How to Establish a Prayer Room on Campus

How to
Establish a
Prayer
Room on
Campus
Muslim Students Association National : Muslim Accommodations Task Force Series
www.msanational.org/matf

---

.

---

The Muslim Accomodations Task Force
The Muslim Accommodations Task Force (MATF) of
Know that achieving Muslim accommodations on
MSA National works to make campuses better places
your campus requires planning and persistent effort.
for Muslim students."Muslim-friendly" campuses are
As a source of inspiration, we share with you a
ones that practically embrace diversity by fulfilling
hadith. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said, "..he
the needs of their Muslim communities. Students and
who finds relief for one who is hard pressed, Allah
administrators work hand in hand to promote
would make things easy for him in the Hereafter."
programs that facilitate multiple facets of a student's
(Sahih Muslim Book 035, Number 6518). Inshaallah
life, ranging from praying to learning to dining.
the results of your efforts will make life easier for
generations of students after you, and thereby leave
We believe that every campus can improve in meeting
you with a legacy of reward.
Muslim student needs. As you will see, becoming
"Muslim-friendly" is not a one-size-fits-all process.
Sincere thanks is due first to Allah (swt) then to all
This guide is created to help you explore the options
the students, alumni, and advisors who contributed
available, select the level appropriate to your campus,
their experiences and thoughts.
and tailor your efforts accordingly.
Definitions
Daily Prayers and Friday Prayers
Prayer Room--Specifications and Design
Islam is one of the three major religions of the world.
It is a monotheistic religion that obligates all Muslims
A Muslim prayer room on campus should be:
to perform certain mandatory duties, one of which is
prayer. Muslim prayer is based on a lunar calendar,
n
Centrally-located
which causes the timings for the five daily prayers to
n
Accessible to students
vary between 5:00 am to 12:00 midnight. Each prayer
n
Clean
must be performed within a limited time frame and
n
Accommodate a seating capacity
completed prior to the next prayer time. The prayers
of x (largest prayer in day) people
can occur in a group or in an individual manner; the
group prayer is preferred and more vocal. The prayer
Additional useful characteristics include:
includes bowing and prostrating to Allah (God), and
reciting from the scripture, the Qur'an. On Fridays,
n
Bookshelves for educational materials
the Muslim holy day, congregational prayer is manda-
n Shoe racks (Muslims remove their shoes
tory. Due to these various facets of Muslim prayer,
before entering the prayer room)
having access to a Muslim prayer room (musallah) on
n A closet for cleaning supplies and storage
campus would eliminate the problems that Muslims
n A bulletin board.
face in observing this mandatory act of worship.
MATF SERIES : HOW TO ESTABLISH A PRAYER ROOM ON CAMPUS
1

---

Choose The Right Level To Meet Your Needs
Almost all Muslim accommodations come in different levels. The key is to recognize what your campus and
especially Muslim students on campus are ready to sustain for the long term.
Publicizing the location of the nearest mosque in orientation guides, if it is
LEVEL 1
within walking distance
Offering an interfaith space, while clearly accounting for Muslim student requirements
LEVEL 2
(no religious symbols, no images). Quite often, an interfaith space cannot work too well
because the 5 Muslim prayers are spread out throughout the day, anywhere from 5 am to
11 pm, which means Muslims would be frequenting the room all day.
Providing a space specifically for Muslim students, limited hours. Applicable if locat-
LEVEL 3
ed in a building that has limited hours, or for commuter campuses.
Providing a space specifically for Muslim students, unlimited hours. An estimated
LEVEL 4
90% of campuses that have tried to meet student needs jump straight to level 4. All
prior levels fall short in a major way of meeting this most important need.
The Process: Steps to Achieving a Prayer Room
1
2
3
4
Assessment
Presentation
Implementation
Long-term Survival
2
MATF SERIES : HOW TO ESTABLISH A PRAYER ROOM ON CAMPUS

