Role of Nairobi Jamia Mosque in Socio-economic Development of the Muslim Community in Nairobi County

Abstract

This project addresses a key Islamic institution, the Mosque, and its role in the community development socially and economically. The study examines whether the Mosque is capable of addressing concerns of different Muslim groups (men, women and youth) in the contemporary period, in answering this research question, study of the socio-economic roles of Nairobi Jamia Mosque in the community development was undertaken .Jamia Mosque is the largest Mosque in Kenya. About 5000 Muslims can say a prayer in various halls of the Mosque at the same time. The study examined several objectives among them socio-economic roles of Nairobi Jamia Mosque, the roles of imams and the Jamia Mosque management team in helping the Muslim community in Nairobi, it also investigated the challenges and opportunity of the worshipers in Jamia Mosque and suggested appropriate strategies that could help Jamia Mosque administration to improve its services to the Nairobi Muslim community. The research has concluded that the Jamia Mosque plays a significant role in the development of the Muslim community, for example, it provides bursaries for the poor and needy students at secondary tertiary and university level. In addition, the Mosque provides guidance and counseling, marriage advices and contributes to the conflict resolutions particularly in Muslim communities, for example in Nairobi Jamia mosque they have family resource center. The study recommends that Mosques should be more democratic and open to ideas in order to address community needs as well as individual concerns. Furthermore, they should be user friendly through innovative programs that will attract youth, women and other categories of the population. That way, Mosques will have a greater role to play in the Muslim community and lives its members. Nairobi Jamia Mosque need to be equipped with enough resources in order to function actively within society more crucially there is a vital need to empower the Imams with full knowledge and awareness of their surrounding and training them within Mosque premises.