The Athaan In the Bull City: Building Durham’s Islamic Community

By Nazeeh Z. Abdul-Hakeem

The Athaan in the Bull City: Building Durham’s Islamic Community tells the little-known story of the growth of the Islamic community in Durham, North Carolina. Drawing upon his own knowledge of the founding and development of Jamaat Ibad Ar-Rahman, Inc., Nazeeh Z. Abdul-Hakeem, the organization’s principal founder, draws together personal recollections and the details of Durham’s major Islamic organization to tell about Durham’s burgeoning Islamic community.
Reaching back across the community’s history of more than thirty years, The Athaan in the Bull City recounts how Islam’s foundations in Durham rest upon the lives of Black American Muslims. With the passing of years, the community has grown and has changed, as arriving immigrants, Muslims from around the world, have given the community a decidedly international perspective and outlook.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
• Release date: Sep 3, 2015
• ISBN: 9781483435664

Book preview

The

ATHAAN

in the

BULL CITY

Building Durham’s Islamic Community

NAZEEH Z. ABDUL-HAKEEM

Copyright © 2015 Nazeeh Z. Abdul-Hakeem.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means—whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic—without written permission of both publisher and author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

Disclaimer: Jamaat Ibad Ar-Rahman Inc. has granted permission for the use of its original logo in this book. However, it bears no responsibility for the book’s contents or opinions.

ISBN: 978-1-4834-3565-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4834-3567-1 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4834-3566-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015912061

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Lulu Publishing Services rev. date: 08/13/2015

CONTENTS

Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1   Background

Chapter 2   1980: The Focus On Community

Chapter 3   1990: The Struggle To Educate Our Children

Chapter 4   2000: Growing Pains Really Hurt!

Chapter 5   2010: One Community/Two Masjids

Epilogue:   What I See

Appendix

The Pillars Of Islam

The Six Articles Of Belief

Glossary Of Islamic Terms

Presidents And Chairmen

About The Author

Allaah has promised those among you who believe and do righteous good deeds, that He will certainly grant them succession (to the present rulers) in the land, as He has granted it before to those before them, and that He will grant them authority to practice their religion which He has chosen for them (i.e. Islam). And He will surely give them in exchange a safe security after their fear (provided) they (believers) worship Me and do not associate anything (in worship) with Me. But whoever disbelieves after this, they are the ones rebellious, disobedient to Allaah.

—The Noble Qur’aan, Soorah al-Noor (The Light), verse 55

PREFACE

It might seem like fiction today, but not long ago black Americans were commonly portrayed in American society as being shiftless and lazy.¹ Back then, we were viewed as freeloaders who never made any real achievements, except in sports and entertainment. This was in spite of the existence of many prominent black colleges and universities, businesses, and other institutions throughout the country. It took the Civil Rights Movement to help shatter these inaccurate and inappropriate stereotypes and bring to light the significant contributions that black Americans have made to the development and advancement of this great nation called America.

Now, with the earth spinning head-on into the twenty-first century, many black American Muslims are feeling a déjà vu of sorts, but it is not emanating from treatment by white Americans. Instead, it is coming from their fellow Muslim brothers and sisters who have immigrated to America. Just like when Negro Americans were second-class citizens in the past, some black American Muslims are now feeling like second-class Muslims in their own homeland. Many feel that they no longer have any impact on the way Islam is viewed and practiced in many communities across the country.

Many black American Muslims here in Durham, North Carolina, share these feelings.² They are concerned that the origins of the city’s major Sunni Muslim community organization, Jamaat Ibad Ar-Rahman Inc., and their contributions to its formation and development, will be lost and obscured, if its story is not told now. This is because they believe that immigrant Muslims, who have become the leaders of the organization, will not appreciate fully the contributions of black American Muslims without knowing history, and will view them through these same inaccurate and inappropriate stereotypes held by many white Americans years ago. There are valid reasons for this concern, as it has become somewhat of a phenomenon experienced by black American Muslims in varying ways and degrees in communities across the country.³

The history of a people reveals their vision, challenges, problems, achievements, and undesirable outcomes that they have encountered. It provides valuable insight and helps build an understanding of where the community has been and in what direction it might be going. Moreover, this knowledge can help foster a better working relationship among Muslims of various backgrounds and experiences that is so crucial to the advancement and propagation of Islam in America.

