About Ross Street Masjid
History
The idea to open a masjid within the heart of the vibrant Coppice locality was first realised in the mid 1970’s by a number of immigrants from the Mirpur region of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The first masjid was a simple, small rented house which was used as an ad hoc masjid. It quickly became apparent that this facility was not big enough and soon plans were in place to purchase a larger building which would also cater for children. This finally became a reality in 1985 when the local community banded together to buy a building in the center of Coppice. Over the years, this building has undergone various renovations including an extension in order to cater for increasing demand from the community. It was from this one simple desire to build a house for Allah, that we are today blessed with a masjid which caters for all members of the community regardless of gender, age or race.
Description of the Masjid
The interior of Jamiat Ahl – e – Hadith Masjid is quite modest when compared to some of the other mosques. However, this simplicity is more out of choice in order to keep with the Sunnah of our beloved Prophet (PBUH) by avoiding extravagance, especially in a house of worship. The building consists of two stories which encompass 2 medium sized and one large prayer hall, 2 areas of ablution at opposite ends of the building in order to maintain segregation, a medium sized kitchen, a library/ office area and sleeping quarters for visiting scholars/ Imams. The two medium sized halls are located on the ground floor and are connected by a double doorway. The first floor houses the main large prayer hall as well as the library and sleeping quarters. The main prayer hall contains a specially constructed mihrab facing the northeast.
All areas of the masjid are equipped with a speaker system except for the ablution/ toilet areas. The three prayer halls also have projectors installed which can be used to provide a live video link between the three halls if required.
Achievements
The Faith Matters Inter-faith forum, with governmental backing, recently compiled a directory highlighting mosques that provide the best access for women and cater for their needs. Focus groups held across Britain drew up five key areas that Muslim women wanted to see practiced within a Masjid. These five key areas were as follows:
· The inclusion of women in decision-making at operational and strategic levels
· Women holding office on Masjid committees
· Services and activities for women, such as childcare and women’s mentoring sessions
· An Imam or female scholar accessible to Sisters
· Segregated Prayer space for Sisters
In the survey, a total of 468 mosques throughout England were contacted of which, only 50 were awarded five stars with another 50 receiving four stars. The Jamiat Ahl-E-Hadith mosque was the only mosque in Oldham that had satisfied all of the above criteria and was awarded five stars.
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Youth Committee Jamiat Ahl – e – hadith, Oldham is very progressive in nature and actively promotes any activities that will be of benefit to not only the Masjid, but also the local community in general. It was with this in mind that the senior Masjid committee encouraged the youth to form their own junior committee and look at ways to engage the local community, especially the children. This area was of particular interest to Jamiat Ahl – e – hadith, Oldham as an increasing number of children from Muslim backgrounds are being caught up in violence related to gang culture, as reported widely in the media nationally. We believe this is in part due to the lack of ability of Masjids in general to engage with the younger members of the Muslim community. The role of the youth based at Jamiat Ahl – e – hadith, Oldham therefore includes, but is not limited to the following: · To engage children and teenagers in the community · To provide positive role models for the children and teenagers in the community · To liaise with other organisations working with Muslim children such as Children’s centers and offer support and advice where needed |
