Muslim students at Loyola Marymount University gathered on Friday, Feb. 9, in the Malone Student Center Room 202 for their weekly Friday-Jummah Prayer services. The topic of the sermon that day was commemorating one of the most significant days in the Islamic calendar, Lailat Al Miraj, marking the point at which the Prophet Muhammed ascended into heaven and received instruction from God that Muslims should pray five times a day.
But something was significantly different at this year’s marking of Lailat Al Miraj: for the first time LMU students were worshipping in a dedicated Muslim Prayer Room on LMU’s campus that formally opened in the fall of 2023. It is open seven days a week for students to use for their prayers and for weekly Friday-Jummah Prayer services.
“This is a perfect time to talk about the dedicated Muslim prayer room, because that’s where our Muslim students are praying five times a day,” said Kienan Taweil, the Muslim chaplain and interfaith coordinator in Campus Ministry. “I hope the Muslim prayer room becomes students’ spiritual home where, through their prayers, they can connect to the divine on campus.”
For Taweil, the dedication meant a lot because when he was a first-year student at LMU in the fall of 2015 there were essentially no resources on campus for Muslim students. “There was no club, nowhere for us to pray,” said Taweil. “I remember thinking oh, my God, why is there nothing here for students like me? Why is there nothing in place yet?” Soon after this realization, Taweil met Amir Hussain, a Muslim professor in the Theological Studies Department, who became his mentor and together they advocated for changes for Muslim students on campus.
“It was great to see a student like Kienan, who was committed to his faith, and needed a place to pray,” said Hussain. “And that’s crucial at a Catholic university, to have spaces where students can offer their prayers.”
In 2015, Taweil and Hussain worked together to start the Muslim Student Association, which then led to the creation of the office of Muslim Student Life. Muslim students began using a community reflection space for daily prayers and Friday prayer services. But Taweil said it became very clear that Muslim students needed a more permanent place to pray throughout the week and on weekends as well. So, he began working with the university administration to open a dedicated Muslim prayer space. In the fall of 2023, his dream became a reality, and a lot has changed as a result.
“We have had a real surge in participation. We have had a lot more first-year international students showing up every Friday,” said Taweil. “Part of that has to do with the fact that there is a room for Muslim students, that feels like home on campus.” Hussain believes the prayer room supports the LMU mission. “Daily prayer is incumbent upon Muslims,” he said, “and it’s marvelous that the university lets us have this space to fulfil our religious obligations.”
MSL offers programs that promote faith formation, spiritual growth, personal development, diversity, leadership, interfaith understanding, and community involvement for LMU’s Muslim Students. The office also serves as a resource on Islam for the campus community. For Taweil, the work is personal. “LMU gave me so much. I want students to have a better experience than I did. This has been my guiding compass since I started working as a staff member.”