As a black American Muslim and the principal founder of Jamaat Ibad Ar-Rahman, I have been urged by several members of the community to write the story. It is a daunting and scary task, compounded by the tremendous challenge of detailing events truthfully and accurately, while not exposing sensitive personal matters of many people involved, which might include their shortcomings, sins, mistakes, and good deeds that they want to remain private. Equally challenging is the effort to avoid assigning blame for the outcomes of certain events and matters, even though the actions of some individuals are noted. By the Grace of Allaah, such actions could have contributed to positive future conditions. After all, the real measure of a Muslim’s success in this world is entering the Paradise after the Day of Judgment. We ask Allaah for forgiveness and hope that those involved will forgive any wrongdoing or harm that has occurred in these matters as well.

Having an abundance of time due to my retirement, I have decided to make an attempt, and I ask Allaah to make it useful and to accept it in His Way. I am also indebted to the many people who have helped in the achievements of this organization through their suggestions, cooperation, invaluable help, generosity, hard work, sacrifice, and assistance in trying to make it right, to the best of our abilities. And we sincerely ask Allaah to forgive us our mistakes and shortcomings.

Many people, entering Islam, describe it as a journey occurring in various stages. It usually begins with an awakening to the Truth and an understanding of the goals that must be achieved, followed by seeking to obtain the means and resources to reach them for however long the journey takes. Along the way, conditions impacting the journey’s progress are encountered and require new or additional resources and adjustments. In this sense, the development of a new Islamic community is a journey, and like an individual, its story unfolds until it ceases to exist.

Beginning over thirty years ago, the journey of Jamaat Ibad Ar-Rahman has passed many milestones that have helped, shaped, and impacted the development of Durham’s Islamic society. It is important to highlight them and answer some questions, such as: What was the state of Islam in Durham before the formation of Jamaat Ibad Ar-Rahman? Who started it and how was it done? What were its vision and goals? How did it get its resources? Who made up the community, and how and why did they get involved in its affairs? How did it interact with other groups, Muslim and non-Muslim? What has it achieved and how? What were its problems and challenges and how were they handled or not handled? What were their impacts? And where is it going now, and what lies ahead?

Quite often, in the development of a successful organization there is an individual or a core of individuals who founded it and made up its driving force. Their personalities, characters, ideas, and development paralleled those of the organization and became reflected in its achievements. As the principal founder, it can be said that I was its driving force, and my development, both as an individual and as a Muslim, had similar impacts on it. Moreover, of all the main people involved in its formation, I am now the only one remaining with an active, formal role in its administration. Therefore, it could be helpful at times to take into account many of my experiences to understand and assess how I impacted the organization.

For simplicity, I have divided the story by decades, running from 1980 to 2014. This narrative begins with a brief description of my past and how I came to Islam and the state of Islam in Durham in the late seventies. The eighties are when things really started to develop. The organization was formed, and it acquired some land and then a building to establish Masjid Ibad Ar-Rahman.⁴ In the nineties, Ibad Ar-Rahman School was started and dramatically impacted the direction and fabric of the community. With the 2000s and the dawn of the twenty-first century, the community’s growth was briefly stunted following the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, and then split by a huge fitnah⁵ (ordeal) that resulted in the school being closed and a community makeover. This was followed by a rapid growth in the number of Muslims, which by 2010, prompted the acquisition of an old shopping center for the establishment of a second masjid and the relocating of some major community activities there. And finally, in the epilogue, as my planning background might be beneficial, I describe my concerns for the community’s future and suggest some ways to continue its positive progress.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

To my wife, Olaiya, who has provided me with love and support throughout my Muslim life and has been my partner in all my endeavors.

I offer special thanks to a very inspiring friend. A few years after my retirement, I said to him, I do not know what to do with myself. He replied, Write. I asked, Write what? He said, Write what you know!

