu Seerah Program — every Thursday after Salatul Isha.

Please make du'a for the Muslims of Palestine, of Lebanon, as well as the entire Ummah. And specifically, there is a du'a request for our dear brother, Muhammad Ahmed, who passed away today. We make du'a that Allah forgives him for any shortcomings and grants him Jannatul Firdaus. All those who are sick in the Ummah of the Prophet ﷺ — may Allah Ta'ala grant them shifa kamilah. And all the marhumeen — those who have passed away — may Allah Ta'ala elevate their statuses in Jannatul Firdaus. Ameen, ya Rabb al-'Alamin.

Also, tonight after Salatul Isha, we will be having our first Family Social, insha'Allah. It is not an official program, but rather an opportunity for us to gather, to meet other brothers and sisters from the community, to socialize, and insha'Allah to enjoy some chai together. Everyone is invited tonight after Salatul Isha.