The Islamic Center of Coppell (ICC) closed its mosque in order to combat the spread of COVID-19 and are offering services through Zoom and Facebook live. ICC’s Facebook page features inspirational videos from the imam and helpful, precautionary advice. Photo courtesy Islamic Center of Coppell
Islamic Center of Coppell
The Islamic Center of Coppell (ICC) is one of the local religious institutions offering online services due to COVID-19. While prayer in the ICC would normally occur five times a day, the mosque is closed and services are now being offered through Facebook live and Zoom.
ICC offered various services along with the five daily prayers, such as a Quran program, women’s program and youth program. All these programs have shifted online to Zoom, and daily messages of inspiration are posted to ICC’s Facebook account.
“It’s primarily patience with predestination, understanding our adjustments and appreciation of what you have from your family to your health to your belongings,” ICC imam Abdullah Oduro said. “Those are the primary messages that I try to articulate in different ways [in my moment of inspiration].”
April 23 marked the beginning of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar commemorated through fasting, prayer and community. Social gatherings are frequent at iftar, the meal to break the daily fast, but due to the pandemic, many of the social aspects of the month will be limited.
“We will have [a congregational prayer] online, but it will not be in the same fashion,” Oduro said. “It will just be someone reciting the Quran, and people can just listen and follow along with that person.”
The ICC has also purchased meals from local restaurants Kebab Uncle and Rozanna Market and Restaurant and has distributed them to needy families in the area.
For more information about the ICC, visit its website.
Follow Akhila (@akhila_gunturu) and @CHSCampusNews on Twitter.