Sunni Islamic Center

An independent Sunni mosque or Islamic center of the most common American kind: founded by immigrants, South Asian and Arab above all, now a community of many origins (with African American, Somali, Bosnian, and Turkish families and converts among them), run by a board its dues-paying members elect, and answerable to no body above it. Islam has no denominations and no hierarchy; umbrella bodies such as ISNA and ICNA have no authority over a mosque. The week peaks at Jumu'ah, the Friday congregational prayer at midday, timed by the noon prayer: a khutbah in two parts, mostly in English, then a two-rak'ah prayer, about 45 minutes to an hour, often in two shifts where the hall can't hold everyone. The five daily prayers are prayed in congregation at times that move with the sun; a few come to each. Worship is prayer in straight rows on a carpet facing the qibla, north-east from most of America, with no pews, images, or instruments: the sound of worship is the adhan and the recitation of the Qur'an. Women pray behind the men or in a space of their own: two-thirds of mosques have a divider, a few a balcony, a third none. The imam is usually the board's employee (half of mosques have a full-time paid imam, one in six none), and volunteer khatibs often preach; only men lead mixed prayer or give the khutbah, while women sit on most boards. Money comes from the Friday boxes and from Ramadan, the busiest month and the main fundraising season; zakat is collected separately for the poor; there are no raffles and, by most scholars' rulings, no interest-bearing loans, so buildings go up as money comes in. Food is halal, alcohol is never served, the dead are buried within a day. This center follows the standard (Shafi'i, Maliki, Hanbali) time for the afternoon prayer; its Hanafi variant, common where South Asian families predominate, prays Asr later. Practice varies from mosque to mosque in all of this, as in when Ramadan and Eid begin.

All 80 traditions · its profile in Faiths and traditions, with how to play it and what sets its faith apart; How people feel, what every factor is.

At a glance

Faith	Islam
Its words	Islamic center, mosque, prayer hall; the imam leads the prayer; the khutbah; Jumu'ah; the Qur'an
Worship	qibla focus, reserved, moderate formality (0.67 of 1); seated on floor; women behind the men
Music	organ forbidden; gospel organ forbidden; piano forbidden; choir forbidden; band forbidden; brass forbidden; handbells forbidden; song leader discouraged; recorded forbidden
The room's sound	no strong preference
Its year	islamic; full observance; fasts light
Leans	conservative on moral questions, neutral on economic ones
Polity	congregational; leaders come by call; property local
Leaders	one leader, full time, trained by seminary; marriage any
Belonging	moderate commitment, none discipline, admitted by board
Giving	tithing taught; collected by boxes, online, zakat; also rentals
Way of life	alcohol abstinence, dress modest, sabbath relaxed, meat halal, interest forbidden, burial prompt

The week's services

Day	Time	Service	Led by	People look for it
Every day	Fajr + 20 min 6:14 am in January, 4:10 am in July (Chicago)	Fajr (daily prayer, short, and plays quickly: people come 5% as often as to a main service)	the imam	expected
Every day but Friday	Dhuhr + 15 min 12:17 pm in January, 1:14 pm in July (Chicago)	Dhuhr (daily prayer, short, and plays quickly: people come 6% as often as to a main service)	the imam	expected
Every day	Asr + 10 min 2:35 pm in January, 5:07 pm in July (Chicago)	Asr (daily prayer, short, and plays quickly: people come 6% as often as to a main service)	the imam	expected
Every day	Maghrib + 5 min 4:51 pm in January, 8:30 pm in July (Chicago)	Maghrib (daily prayer, short, and plays quickly: people come 10% as often as to a main service)	the imam	expected
Every day	Isha + 15 min 6:22 pm in January, 10:17 pm in July (Chicago)	Isha (daily prayer, short, and plays quickly: people come 8% as often as to a main service)	the imam	expected
Every day	Isha + 50 min 6:57 pm in January, 10:52 pm in July (Chicago)	Taraweeh (short, and plays quickly: people come 30% as often as to a main service)	the imam	seasonal
Friday	Dhuhr + 30 min 12:32 pm in January, 1:29 pm in July (Chicago)	Jumu'ah	the imam	expected
Friday	Dhuhr + 30 min 12:32 pm in January, 1:29 pm in July (Chicago)	Second Jumu'ah	the imam	optional

Leader: an imam. With none (a vacancy, or no one hired), the services are still held, but each costs everyone at it 0.10; on sabbatical a supply imam stands in ($800 a month) for a little less. The short daily services go on whether or not anyone leads them, and move no one's satisfaction.
Burial: prompt: the funeral is the next day, or the first after it that isn't a holy day kept free of weddings and funerals.
A halal kitchen: meals cost 1.1× as much; pork is never served.

