Masjid Abu Bakr is at 948 2nd St in the City of Oakland, California. It is located in the northern part of Oakland near the border between Oakland and Berkeley. The building is set in a quiet suburban neighborhood, which makes it an ideal place to form a close-knit Muslim community. (data)
The Basics:
Masjid Abu Bakr was originally a house. However, after the house got burnt down by an unfortunate event, the owner of the house donated the land to build the mosque. He is still currently an active member of the mosque community. The mosque was built in 1983 and they had three Imams until 1997. The current and fourth Imam is Saleh Elseedi.
The denomination of Masjid Abu-Bakr is predominantly Sunni with Arab demographics though it is open to anyone. All prayers are done including formal jum'a. The services are done in the Arabic language, and subsequently repeated in English. The size of the congregation is around 100 people, while the capacity of the Masjid could accommodate up to 150.
The building, as seen in the photographs, is a circular concrete structure. The outside is very beautiful, with carefully textured concrete to mimic stone. The interior walls have simple designs, Arabic writing, hung up decorations and several shelves of holy texts. The building only consists of one main room and one washroom, thus, there is little accommodation for women.
The congregation is known to be very friendly. One visitor, Zuhair, posted on bayareamosques.blogspot.com, “I was touched by this community’s generosity.”
Masjid Abu Bakr was originally a house. However, after the house got burnt down by an unfortunate event, the owner of the house donated the land to build the mosque. He is still currently an active member of the mosque community. The mosque was built in 1983 and they had three Imams until 1997. The current and fourth Imam is Saleh Elseedi.
The denomination of Masjid Abu-Bakr is predominantly Sunni with Arab demographics though it is open to anyone. All prayers are done including formal jum'a. The services are done in the Arabic language, and subsequently repeated in English. The size of the congregation is around 100 people, while the capacity of the Masjid could accommodate up to 150.
The building, as seen in the photographs, is a circular concrete structure. The outside is very beautiful, with carefully textured concrete to mimic stone. The interior walls have simple designs, Arabic writing, hung up decorations and several shelves of holy texts. The building only consists of one main room and one washroom, thus, there is little accommodation for women.
The congregation is known to be very friendly. One visitor, Zuhair, posted on bayareamosques.blogspot.com, “I was touched by this community’s generosity.”
A Brighter Future.
The name of the mosque, Masjid Abu Bakr has a special meaning in that it was named after Abu Bakr, shorted from Abdullah Ibn Abi Quhafa. Abu Bakr was successor of the prophet Muhammad, also Muhammad’s closest companion, adviser and father-in-law. He was the first male to be converted to Islam, thus the second man of Islam, and later succeeded Muhammad’s political and administrative functions. He is often considered the first Muslim Caliph by the Sunni following Muhammad’s death. The name represents the greater connection to the past for the Muslim community and for the future generations. He was an instrumental figure in the conversion of many people to Islam; thus, he embodies the message of the masjid.
Who: Masjid Abu Bakr is named in honor of Abu Bakr, the first Caliph of Islam. Its congregation consists of ⅓ Yemeni, ⅓ Pakistani and ⅓ mixed/other members (Indian, Egyptian, African, etc.). The demographics of this masjid include many of the major immigrant Muslim groups in the US. Set in a quiet suburban neighborhood, Masjid Abu Bakr is a melting pot for local Muslims from many different backgrounds.
What: The sense of community and care for each other is most compelling at this mosque. After prayer, regular members and new-comers alike exchange handshakes and stand outside, talking to each other like old friends. Younger men help their elders sit in their cars to go home. When discussing the demographics of the mosque, Imam Elseedi proudly stated that he knew every member of the mosque. He emphasized that he knew their names, where they’re from, and how their families are doing. If two things had to be said about the mosque it would be that it is very welcoming to newcomers and passionate about the community it has built.
When: Masjid Abu Bakr was established in 1983. Before 1983, the same plot of land was taken up by a suburban home. The home burned down in a fire, and the owner of the property dedicated his plot of land to building a mosque. Current Imam Elseedi states, “The home-owner is currently a senior member of this mosque. My brother, who is also an Imam, helped start the mosque in 1983. There have been four different Imams throughout the years, and I [Imam Elseedi] am the fourth.”
Where: Masjid Abu Bakr is at 948 2nd St in the City of Oakland, California. Due to its location near city borders, Masjid Abu Bakr has members from Oakland, Berkeley and Emeryville.
Why: The masjid was created as a safe and healthy environment for the upbringing of Muslims. Not only for the education of the youth, but also to provide a gateway to establishing a greater connection to Allah and the Islamic faith. The members strive to exemplify the core values of Islam to the next generation as small children, teenagers and elders worship and pray in congregation.
What: The sense of community and care for each other is most compelling at this mosque. After prayer, regular members and new-comers alike exchange handshakes and stand outside, talking to each other like old friends. Younger men help their elders sit in their cars to go home. When discussing the demographics of the mosque, Imam Elseedi proudly stated that he knew every member of the mosque. He emphasized that he knew their names, where they’re from, and how their families are doing. If two things had to be said about the mosque it would be that it is very welcoming to newcomers and passionate about the community it has built.