---

1
Assessment
Engaging in the assessment process in consultation
Current Nature of Prayer Offerings (Supply)
with the Muslim community at large will inshallah
In evaluating the status quo of what prayer options
serve two benefits:
are available, it is important to keep in mind the
following questions:
1) It will provide MSA representatives a solid
proposal, backed with facts and evidence,
1. What is the ease of access to prayer space on
with which to negotiate with university
campus and to mosques in the surrounding area?
officials.
Does it become an undue hardship for Muslims to
find off-campus prayer alternatives? If there is an
2) It will ensure community support for and
existing prayer area/space offered, is it conveniently
participation in a sustained program. As with
situated, keeping in mind students' needs to pray and
any type of Muslim religious accommodation,
reasonably be able to make it to classes?
a failed experience will make future negoti-
tions with university officials more difficult.
2. Precisely what is current level of accommodation
that is offered (if any)? (Levels include: publicizing off
Before you begin to lobby your university administra-
campus location, interfaith prayer space, private space
tion to provide an acceptable prayer space on campus,
for Muslims).
it is critical to assess both
3. Are any other special interest groups receiving
a) The current prayer room offerings on campus
prayer accommodations at your university? Do
(Supply)
students of other faith traditions have prayer spaces
on campus? Is the university excluding Muslims from
b) The size and needs of the Muslim population at equal and fair access to campus privileges and con-
your school (Demand)
veniences if alternative options are too inconvenient
(on campus) or too far away? Even if other faith
traditions do not have prayer space, Muslims may
still request a prayer room because of unique prayer
needs.
MATF SERIES : HOW TO ESTABLISH A PRAYER ROOM ON CAMPUS
3

---

Muslim Population Size and Needs (Demand)
It is important to make sure that the type of prayer
c) % Desiring to pray on campus, and with what
accommodations the university may be willing to
frequency
offer matches the needs of the Muslim community on
your campus. Make your requests reasonable. If
Designating a dedicated prayer space for Muslims
students usually pray in large numbers on campus for
might be as simple as room allocation, but it could
daily and Friday prayers, then a bigger room/space
be an expensive investment for the university if a
request is warranted. However, if the university is
facility is constructed or redesigned. Therefore,
willing to offer a large space while only a smaller
this is perhaps the most critical figure to have on
number of Muslims frequent the facility at
hand in establishing legitimacy of the need and
uncoordinated times, the university may view this as
generating support amongst administration
a lack of sufficient interest and could take away or
officials.
end the space altogether
Visit our website
Therefore, it is necessary to survey the relevant
www.msanational.org/matf/prayerguide
Muslim population (students, faculty, administrators,
for access to Prayer Room Supplement A: Prayer
doctors, employees, etc.) to determine the following:
Room Demand Survey
a) Size (or relative size to other groups receiving
special treatment, ie Christian/Jewish students)
Size is a useful indicator to know when
negotiating with university officials, to strengthen
the case for needing such a space
b) Hardship
In the absence of an on campus prayer space, what
are Muslim students currently doing? Are they
running late to classes in trying to fulfill this
obligatory duty? Are they being forced to choose
between missing class time and missing prayer?
Are they praying in potentially unsafe
environments or between bookshelves in the
library?
4
MATF SERIES : HOW TO ESTABLISH A PRAYER ROOM ON CAMPUS

---

2
Presentation
Leadership
As with most MSA tasks, leadership is essential.
should also review the definition of Muslim
Once your MSA decides to make a case for a prayer
prayer/prayer room, and be prepared to express the
room on campus, effective leadership will play a
Muslim students' needs based on findings from the
major role in the outcome of the endeavor. We
assessment phase. Because of the possibility that the
recommend one or two committed students who
endeavor will take more than one term, leaders
agree to oversee all aspects of the project. Ideally,
should thoroughly document everything. Practically,
these students should have played a role in the
this can be as simple as a notebook of meeting dates,
assessment phase, and if not, should have a thorough
times, participants, and minutes.
understanding of the nature of assessment. They
Contact Administrative Allies
Decision makers or allies with respect to achieving a
see if they are interested in helping or have
prayer room on campus would most likely be: Dean
procedural suggestions. These allies will help you to
of Students, Student Programs Director, Campus
determine what steps are needed to achieve a prayer
Ministry or Student Religious Life Office officials. If
room on campus - a presentation to the Dean of
you have positive relations with any such administra-
Students or Campus Religious Life Office, approval of
tors, you should inform them of your intention to
the University President, discussions with the
request a prayer room on campus, get their input, and
provost, or other means.
MATF SERIES : HOW TO ESTABLISH A PRAYER ROOM ON CAMPUS
5