Rites

Shahada (on response, +0.02 to those there): Someone becomes Muslim by bearing witness, before witnesses, that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is the messenger of God: often after Jumu'ah, in front of the community, who greet the new Muslim with "Allahu akbar" and embraces. No fee, and no course required before it, though new-Muslim classes follow.
Nikah (on request, +0.02 to those there): The Muslim marriage: a contract made with the bride's consent, a gift to her (the mahr), and, in Sunni practice, two witnesses and usually her guardian, conducted by the imam or another knowledgeable Muslim in the prayer hall or a side room, with a state licence for civil effect. The reception (walimah) follows in a hall, often with men and women apart.
Aqiqah (per birth, +0.01 to those there): For a newborn: the adhan whispered in the baby's ear, the child named, and, about the seventh day, the aqiqah: an animal sacrificed (usually ordered from a halal farm or paid for abroad) and a meal for family and friends, at home or in the mosque's hall.
Janazah (on request, +0.02 to those there): The Muslim funeral, held as soon as it can be: the body washed (ghusl) by family or volunteers of the same sex and wrapped in plain white cloth, the funeral prayer said standing with the coffin before the imam, often straight after a daily prayer or Jumu'ah (four takbirs in Sunni practice, five in Shia), and burial without embalming or cremation, the body laid on its right side facing the qibla. Larger Islamic centers have a washing room and a section of a cemetery.

Joining

Joining: a content regular is received as a member after about 26 weeks.
Joining age: 18.
Kinds of belonging: voting members (votes, may hold office); the community; received by its board.
What it means: being received is worth +0.1 to the person, +0.05 to family there, and +0.03 to everyone else at the service. It roots them: a rooted household drifts away only 0.6 times as often, and if it does fall away, it has a 25% chance of coming home at each of its great days (at most once a month) for ten years.

Giving, and what goes up

How its people give and what else comes in, as Money explains it for every faith.

How it's given: the donation, by boxes, giving online, and zakat. With no plate passed, members give a tenth less at the boxes than they would into one, and visitors give nothing at the service. Those who give online give whether or not they come (8% more a month).
Ramadan and zakat: giving rises 1.8× through Ramadan, by the Islamic calendar's dates; in the month after Eid al-Fitr's, those who belong give their zakat, 30% of what they could give in a year, received and passed straight on to the needy (it pays none of the bills).
Renting space: its congregations are known for it, so tenants pay 15% more.
Fundraisers: any it allows (below).
Owed above: nothing: it has no wider body.
No interest: its loans are Islamic financing, at 7.5% where an ordinary loan is 6.5%.

The imam, the staff, and who decides

How the imam comes: advertised and called: the board of trustees votes.
Paid: full time.
Candidates: scarce: two apply, and a search takes four months longer; trained at seminary; men; most married.
Tenure: settled, then may be called elsewhere.
Staff it can hire or name (see Staff and volunteers):
- Bivocational imam ($22,000–$38,000; cares for 75)
- Imam ($55,000–$85,000 + $18,000 benefits, full time; cares for 150)
- Associate imam ($42,000–$62,000 + $15,000 benefits, full time; cares for 100 more)
- Muezzin (unpaid; from the members; leads worship; cares for 20 more)
- Qur'an teacher ($15,000–$32,000; up to +0.08 for households with young people)
- Caretaker ($18,000–$30,000; slows the building's wear)
- Islamic center secretary ($20,000–$35,000; runs the office (+50 to the leader's reach, once))
- Youth director ($20,000–$40,000; up to +0.08 for households with young people)
- Community outreach director ($25,000–$45,000; cares for 40 more)
- Executive director ($55,000–$95,000 + $15,000 benefits, full time; runs the office (+50 to the leader's reach, once); cares for 30 more)
Its boards: the board of trustees (deciding, over everything).
Renovations: The board of trustees votes.
New construction: The members vote.
Calling a leader: The board of trustees votes.
Who votes: voting members, 16 and over.

