The Memphis Dawah Association (MDA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 2015 that is multi-lingual and multi-ethnic. Our objective is to provide the public with authentic traditional knowledge about Islam in addition to community services for the public. We have been located in the Oakhaven and Whitehaven communities for over 15 years. We have provided ESL classes, lectures/class
es about the Islamic faith, African American history, and the Renaissance, along with
releasing press releases on violent extremism. It is our objective to continue providing, building and extending those types of services. We are in the process of relocating to a new facility with the intended purpose of offering a soup kitchen, farmer’s market, low- power radio station and a small health clinic. This is an ambitious project with the objective of participating in the transformation of the immediate neighborhood and beyond. We are working with WURC at Rust College to provide training and equipment access for the South Memphis community. Due to our attendance and training provided by the Office of Community Affairs, we are aware of city services and will seek help on behalf of our community to better serve its residents. The külliye concept is based on the earliest form of the mosque. The mosque was not only used as a structure for praying but also as a place for eating, teaching and as a hostel for the poor and other social aims. Külliye
(Arabic: كلية) is a nexus of buildings associated with Ottoman architecture centered around a mosque and managed within a single institution, often based on a waqf (charitable foundation) and composed of a madrasa (school), a Dar al-Shifa(“clinic”), kitchens, bakery, Turkish bath, other buildings for various charitable services for the community and further annexes. The term is derived from the Arabic word kull “all”.The külliye concept is based on the earliest form of the mosque. The structure of the külliye derived from such concept. Instead of using one mosque for various services, other buildings were built to center on the mosque that provided the specific services. It was a welcoming place where the public’s social, cultural, health and spiritual needs were met. It is our intention to honor this tradition by bringing “the Kulliye” to the Whitehaven area and throughout the city.
