Torrential rains flooded Dar us Salaam and destroyed several classrooms and musallah during the summer of 2017. The roof was going through a major renovation, so the water did not stop accumulating, causing extensive damage.
After a few hiccups, the renovation is complete and the newly designed musallah is open for use.
Initially, the school renovation team had different ideas about colors and look, but decided to hire someone who has experience and could pull all the school and community needs together in a professional manner.
Anika Shah of Shah of Style started her successful interior design business four years ago with a lifestyle blog, gravitating toward interior design. Several projects later, she is known for her artistic vision. When Shajeela Yaqoub, a pioneer team member of DUS, reached out to her to redesign the musallah, she surveyed the devastation and rolled up her sleeves.
The DUS Musallah was a challenging and fun ‘large’ project for the Burtonsville based interior designer. Everything was gutted — mold and water damage cleared—and she started floor up.
The total cost to renovate the masjid was a little over $165,000. One donor covered nearly 50 percent of the expense and close to 40 percent was covered by other donors, including a LaunchGood campaign. The project took about 4-5 months to complete.
The Al Huda school children would stop by and ask Shah questions and wonder when it would open.
As one walks into the musallah, it is lit with natural light streaming in from solid industrial garage doors. The blend of natural light, classic Arabesque elements and industrial aesthetic is very millennial.
Shah says that she imagined that the natural beams of light would be peaceful. Students agree.
Initially the room was a multipurpose room, used as a cafeteria, tables and chairs would be brought in and out a few times a day. There is a courtyard, which could be extended into another place for prayer and activities, once the doors are opened ‑‑combine the outside and inside into one space.
The team decided not to use the corporate looking fluorescent lights under each beam. “That light doesn't mimic natural light,” explains Shah.
The light is spread out- 3 types track lights, chandeliers for ambience and in between each arch to cast a soft glow.
Another challenge for Shah was that since the room was used as a cafeteria laying the tarp over the carpet was a daily struggle for school staff. The search for a good basic floor, solid in color and one which could withstand an active school environment started. The result is a great tiled floor with roll out custom sized Turkish prayer rugs. The school has since decided to maintain the decorum of the prayer space and use it selectively. Food is not allowed into the prayer space.
Shah ordered the rugs from a vendor in Chicago. “[DUS] wanted a solid color with no design on it,” she shares. The prayers rugs have to be different sizes to fit the room according to the Qiblah. A brilliant blue, a new neutral color, brightens up the space.
“The color of carpet is perfect,” says one worshiper. Abdul Rahman, a third grader, loves that “we worship Allah in this place”.
She researched until she found a durable and scuff resistant paint from the Benjamin Moore Company, Benjamin Moore, Scruffex. “If you rub up against it or kick it, it will not get messed up. It is more durable than the regular paint.” The use of this paint gave the team the liberty the ability to use white.
An element that immediately stand out are the Andalusi inspired light fixtures, imported from Spain. “I saw Islamic art in the chandeliers,” she says. That theme is subtlety woven into the arches- Shah commissioned an artist to hand stencil geometric patterns on the walls.
Even through the walls are white, the use of two tones and sheens of paint, give a modern twist to centuries old design. “It is a place of prayer and learning. That’s why the stencil is subtle and noticeable‑‑ mimicking light and shadow,” says Shah. She extended the arch down to the floor and installed built in bookshelves.
The roof renovation gave Shah a chance to play with the height of the room. Rich wooden beams give character and warmth to the space.
“Change can be overwhelming, it’s hard to envision it,” she adds, but the results speak for themselves. This catastrophe also gave the team an opportunity to upgrade the audio/visual equipment.
The day when the prayer rugs arrived was the spiritual climax of the project. “All the brothers lined up and started Dhuhr on the deep blue carpet,” she says. That was such a humble and moment for Shah. “It is being used for the right reason,” she adds.
Ahmed, a third grader, misses being able to play in the space and run around as the multipurpose room was used as a gym formerly, but loves the new colorful place to worship Allah.
Sayeed Jaweed, shurah member and the Director of Finance, hears that many people were surprised by ‘just how beautiful it turned out’ and that it now seemed like a real masjid. “Alhamdulilah, I think everyone has been very pleased by how the masjid turned out," states Jaweed.
The students are ecstatic.
Hafsah loves the new projectors for events. “The first time I went to the musallah, I liked the shiny lights,” she said. “I want the whole town to see this beautiful musallah,” she says.
Mumin Odeh, a senior, sees the renovation as a blessing. “It happened before I graduated!” he says, relaying the gratified thoughts of the entire senior class on being able to pray in the new musallah. His friend, Yaseen Muhammad echoes him. Both have been at the school since kindergarten. “Seeing the masjid grow and become modernized is a blessing,” he says. He remembers the red, green, yellow carpet over the years and the holes in the walls. Muhammad looks forward to coming back after graduation and giving khutbah in the new musallah of his ‘second home’.
“I feel a sense of tranquility and peace praying there now,” says senior Elhaan Sheikh to her friend Aisha Drammeh.
Hifzh student Zahrah Siddiqui feels that students appreciate the school more after the opening of the prayer space. “They are proud and more grateful‑ feel the need to take care of it.” The courtyard should be the next project, she adds.
Aban Jones is a student who spends most of his day at Al Huda. He sees the musallah “before school, after school, several times during the day.” He loves the natural light and the fans, he says as he stands under the heavy beams.
“We are specially grateful to all the donors who made this happen,” he stresses.
Sameera Hingoro, known through out the community as the matron of Al Huda School, is thrilled with the feedback that she has received. “Few weeks ago, someone had visited and prayed in the mussallah and commented on why they felt so peaceful praying there. “Ma shaa Allah, the new musalla is beautiful, the design is amazing…. everything it perfect and it makes me grateful to Allah for the beautiful musullah He gifted AHS with, ma shaa Allah,” shared one community member.
Several old community members, who haven’t seen the place for a while, are astonished and impressed, says Shamila Hashim, administrator at Al Huda School. “It looks bigger,” is a common comment. “The outside feedback is important as [we] see it everyday and don’t realize how impactful the change is,” she says.
Live wires hung down, with water dripping, recalls Shamila Hashim who saw the devastation the day after the storm. “We had regular rain showers in the musallah,” she adds.
The building brothers— Omar Mohamed, Aweis Mohamed, Hamdy Farahat, Abdullahi Warsame, Tarek and Noor Rizq‑ were some of the real heroes during the renovation. The team consists of thirteen brothers including Badruddin Hadine, Abdulhaq Chaabi, Nasrullah Mohamed, Mohamed Yusuf, Abdul Hakim Ahmed, Saeed Mohamed. All of who worked through the storms, until the masjid was rebuilt.
The school shut down all activities due to potential health hazards. “The smell was so bad but these brothers, they had their masks on and were working day and night. “They worked really hard we take it for granted,” says Hashim.
Imam Safi Khan encourages the community to come pray at the new masallah- focusing on the sajdah. He advises the community that the beauty of the masjid should enhance your prayers but not cause distraction in your concentration on the worship of the Creator. A grand opening was held in March 2018.
“It's a second home for my girls, where I feel they are well cared of and get the knowledge of both deen and dunya. It's their alma mater. They are ma sha Allah blessed to study in this country in a school where they start their day with dhikr and Quran, where they do jamaa for salah where I feel they are protected by Malaikagels)!” says a parent of three students.
The Dar us Salaam shurah has a message for the community. “We hope community members will come to the masjid more often and take advantage of the programs that we are starting up in the coming weeks and months, in shaa Allah,” says Sayeed Javeed.
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