Stories

America's First Mosque

Dr. Sally Howell, historian of Muslims in America at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, tells the story of the Ford Motor Plant and the unity of the Muslim workers and faith leaders that helped to build the first mosque in America.

World’s Columbian Exhibition

The World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 was the first world's fair held in Chicago.

A grainy black-and-white photo of Chicago's "Midway Plaisance" during the World Columbian Exposition of 1893. This exposition featured the world's first Ferris Wheel, which provided the photographer a striking aerial vantage point to capture the unique cityscape and dozens of fairgoers below.

Highland Park, MI, 1914

  • $5 workday, 1914
  • 10% daily absentee rate
  • 370% turn over annually
  • 52,000 workers
A black-and-white photograph from 1916 of the view of the street during a shift change outside Ford Motor Company in Highland Park, Detroit.
An image from a vintage postcard purporting to feature 50,000 Ford Motor Company employees (and actually featuring the whole 13,000 employees in their workforce) in Detroit, Michigan. Since every employee was paid for their time in appearing in the photo, this image is infamous for being "one of the most expensive photos ever taken."

Migration: The Struggle for Community

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A black-and-white photo of immigrants at Ellis Island, waiting to pass the Legal Inspection after medical exams.

Americanization

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A black-and-white historical photo of immigrant workers attending the Ford English School in Detroit, Michigan. While the primary purpose of the classes, where students would learn from their fellow coworkers, was to teach English, the sessions also taught “American Etiquette” and aimed to encourage assimilation to hegemonic (white) culture.
A black-and-white historical photograph of workers attending the Ford English School, where immigrant employees were educated by coworkers on not just the English language but on the skills needed to pass an American citizenship test. The blackboard behind the students shows curriculum related to geography, and the teacher appears to be raising a tea kettle above their head as students look on.

Americanization: Before and After

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A black-and-white photograph of a Ford Motor Company employee during a surprise home investigation by the company. Ford's Sociological Department, established in 1914, set "cleanliness" standards for employees, which if not met would disqualify those workers from higher wages.
A black-and-white image of a street lined with houses: The Ford Homes District in Dearborn, Michigan, where Ford Motor Company established a land development subsidiary for the sole purpose of building single-family homes for the company's executive employees and managers.
A photograph of the "Melting Pot" at the Ford English School. After "graduating" the course, immigrant students would enter the pot in traditional clothing from their place of origin, and emerge wearing a suit and waving a red flag, symbolizing their cultural assimilation.

Signs of Life

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A graphic timeline of the emergence of various Islamic groups in early 20th-century America, reading, "1906: Khairat ul-Umma (Chicago and Detroit); 1907: American Mohammedan Society, NYC; 1914: Housing Cooperative, Highland Park and Detroit; 1916: Arabian-American Society (HP); 1916: United Moslem Association; 1916: Red Crescent Society (Kizilay); 1922: India Club".

Highland Park, MI, 1919

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A black-and-white photo of the Muhammadan Prayer Hall, or Moslem Mosque, Located in Highland Park, Michigan, this was the first purpose-built masjid in the United States.

The Muslim Mosque of Highland Park

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A scan of a 1921 newspaper with the headline, "MOSLEMS CELEBRATE FEAST OF ID-UL-FILTR." The text underneath, which describes the image, reads, "Left to right: Kaliel Bizzy, Mufti Mohammed Sadiq, and Hussien Karoub. These three Moslem shieks were central figures in the parade celebrating the opening of the new Mohammedan Mosque. Dr. Sadiq, because of his higher rank, was entitled to wear green canonicals, while the others wore white. In the inset is the smallest Mohammedan in the parade. His a Bedouain and was garbed in native costume."

Missionary Efforts

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A high-contrast, black-and-white photo of a gathering of Americans in Detroit's Auto-Workers' Hall in February, 1921, all ready to hear Dr. Mufti Mohammed Sadiq speak.

Mapping Islam in the Americas

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The inaugural cover of The Moslem Sunrise, the Ahmadiyya Movement's quarterly magazine, featuring the Shams-ul-Islam [Sun of Islam] shining over a map of North America.

Marcus Garvey, Pan-Africanism Duse Ali

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A black-and-white photo of uniformed African Legion members standing with Marcus Garvey in front of the UNIA Printing and Publishing House at 2305 7th Avenue in Harlem.
A black-and-white photo of a member of the Universal Negro Improvement Association, standing in front of the Garvey Club UNIA office in New York City.
A portrait of Duse Muhammad Ali, an Egyptian-British Pan-Africanist and writer, known for his advocacy of African and Islamic unity in the early 20th century. He is wearing a fez, a universal totem for comprehensive spiritual wisdom, and a symbol of Ottoman, and later Pan-African, identity.

Universal Islamic Society, Detroit, 1926

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A black-and-white photograph of Duse Muhammad leading the congregation at the Universal Islamic Society in prayer for Eid-al-Fitr. The crowd is racially diverse, reflecting their integrated and theologically inclusive character as a congregation, which they hopes would inspire their fellow American citizens toward multiracial community-building.
A newspaper clipping that features a photograph of Khalil Bazzy and Duse Muhammad Ali of the Universal Islamic Society embracing eachother with the caption "EMBRACING THE IMMAN." The headline reads, "'ALLAH HO AKBAR!' IS CHANT IN DETROIT WHEN CITY'S MOSLEMS GATHER FOR SERVICE".

Innovators

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A colorized full-length portrait of Prophet Noble Drew Ali, seated and looking straight forward, resting his arms on his chair. He is wearing a dark purple sash over his right shoulder, with beaded fringe and golden embroidery which reads "ISLAM," as well as a white and gold turban adorned with a large crimson plume. The deep purple background is reminiscent of a warm, stormy evening.
A black-and-white photo of Wallace Fard Muhammad reading Quran.
A monographic image of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad wearing his signature fez with beaded celestial embroidery.

The Move to Dearborn

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A black-and-white photograph featuring an aerial view of the Ford River Rouge Complex, a Ford Motor Company production plant along the River Rouge in Dearborn Michigan, which at the time was the largest factory complex ever built. In 1978, River Rouge was designated as a National Historic Landmark District, both for its historical significance in American & world industry, and also for its "exemplary and humane" architectural design from Albert Kahn.

Mohammed’s Temple #1

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A color photograph of the Masjid Wali Muhammad Mosque, which once served as Temple No. 1 for the Nation of Islam in the city before 1975; after the death of Elijah Muhammad, the congregation converted to Sunni Islam.

Progressive Arabian Hashmie Society

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A color photograph of Hashmie Hall, which was opened in a former bank in 1937 and was Dearborn, Michigan's first Shia Mosque.

American Moslem Society

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Black and white photograph of more than 22 people, mostly women and some seated, in front of a brick building with an engraved sign, "Islamic Mosque." They were the Founding Women's Club of the American Bekaa Moslem Society.
A contemporary photograph of the Dearborn Masjid of the American Moslem Society in Dearborn, Michigan. The green dome was added in a third renovation in the 1970's.

American Moslem Society

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A sepia-toned photograph of Al-Hajj Ishmael Sammsan, a prominent Imam in Detroit who opened many mosques and was deeply influential to the development of Islam in the city.