Life together

What its Community screen offers it, with the dilemmas only its own faith or family meets; see The congregation in its community.

Ministries of its own: Funeral committee, New Muslims' circle, Open house and interfaith, Qur'an class, Zakat committee.
Ministries every tradition can run that it's offered: Blood drive, Food pantry, Health clinic, Preschool, Youth group.
Fundraisers of its own: Building campaign, Community bazaar, Laylat al-Qadr appeal, Ramadan fundraising dinner.
Shared fundraisers it may hold: Auction, Bake sale, Car wash, Rummage sale.
Tenants it can take: A Masonic lodge, A scout troop, A twelve-step group, Dance classes, Parties and receptions, Polling place and forums.
Outreach: invitation Jumu'ah (Community → Evangelism).
Dilemmas of its own faith (besides those every congregation meets): A loan for the new hall, Jumu'ah parking, The call to prayer outside, The language of the khutbah, The sisters' space, When is Eid?.
Dilemmas its code of life brings: A candidates' forum, A raffle for the roof, A recruiter asks for the hall, Champagne at the reception.

What the building needs

required Prayer carpetPrayer is offered standing, bowing, and prostrating, in straight rows on a clean carpet.
required wudu roomWorshippers wash before prayer (wudu): a room with low taps and seats beside the prayer hall.
required the prayer hall facing the qibla (the direction of the Ka’ba in Mecca)Prayer faces the Ka'ba in Mecca: the rows must face the qibla, which from America is to the north-east.
forbidden Drum kitThis tradition's worship is sung without instruments.
forbidden Hammond organThis tradition's worship is sung without instruments.
forbidden Handbell tableThis tradition's worship is sung without instruments.
forbidden Upright pianoThis tradition's worship is sung without instruments.
forbidden Pipe organThis tradition's worship is sung without instruments.
expected MihrabA niche in the qibla wall shows the direction of prayer; the imam leads from before it.
expected MinbarThe Friday sermon, the khutbah, is given from the minbar's steps.
expected Shoe rackShoes come off at the door of the prayer hall, onto racks.
discouraged BannerBanners are not part of this tradition's worship space.
discouraged National flagThis tradition keeps the nation's symbols out of worship.
discouraged Oak pewPews leave no room to bow and prostrate: a few chairs at the back serve those who can't.

What people here feel

Architectural style: Colonial brick +0.028; Modern synagogue +0.046; Gurdwara +0.052; Japanese temple +0.056; Islamic +0.05; Shinto shrine +0.05; Chinese temple +0.044; Dravidian temple +0.038; Nagara temple +0.038; Thai temple +0.038; Jain marble +0.032; Gothic +0.026.
Building fit: up to ±0.15 for everyone, the average fit of the characterful items in its worship rooms (the table below).
Acoustics: it wants a room between ringing and dry, about 2.2 seconds of reverberation: neither bare stone nor a carpeted low room. Up to ±0.05.
Seasonal decor: in their seasons, the muharram cloths and ramadan lanterns are worth up to ±0.027 (missing them, the minus); out of season, nothing is called for.
Orientation: facing the way it wants is +0.04, and not, −0.04.
The khutbah lands by its topic and the tradition's leaning (below); the imam's preaching adds or costs up to 0.08 more.
The daily services move no one's satisfaction: no offering, sermon, or welcome; people come one by one, the retired twice as often, those of working age half as often on a weekday from nine to five.

How each khutbah lands

The topics its leader can choose from (some are only for one faith or family), and what each is worth.

Sanctity of Life+0.06
Faith & Family+0.04
Faith of Our Fathers+0.04
Family & the Ties of Kinship+0.04
Obedience & Discipline+0.04
Personal Holiness+0.04
Resisting Temptation+0.04
Gratitude+0.015
Honesty in Trade+0.015
Hope & Comfort+0.015
Justice (Adl)+0.015
Mercy (Rahma)+0.015
Patience (Sabr)+0.015
Rights of the Neighbour+0.015
Stewardship & Generosity+0.015
The Life of Prayer+0.015
The Prophet's Character+0.015
Unity of the Ummah+0.015
Zakat & Charity+0.015
Care for Creation-0.02
Healing for All-0.02
Welcome the Stranger-0.02
Social Justice Call-0.03
Interfaith Understanding-0.05
Reading Scripture in Context-0.05
Swords into Ploughshares-0.05
Racial Justice & Reconciliation-0.075
Radical Inclusion-0.075

Every item, for this tradition

Fit runs from −1 (jars) to +1 (just right); the building fit is the average over the characterful items in the worship rooms. An item with no character (a table, a toilet) has no fit. A rule applies wherever the item is.

