Building Foundations While On The Move

The narrative of hijrah underscores the significance of migration in Islam and its implications for believers' spiritual and physical journeys. The story is so important in Islamic teachings that in multiple instances the Qur’an reminds Muslims that the world is “wide and spacious” (An-Nisa 4:100), and therefore that those who migrate in the cause of Allah are “true believers” (Al-Anfal 8:74). The historical event, coupled with Quranic verses praising migrants as true believers, has provided a foundational model for American Muslims, inspiring them to embark on their own journeys both to and within the United States.

While Islam is in many ways a highly personal religion, it is also very much a community-based religion as well, and the hijrah itself is often understood as a very community-focused activity. The Qur’an in fact enjoins Muslims, wherever they are, to come together every Friday for communal worship (Al-Jumu’ah 62:9-10). And while it is taught that for the Muslim the whole world is a mosque and that a physical building is not necessary for prayer (al-Bukhari), Qur’anic teachings encourage Muslims to build and maintain physical mosques (At-Tawbah 9:18, An-Nur 24:36).

At the same time, Muslims are also encouraged to educate their children (Al-Tirmidhi) and throughout Islamic history Muslims have formed Islamic schools to do just that. Muslims in America have therefore placed great importance on building various Islamic institutions for their communities in the United States, such as formal associations, mosques, Islamic centers, and schools. Furthermore, the communal aspect of Islam reinforces the collective responsibility of Muslims in nurturing their communities. Just as the early Muslim community in Medina thrived through collective efforts, American Muslims recognize the importance of building and maintaining Islamic institutions to preserve their faith and identity in a diverse society.

The growth of American Islamic institutions has increased rapidly since the late nineteenth century when the first verified Islamic organizations were established. Mosques and other formal associations were slow to grow at first, with only a handful known to have been set up by the end of the First World War. In the 1920s, however, with the rising numbers of immigrants and the embracing of Islam by tens of thousands of African Americans during the American Muslim Revival, Muslim houses of worship increased rapidly.

Soon, so too did Islamic schools, which during this early period were mainly established by African American Muslims. After the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which permitted tens of thousands of new Muslim immigrants to enter the country, there was an enormous new surge of Muslim institution building. By the beginning of the twentieth century, there were thousands of mosques and Islamic centers and hundreds of Islamic schools spread throughout the country.

The growth of Islamic institutions in America, from the late nineteenth century to the present day, reflects the enduring impact of hijrah on the Muslim community's development. Initially slow to establish, mosques and Islamic schools experienced rapid expansion, particularly after significant immigration waves in the twentieth century. This institutional growth mirrors the spread of Islam following the Prophet's migration, illustrating how the principles of hijrah continue to shape the trajectory of American Muslim communities, fostering unity and resilience amid diverse challenges.