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From loudspeakers on the ceiling of a Minnesota mosque, the Islamic call to prayer first resounded in a Minneapolis neighborhood on Thursday night as the Muslim community prepared to begin the holy month of Ramadan.
It is echoed again on Friday morning and will continue five times a day during the holy month.
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The short, simple call, known as the adhan, marked a historic moment for Minneapolis and major cities in the United States, community members said. While adhan is commonly spread throughout the Middle East, North Africa, and elsewhere, for many Muslims in the United States, it is only heard within mosques or community centers.
“There is definitely a lot of excitement,” said Imam Abdisalam Adam, who is on the board of the Dar al-Hijrah mosque, from where the adhan will be broadcast.
“Some people see it as historical,” Adam told Al Jazeera. “To the point that they are not doing it, they can see it in their life.”
Recited by different representatives of mosques in the city, the call to prayer is expected to reach thousands in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood of Minneapolis, according to Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Minnesota Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
While Hussein says the community had discussed passing the call on for years, this year it became even more pressing when the coronavirus pandemic forced mosques to close their doors and residents to stay indoors. The coronavirus has infected more than 870,000 people across the country and has killed at least 50,000.
“We wanted to touch the people who frequent this mosque and this community,” Hussein said. “If we can’t physically be together, at least this echo, this voice, this call to prayer can be an extension of us being together in this difficult time. To give some people some comfort.”
The Dar al-Hijrah Mosque in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota [Courtesy of Abdisalem Adam]
Ramadan is traditionally a time when Muslims around the world regularly attend mosques for daily prayers and break their fasts. But this year, most have been told to pray at home and give up community iftars in favor of staying safe from the COVID-19 crisis.
Adam, the imam, said that while the Muslim community is losing experience in this Ramadan, they hope that the call to the transmission of prayer will create an “appearance of normality.”
“With the loss of Friday prayers and the regular prayers of the congregation, we hope that this will give a sense of comfort and connection to the spiritual needs of community members,” he added.
Imam Abdisalem Adam within Dar al-Hijrah [Courtesy of Abdisalem Adam]
An avenue for further investment?
The Cedar-Riverside neighborhood is a densely populated area of Minneapolis that has historically been an entry point for many immigrants and today is home to large Somali and Oromo communities.
Ramla Bile, a Somali American living in a neighborhood adjacent to Cedar-Riverside, has been active in the community for years. He welcomed the transmission of the call to prayer, and said it will help people “feel the spirit of Ramadan in a meaningful way.”
But he also hopes that the city of Minneapolis, which provided the broadcast noise permit, will make great strides to invest in the community in even more tangible ways.
“There has been a lot of need and a lot of pain in the community in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. And then there is the ongoing conversation they have been having,” he said, pointing to deep Islamophobia, systemic racism and the need for projects. infrastructure such as sprinkler systems in high-rise buildings.
“We need to see more investment to support the most vulnerable members of our community,” Bile said, referring to neighborhood elders, undocumented people, low-income families and others.
“Right now, we are waiting for a bailout for our micro-businesses that comprise our Somali shopping malls, or a rent freeze for neighborhood residents,” he added.
The Cedar-Riverside neighborhood is home to large Somali and Oromo populations in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. USA January 19, 2018 [File: Craig Lassig/Reuters]
For Hussein and Imam Adam of CAIR, they hope this call to prayer for Ramadan will help other communities in the United States to take similar steps.
“Hopefully, this will inspire others … to think about what might happen in future Ramadan and beyond,” Hussein said.
Adam added that while the virus has devastated communities and disrupted daily life, it has also shown that “we are in this together.”
“It just shows the importance of the global village and how interconnected and interdependent we are as a world community,” he said. “I think there will be a lot of changes in our way of life for the better. I hope so.”
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