When: Masjid Abu Bakr was established in 1983. Before 1983, the same plot of land was taken up by a suburban home. The home burned down in a fire, and the owner of the property dedicated his plot of land to building a mosque. Current Imam Elseedi states, “The home-owner is currently a senior member of this mosque. My brother, who is also an Imam, helped start the mosque in 1983. There have been four different Imams throughout the years, and I [Imam Elseedi] am the fourth.”
Where: Masjid Abu Bakr is at 948 2nd St in the City of Oakland, California. Due to its location near city borders, Masjid Abu Bakr has members from Oakland, Berkeley and Emeryville.
Why: The masjid was created as a safe and healthy environment for the upbringing of Muslims. Not only for the education of the youth, but also to provide a gateway to establishing a greater connection to Allah and the Islamic faith. The members strive to exemplify the core values of Islam to the next generation as small children, teenagers and elders worship and pray in congregation.
Masjid Abu Bakr values the education of the future generation. Culturally, education has always been an indelible part of Islamic culture. Studying the Qur'an and having a good education in general, give people the skills and tools to help them better provide for themselves and their children. Children growing up in the community, through the masjid, can have better access to opportunities viable now and in the future. However, Imam Saleh Elseedi states, “It is important for the children to have good mothers in order to become good Muslims in the future,” thus, emphasizing the unique role of women in the Islamic education of the children. The masjid also encourages transparency, good governance, stability, and helps fight against discrimination of any and all minority groups, not only those of the Muslim community. Masjid Abu Bakr also guides parents in educating their children about Islam and worship. Learning about Arabic is also a big part in understanding the message and meaning of the Qur'an. They host children school on Saturdays and Sundays where they teach about Islam and Arabic. Passing down everything to the next generation is crucial for the community. The impact of this investment in education is to promote good morals and ideal for the future generation.
The key component to proper Islam education is to recognize and internalize “just one message”. According to the booklet provided at Abu Bakr, this main message is that there is only one true God. Abu Bakr is unique in that it provides evidence from multiple sacred religious works including the Old Testament, in which it quotes, “Hear O Israel: The Lord our God is One Lord” (Mark 12:29). Next to this quote from the Bible is a quote from the Qur’an. “Say: He is Allah, the One; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begets not, nor is He begotten; and there is none like unto Him” (112:1-4).
Indeed the message concerning the singularity of God is the essential theme of the Qur’an; however, it is also the central theme of hundreds of other works. Abu Bakr acknowledges the similarity of pieces in the Bible and uses them to confirm their one message, rather than berate the Bible as another piece of holy scripture. The booklet states, that not only does the Bible affirm that God is only one, but it also reveals that the true God, the Creator, is the only Savior.
“The eternal message that the true God is only one, is the only one that matters,” it states. The value is put on the message of the one true God, Allah, rather than the prophet Muhammad. “[All] of God’s (Allah’s) prophets including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad were sent by the same God, the Creator, to convey the same message”. And since those prophets and messengers preached the same one message, their religion must be the same. Therefore, creating a unity between multiple religions.
Indeed the message concerning the singularity of God is the essential theme of the Qur’an; however, it is also the central theme of hundreds of other works. Abu Bakr acknowledges the similarity of pieces in the Bible and uses them to confirm their one message, rather than berate the Bible as another piece of holy scripture. The booklet states, that not only does the Bible affirm that God is only one, but it also reveals that the true God, the Creator, is the only Savior.
“The eternal message that the true God is only one, is the only one that matters,” it states. The value is put on the message of the one true God, Allah, rather than the prophet Muhammad. “[All] of God’s (Allah’s) prophets including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad were sent by the same God, the Creator, to convey the same message”. And since those prophets and messengers preached the same one message, their religion must be the same. Therefore, creating a unity between multiple religions.
The mosque is welcome to everyone. However, it is encouraged for women to pray at home. This is because it is not possible, by nature for women to frequently attend the mosque services at specific times when it is obligatory for both women and men to do 5 prayers a day. For example, at a particular time every month a woman is on her menstruation cycle. At this time her body is considered “impure” and therefore is not supposed to pray. Likewise, when women go through pregnancies, the physical strain contingent to pregnancies in addition to the pregnancy itself often confine women to their homes. Despite this, women, when well, are able to attend services. However, the Abu Bakr currently, does not have a safely segregated section dedicated towards women, which may lead to the discomfort from both parties male and female. Islamic tradition places a high value on female chastity as a means to protect women. On the flip side, women might distract men from focusing on their service due to their presence. Hence, segregated sections is ideal. However, it is important to remember that both men and women are seen as equal by God (Allah) and the people. Therefore, such segregation is for the comfort of both parties and nondiscriminatory. Though there are no current accommodations, a service area exclusively for women has been planned to be built on a second floor of the Masjid Abu Bakr.
Overall, visiting Masjid Abu Bakr was an unforgettable experience. There is a profound difference between learning material and seeing it play out in real life. We found a certain clarity when visiting the mosque in person. A mere three hours conversing with the Imam proved to be enlightening. The little knowledge we learned from Dr. Bazian was worth infinitely more than we had expected. The visit allowed us to further grapple with just how misinformed the public is about Muslim communities. We must have made thousands of mental images of the masjid. We hope that our efforts help to illustrate the true nature of the Muslim communities surrounding us.