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Women and girls occupy the top floor; men and boys the first and basement. The guest speaker has already finished the "Khutba," a sermon mixed in Arabic, English and sometimes other languages. Now, it's time for praise.
"The prayers we do is called Salah," says Taseem Malik, a young man originally from Pakistan. "The Friday one is obligatory."
The people bend, then kneel with their heads touching the floor. The process is called "prostrating" in English.
Some men wear baggy jeans and baseball caps, others traditional Middle Eastern white robes, and still others ties and dress pants. They come from different countries - cab drivers to office workers to professionals.
"Every Muslim is a member of every mosque [in the world]" says Malik. "A lot of people from all walks of life come here."
What has become Delaware County's largest mosque was founded about 1998 when a small group decided to organize a place to pray for the growing international Islamic community in Upper Darby.
"We started in a basement, but we never used to have Friday worship," said Mohommad Mujeed. "From the basement, we started to look for a place. We heard this place was being sold at auction. We spent over $100,000 on this building [fixing it up]."
Mujeed is part of a board of trustees that manages the mosque. The retired engineer came to Upper Darby from Guyana, South America in 1982. He now donates much of his time to the mosque.
The building serves not only as a place of prayer, but as a community center where immigrants study English, people exchange housing and employment information and families come for conflict resolution and other assistance.
"Our people are hard working," says Mujeed."We try to help them be progressive. We've had the best relationship with the police and the mayor."
Through donations, the mosque supports a full time religious leader and teacher known as an Imam.
Imam Mohammad Mansurul Haque, originally from Bangledesh, oversees the social, educational, and religious programs.
At cultural crossroads
At a recent service in the Mosque, next to a shelf full of holy books in multiple languages, a lap top computer case and a New York Yankees cap hang on a hook. One of the challenges facing Delaware County's Muslim immigrants, Mujeed said, is hold on to their religious traditions and, at the same time, integrating into American society.
"We have lots of children who were born in this country," says Mujeed. "We find our kids getting more Americanized. As they grow up, we want them to know that Islam can help them be better Americans."
Mujeed said many Americans are unfamiliar with Islam and are exposed to it mainly through reporting on the violence of religious extremists. He insists, however, that their actions don't represent the main stream teachings of the faith.
"Islam is a peaceful religion," says Mujeed, "Muslims should love other people like they love themselves.
"Terrorists have a different agenda. A normal Muslim under normal circumstances would never dream of doing these things."
A five pillar foundation
The people of Islam, called muslims, follow the teachings of the prophet Mohammed, whom they consider the last messenger of God on earth. Muslims believe in the same God as Jews and Christians, according to Malik, but instead of the Torah or Bible they adhere to two books: the Koran and the Hadith.
Some Muslims, like Imran Sheikh, memorize all 114 chapters of the Koran. The Pakistani and local business owner has been coming to the mosque since it opened.
"It's good to see people from different countries," he says."
Sheikh holds the distinction of "Hafiz" because he memorized the book.
"I started memorizing at the early age of 8 years," he says. "It took me three years."
Muslims follow five main pillars: accepting Mohammad as God's prophet, praying five times a day, fasting during the holy month of Ramadan, giving 2.5 percent of profits to charity and making a trip to Mecca at least once in their lives.
After a recent service, Malik sits around the furnitureless room talking to fellow muslims on the floor. They catch up on each other's lives, and take a few moments to reflect on the meaning of their faith to them.
"All people know we are going to die," says Abdullah Ibrahim. "The human mind is limited and the heart is limited. How your heart accepts guidance from God; first you have to be humble. If you are ready and you search for the truth, God is going to help you."