I also must thank Sister Ama Shabazz, for graciously editing this book and Dr. Mbaye Lo of Duke University for his advice, guidance and suggestions for its contents.

INTRODUCTION

And strive for Allaah with the striving due to Him. He has chosen you and has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty.

— The Noble Qur’aan, Soorah al-Hajj (The Pilgrimage), verse 78

Current residents of South Central Durham know that on every Friday between noon and three o’clock, there is a lot of traffic congestion on Fayetteville Street between Pilot Street and Cornwallis Road due to the Muslim Friday prayers at Masjid Ibad Ar-Rahman. There is so much congestion that the Durham Police has been hired to facilitate smooth traffic flow on the street, and to allow Muslim drivers to enter and leave the masjid property safely. Today, passers-by can see a large group of individuals from all parts of the world, of various races and cultures. Also, they can hear the athaan, or the Islamic call to prayer.⁶ The words Allaahu Akbar, Allaahu Akbar (God is the Greatest, God is the Greatest), are broadcast from loudspeakers on top of the building in tones that pierce traffic noise. Currently, such broadcasting is not done anywhere else in Durham or the Triangle.⁷ For about twenty-five years, these residents have witnessed the establishment of the masjid, growth of the Friday prayer and the revitalization that has occurred in this area. Although there are other masaajid in the city, this masjid and the organization behind it have made many significant contributions to building an Islamic community in Durham.

Durham’s Islamic community has been evolving and growing for several decades, but the work of Jamaat Ibad Ar-Rahman Inc. has helped to put Durham Muslims on the map. This organization has provided much of the infrastructure for Muslims, including: two masjids, a funeral home, and a cemetery, and it provides vital support for a private Islamic school not under its management. As Jamaat Ibad Ar-Rahman endeavors to address the various needs of the city’s growing Muslim population, it faces the ever-present challenge of promoting unity among the Muslims and developing services to address their religious, social, and economic needs. Although establishing these community facilities has occurred through considerable effort and difficulty, it pales against what is required to improve the spiritual, educational, and social status of the Muslims, which can never be ignored.

The membership of Jamaat Ibad Ar-Rahman is comprised of Sunni Muslims reflecting different races, nationalities, and cultures. Since its formation, only a couple of the major groups have held leadership roles, and they have all found the challenge of unity to be overwhelming as it steered the multiethnic community toward its goals and objectives. The community is at a crossroad in which another major, high profile group, which has dominated much of the Jamaat’s activities in recent years, is now concentrating its efforts at the second masjid, and thereby raising concerns about the probability of an eventual split from the community. The goal of unity within the community is further challenged by the recent establishment of the North Durham Masjid, giving the Sunni Muslims associated with the organization another place to perform their prayers and interact with other Muslims.⁸ While this is good for the growth of Islam, it can strain the unity by reducing the daily contact these Muslims used to enjoy while praying together in only one masjid. Moreover, to maintain and improve the infrastructure that has been put into place, the resources of the community will have to be stretched while overcoming the temptation of Muslims to withhold their support due to differences. The weight of these challenges is great and can fracture the community and thereby reduce the effectiveness of Jamaat Ibad Ar-Rahman to contribute further to building Durham’s Islamic community. May Allaah continue to strengthen the community and bless its efforts to serve Him and increase the good works of this organization.

CHAPTER 1

BACKGROUND

Yes, but whoever submits his face to Allaah and he is a good-doer, then his reward is with his Lord and on such shall there be no fear, nor shall they grieve.

—The Noble Qur’aan, Soorah al-Baqarah (The Cow), verse 112

From Zeke to Nazeeh

Before leading the effort to establish Jamaat Ibad Ar-Rahman Inc., I had never organized any private group activities whatsoever. While growing up, I only held official membership in school, on sports teams, and with the army. I did not join a church, the Boy Scouts, or any social clubs, and I avoided starting fights because I got beaten when I did (but I was pretty good at defending myself if attacked). Likewise, I did not ridicule people because the jokes would end up falling on me. So I just got along with most