Muslim Community Center of Union County (MCCUC)

Based in the borough of Roselle in Union County of New Jersey, the Muslim Community Centre of Union County serves a congregation assembled from American Muslims of Egyptian, Syrian, Palestinian, Lebanese, Moroccan, Bosnian, Albanian, Turkish, Pakistani, Indian, Bangladeshi, Indonesian, Nigerian, Senegalese, Somali, Guyanese, Trinidadian, and African American backgrounds. New Jersey's Muslim community has grown rapidly since the 1970s, when immigration reforms in the United States opened the door to families from across the Muslim world. Today the state contains more than one hundred mosques and Islamic centres, concentrated in Bergen, Hudson, Middlesex, Passaic, and Union counties.
The centre is grounded in the Prophetic teaching of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, that the Muslim is a brother to every Muslim, he does not wrong him, he does not forsake him, and he does not look down upon him. Programmes at the centre therefore include daily congregational prayers, a full Jumu'ah schedule in English, weekly Qur'anic study circles, Arabic classes for adults and children, a weekend Islamic school for the young, a women's programme led by qualified teachers, funeral services for deceased Muslims, zakat collection and distribution, outreach to neighbouring churches and synagogues, and an ongoing food pantry open to residents of any faith or none.
Architecturally the centre is a purpose built American community mosque of modern design. A carpeted main prayer hall with a dignified mihrab and minbar, a women's gallery on an upper level with its own wudu facilities and entrance, classrooms for weekend schools, a library of Islamic texts in English and Arabic, a multi purpose hall for weddings and community dinners, and a modest dome that identifies the building to the surrounding neighbourhood complete the facility. The imam typically delivers Friday sermons in clear English, reflecting the linguistic diversity of the congregation. Ramadan brings nightly tarawih and iftars that span the cuisines of every continent, with families bringing dishes to share. The two Eid prayers fill the car park with children in new clothes greeting one another joyfully. Accurate daily prayer times for Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha appear on this page for every Muslim of Union County and every traveller through northern New Jersey.