Item	Fit	Rule
Seating
Box pew	+0.333
Meeting bench	no fit
Oak pew	no fit	discouraged Pews leave no room to bow and prostrate: a few chairs at the back serve those who can't.
Prayer carpet	+0.5	required Prayer is offered standing, bowing, and prostrating, in straight rows on a clean carpet.
Row of chairs	0
Liturgical furniture
Columbarium niches	+0.333
Lectern	no fit
Mihrab	+0.5	expected A niche in the qibla wall shows the direction of prayer; the imam leads from before it.
Minbar	+0.5	expected The Friday sermon, the khutbah, is given from the minbar's steps.
Pulpit	no fit
Qur'an stands	no fit
Music
Drum kit	-1	forbidden This tradition's worship is sung without instruments.
Electronic organ	-1
Grand piano	-1
Hammond organ	-1	forbidden This tradition's worship is sung without instruments.
Handbell table	-1	forbidden This tradition's worship is sung without instruments.
Pipe organ	-0.333	forbidden This tradition's worship is sung without instruments.
Sound system	-1
Upright piano	-1	forbidden This tradition's worship is sung without instruments.
Decor
Alam	-1
Banner	-1	discouraged Banners are not part of this tradition's worship space.
Calligraphy panel	0
Chandelier	0
Eternal flame	no fit
Great dome	+0.333
Memorial plaque	no fit
Minaret	0
Muharram cloths	0
National flag	-1	discouraged This tradition keeps the nation's symbols out of worship.
Ramadan lanterns	0
Small dome	no fit
Stained glass window	+0.333
Furnishings
Alms box	no fit
Coffee pot	no fit
Commercial coffee pot	no fit
Computer	no fit
Crib	no fit
Desk	no fit
Desk chair	no fit
Folding table	no fit
Full-length mirror	no fit
Pillar	+0.333
Projection screen	0
Shoe rack	+0.5	expected Shoes come off at the door of the prayer hall, onto racks.
Vestment cabinet	+0.333
Wooden table	no fit
Utility
A/V rack	no fit
Camera	no fit
Cast-iron boiler	no fit
Central air conditioner	no fit
Commercial HVAC plant	no fit
Commercial stove	no fit
Congregation van	no fit
Ductless heat pump	no fit
Electric wall heater	no fit
Gas furnace	no fit
Ghusl table	0
Hearing loop	no fit
Lift	no fit
Packaged heat pump	no fit
Plumbing stack	no fit
Ramp	no fit
Shuttle bus	no fit
Sink	no fit
Solar panels	no fit
Stairs	no fit
Toilet	no fit
Used school bus	no fit
Wall camera	no fit
Window air conditioner	no fit
Wudu station	0
Grounds
Evergreen tree	no fit
Flower bed	no fit
Fountain	no fit
Garden bench	no fit
Hedge	no fit
Playground	no fit
Shade tree	no fit

Variants

Chosen when you found the Islamic center:

A Hanafi center: its own asr

Sources

ISPU, The American Mosque 2020: Growing and Evolving (US Mosque Study 2020, Report 1) (link)
ISPU, US Mosque Study 2020, Report 2 (link)
ISPU, American Muslim Women in Mosques (link)
Pew Research Center, Women are becoming more involved in U.S. mosques (2021) (link)
Pew Research Center, U.S. Muslims Concerned About Their Place in Society: Religious beliefs and practices (2017) (link)
Bylaws of Masjid Al-Islam, Dallas, Texas (rev. 2013) (link)
PrayTimes.org, Prayer Times Calculation (link)
North American Islamic Trust, About NAIT (link)
Darul Iftaa, Fundraising by selling tickets and giving prizes through a draw (link)