Masjid Al-Iman
Address: 5626 Shattuck Avenue, Oakland, California, 94608 Phone Number: (510) 655-1798 Hours: Friday 1pm-3pm, Saturday 7:30pm-10pm Website: www.khadijahchadly.com |
Masjid Al-Imam is located at 5626 Shattuck Avenue, Oakland, California, 94608. (data)
The mosque is located in a storefront building that used to hold offices. When they purchased the building, they tore down the walls to make in into one room, appropriate for prayer. The neighborhood is middle class and fairly busy.
The mosque is located in a storefront building that used to hold offices. When they purchased the building, they tore down the walls to make in into one room, appropriate for prayer. The neighborhood is middle class and fairly busy.
Faith & Diversity: Masjid Al-Imam In November 2013, we set out to learn about a community within our own. We traveled from Berkeley to Oakland to interview and visit at the mosque Masjid Al-Imam. Mosque Masjid Al-Imam was founded in 1991 by Shayykh Hishan Kabbani. The location was moved three times, until the current quaint suburban location was purchased. The storefront building was remodeled to support one full room, appropriate for Friday and Saturday prayer. We interviewed Imam Yassir Chadly about the mosque's history, activities and life. Yassir Chadly has been Imam since Masjid Al-Imam opened in 1991. "It is a sanctuary for the faithful" as he puts it. We were especially interested in the community within the mosque. Imam Yassir Chadly explained to us that Masjid Al-Imam is an especially diverse mosque, with no main demographic as the majority. The two days of service bring in thirty to one hundred people depending on the prayer and day. Masjid Al-Imam has received some press, mostly centered around its identity as a Sufi mosque. For those who do not know, Sufism is a branch of Islam historically derived from Sunnism and focuses on the inner, mystical, and psycho-spiritual dimension of Islam (http://islam.uga.edu/Sufism.html). Sufism is the smallest of the three main Islamic denominations: Sunni, Shia, and Sufism. We see the embrace of these characteristics by Imam Yassir Chadly through his demonstration of faith and music. Imam Yassir Chadly performs Moroccan music, and folkloric storytelling that "unites western and Sufi tradition together in an innovative style". His music, and sermons are available through podcast and audio clips on his website: www.khadijahchadly.com. We asked what future hopes the mosque had for the community, Imam Yassir said he "hopes that we will be good mirrors that will reflect sunshine and light. We want people to know we are not full of hate or mischief, we will not harm people. There must be love and respect, both, not one without the other." |
Here is a video of Imam Yassir Chadly being featured on a world music radio program. He his well known for his Moroccan Music talents.