A Short History of the Darul Arqum Islamic Center Ames, Iowa
April 2007
The Darul Arqum Islamic Center of Ames, Iowa, was the “home away from home” for Muslim Brothers and Sisters from all over the world who attend Iowa State University (ISU). For over forty years, the Muslim Student Association of ISU has provided Friday Prayers on campus and in the Darul Arqum Masjid, a small house near campus
, which was purchased in 1985. The Muslim Student Association (MSA) is an officially recognized campus organization that sponsors regular lectures by renowned Islamic scholars and conferences to promote understanding between its members and the ISU students and Ames community. A small group of Muslim families has also supported and shared in MSA activities and facilities over the years. The Muslim Student Association and the Muslim residents of Ames had a vision for the establishment of a new Darul Arqum Islamic Center in Central Iowa, which would provide a single location for all Muslims in Central Iowa. A large lot was purchased in 1997 on the northwest side of the ISU Campus. Darul Arqum provides larger facilities to serve the needs of the Muslim community. The City of Ames quickly approved our site plan. Unfortunately, design and construction of Darul Arqum was abruptly halted when several of the neighbors brought a suit against the City of Ames and the Islamic Center. Even though a majority of Ames residents supported the Islamic Center, defense of our case in court was lengthy and expensive. Both the District Court of Iowa and the Iowa Supreme Court ruled in our favor. Thanks be to Allah (SWT), we met with success and became more united and determined to make Darul Arqum Islamic Center a reality. With our legal struggles behind us, we signed a contract with Story Construction, a local design-build firm, in December 2000. We chose a design-build approach so that the Darul Arqum Islamic Center would be built within our $600,000 budget. Construction on Darul Arqum began in April 2001 and completed in October. Volunteers from the Ames Muslim community provided the labor needed to finish the landscaping and fencing. The new Islamic Center has a prayer hall accommodating 250 people, three classrooms and multi-purpose areas, 500 books in the library, two offices, two kitchens, dining rooms, a women’s prayer hall and nursery and a parking lot with 40 parking spaces. The first service held in at Darul Arqum was the end of Ramadan (Eid ul Fitr), which was celebrated in December of 2001. Darul Arqum Islamic Center is the third building built as a mosque in Iowa. The Mother Mosque of America, which was built in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on February 15, 1934, is the first mosque that was classically designed for exclusive use as a mosque and is still standing. The Islamic Center of Cedar Rapids is the second. People need to know about Islam and we welcome visitor to Darul Arqum, which acts as a bridge between the Muslim community and Ames. One of Darul Arqum missions is to make all feel welcome and comfortable in the Islamic Center, regardless of your nationality, religion or gender. Some might find it difficult to approach a Muslim, so they can contact us by email at www.arqum.org and schedule a meeting or some time to visit the mosque. Our address is 1212 Iowa Avenue, Ames, Iowa.