---

Communicating your proposal
Present your proposal through informal discussion,
Note: Avoid rushing to present legal evidence for
followed by a formal written proposal to administra-
your claim, as it can create a negative tone to the
tors who express the most interest. Ideally, the pro-
discussion, and may not be necessary if positive
posal should be no more than two pages in length.
dialogue is working. In some cases, officials may
For a sample proposal, visit
request legal documentation or express concern that
www.msanational.org/matf/prayerguide to access
the proposal violates the separation of church and
Supplement B: Prayer Room Sample Proposal
state. In such cases, please refer to Supplement C:
Legal Issues Related to Campus Muslim Prayer
In oral and written communication with administra-
Rooms, available at
tors who may become involved in approving the
www.msanational.org/matf/prayerguide.
project, emphasize the following points which are
relevant to your school's context:
c) National trends and publicity
The college or university will benefit by having a
a) Requirements and Muslim student need
reputation for caring for their Muslim students. Since
Emphasize key points-discuss the following: Muslim
we know of over 120 campuses with prayer rooms,
obligation to pray 5 times a day (ie it's not a matter of
consider highlighting rival campuses or ones similar
choice); prayer timings with respect to class sched-
to yours to show how all of them have already met
ules; and the importance of a centrally located prayer
this basic need. Provide a complete list of schools
room so that students do not have to struggle to per-
with prayer rooms (updated on
form prayer and make it to class on time. Mention
www.msanational.org/matf), and then give detailed
also the number of students facing this dilemma.
examples of specific cases based on what you
consider to be the ideal option for your campus.
b) Muslim students' right
When students are required to take classes during
d) Respecting diversity
certain hours of the day and this intersects with
Most campuses include respecting diversity as a part
prayer times, the university must enable students to
of their mission statement. They consider enrollment
fulfill both obligations. This point is especially critical
of diverse students an asset to the community, as they
for students without access to a car if the nearest
enhance the classroom learning experience and enrich
mosque is too far away to visit in between classes. If
student life. Try to find these statements specific to
any other religious group on campus has access to a
your campus, and explain that providing a designated
private or designated prayer or meditation space,
prayer space for Muslims on campus would serve as a
Muslims have the right to equal consideration for an
practical example of upholding these ideals. If any
appropriate space that meets requirements.
cases of bias against Muslims took place on campus in
the recent past, present the proposal as an
opportunity to foster cooperation and increase
understanding.
6
MATF SERIES : HOW TO ESTABLISH A PRAYER ROOM ON CAMPUS

---

3
Implementation
Once your proposal is approved by the administra-
size and dimensions of the space, it may be helpful to
tion, make sure to work with the overseeing official(s)
pick a room with two doors, to facilitate separate
and facilities management staff to ensure that the
brothers' and sisters' entrances/sections.
space offered is centrally located in a safe location,
accessible (some buildings may require special access
Work with the administration host an open house
cards-get those if relevant), and clean. Depending on
event if appropriate.
MATF SERIES : HOW TO ESTABLISH A PRAYER ROOM ON CAMPUS
7

---

4
Long-term Survival
For the prayer room to serve its intended purpose of
Additionally, maintain regular contact with university
enabling Muslims to pray daily prayers on time in
officials, thanking them for their support. This is also
between classes, and preferably in congregation, it is
important if the university has long term expansion
important that the following is done when the space
plans-a centrally located prayer room may not be so
is secured:
centrally located if class locations shift to distant,
newly constructed buildings. If so, it may become
n Advertising-both at the time of initial opening and
necessary to re-evaluate the ideal location for a
on an ongoing basis to new students, employees,
Muslim prayer facility on campus. Similarly, if the
etc. who become a part of the campus Muslim
room becomes too small to accommodate the growing
community. Be sure to have prominent signs
number of Muslim students, a new facility may allow
marking the room so that Muslim visitors to the
for a more suitable space.
school or those you are not in contact with can find
it easily. The MSA website and any brochures
Finally, report the success to MSA National
should include information on your prayer room.
www.msanational.org/matf so prospective students
will know of this accommodation on your
n Establishing prayer in the room-Encourage
campus…they may even decide to attend your
Muslims to pray in the room, and designate
campus instead of the closest competitor because of
congregational prayer (iqama) times for the
better campus accommodations for Muslims.
prayers so that those who can may benefit from
praying together.
n Maintenance-As the room insha-Allah will be
frequented by Muslims and curious non-Muslims
alike, it is important to keep the room clean and
welcoming at all times. Try to set up a small
library with useful Islamic reading materials in the
room.
8
MATF SERIES : HOW TO ESTABLISH A PRAYER ROOM ON CAMPUS

---