Mosque Maryam

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mosque Maryam
Mosque Maryam in February of 2009
Religion
AffiliationNation of Islam (formerly Greek Orthodox)
LeadershipMinister Louis Farrakhan
Location
Location7351 S. Stony Island Avenue
MunicipalityChicago
StateIllinois
Geographic coordinates41°45′39″N 87°35′6.2″W / 41.76083°N 87.585056°W / 41.76083; -87.585056
Specifications
Dome(s)1
Minaret(s)0
Website
www.noi.org

Mosque Maryam, also known as Muhammad Mosque #2 or Temple #2, is the headquarters of the Nation of Islam, located in Chicago, Illinois. It is at 7351 South Stony Island Avenue in the South Shore neighborhood.[1] Louis Farrakhan's headquarters are not on the premises. The building was originally the Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church[a] before it relocated to suburban Palos Hills. Elijah Muhammad, Farrakhan's predecessor as head for NOI, purchased the building in 1972. Muhammad was lent $3 million from Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to convert the former church.[3]

The main hall in the mosque is for meetings, since it was originally the church's nave that contained pews later replaced with seats,[4] Mosque Maryam has an area within the mosque with plenty of open floor space to spread prayer rugs on which to kneel to pray. They use that area every Friday for Jumuah prayer and for prayer (with prayer rugs in general). The NOI's Imam gives the Prayers for Jumuah prayer.

Adjacent to the mosque is the Muhammad University of Islam, an educational institute for boys and girls from preschool through 12th grade.

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ At the time of its sale it was North America's largest Greek Orthodox church.[2]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Mosque Maryam and The Nation of Islam National Center." Nation of Islam. Retrieved on February 26, 2009.
  2. ^ "eCUIP : The Digital Library : Social Studies : Chicago: City of Neighborhoods". ecuip.lib.uchicago.edu. Retrieved 2022-12-23.
  3. ^ David Lepeska (April 9, 2011). "Farrakhan Using Libyan Crisis to Bolster His Nation of Islam". The New York Times. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
  4. ^ Edward E. Curtis (2010). Encyclopedia of Muslim-American History. Infobase Publishing. p. 388. ISBN 978-1-4381-3040-8. Retrieved 16 December 2012.