Mohamad Jawad Chirri
| Mohamad Jawad Chirri | |
|---|---|
| Born |
October 1, 1905 Lebanon |
| Died |
November 10, 1994 Dearborn, MI |
| Religion | Shia Islam |
Imam Mohamad Jawad Chirri (Arabic: محمد جواد شري) was the founder and was director of the Islamic Center of America [1] until his death on November 10, 1994 in Dearborn, Michigan, USA.
Books authored
In addition to writing The Shi'ites Under Attack:
Books about Islamic jurisprudence and its basis:
- Al-Riyad in the Basis of Jurisprudence
- Al-Taharah (the purity)
- Fasting
- The Book of Prayer
- The Islamic Wills-
A book about the caliphate:
- The Caliphate in the Islamic Constitution.
Books in English about Islam:
- Muslim Practice
- The Faith of Islam
- Inquiries About Islam
- Imam Hussein, Leader of the Martyrs
- The Brother of the Prophet Muhammad (the Imam Ali). (He also wrote this book in Arabic and named it Amir al-Mu'minin)]
Brief Introduction
Like many pioneers through known time, there seems to be a common drive, known to many of us as a sixth sense, that is innate and not taught. This keen ability to discover, lead, and execute was one of the strong, distinguishing traits of the late Imam Mohamad Jawad Chirri. During this 40-plus years of service in the greater Detroit area, he envisioned, formed a strong foundation, transformed and accomplished a mission of enlightening the minds of many Muslims and non-Muslims across several continents.
Imam Chirri’s goal was to spread Islam in a country that had not known Islam and to a community that was starving for Islam. The generations that followed were and are the seeds of what was sown. The end result is quite obvious today, as we see the Muslim community in the Dearborn/Detroit metro area at its peak. The turnaround is quite obvious. To him, we can attribute the strength of Islam today. His foundation provided security for those that were thinking of immigrating to North America and, in fact, the influx of immigrants forced the foundation of several other Islamic institutions and the opportunity for many other Muslim clergy to immigrate to the Americas.
As the new Islamic Center of America on Ford Road opened its doors in 2005 and as it marked the 10th anniversary of the passing of the late Imam, we can all be thankful to him and to those who followed him through the dark tunnel of ignorance and apathy into the bright future of Islam that we all enjoy today.
Education, Social and Political contributions
Imam Mohamad Jawad Chirri, in the year 1948, traveled to the United States of America at the request of the then small Muslim community in the Detroit area, in order to bring guidance and purpose. The community then was made up of mostly Lebanese immigrants from as early as the turn of the 20th Century and their first- and second-generation offspring. The vacuum to fill was huge! Through many hardships and hurdles to overcome, Imam Chirri was able to transform a community that had lived and almost assimilated into a Christian culture into a community that found solidarity under the Islamic Center Foundation Society in Highland Park, Michigan. After forming the nucleus, the Imam envisioned a more grandiose platform to showcase Islam. But how, and at what expense? How can a predominantly blue collar and small, storeowner community fund a project as large as building a new mosque?
Building Centers of faith and uniting people
In 1959, Imam Mohamad Jawad Chirri traveled to the United Arab Republic (Egypt) and was fortunate to meet with President Jamal Abdul Nasser, then the most powerful leader in the Middle East, to seek financial assistance in building a new mosque in America. Imam Chirri also took the opportunity to meet with Imam Mahmoud Shaltout of the Al-Azhar University to discuss similarities between the Sunni and She’ah Jaa’fari schools of thought. After lengthy dialogues, Imam Shaltout made a historical announcement that the Sunni and She’ah sects are both sound schools of thought, and they both share equal legitimacy in Islam. Imam Chirri was also able to convince President Nasser, who was generous to donate a sum of money - enough to help the foundation purchase a parcel of land on Joy Road and Greenfield. With community donations and the sacrifice of lifetime savings of many members of the foundation, the Islamic Center of Detroit was built and opened in 1962. It was a great dream that had come true! This center became the glue of the community, as Sunday services became a weekly routine, Islamic holidays could be celebrated, and the youth had a place to connect with and be proud to belong to.