i run a restaurant seven days a week, sell clothes, and consult on content strategy. my schedule is packed but despite everything i’m dedicating time to building something new. bilal. why? because i see a game-changing opportunity to transform our communities by making the mosque the centre of our daily lives again.
bilal is a device designed to help us reconnect with our mosques. it reminds us to pray in congregation, not just at home or work, but together at the mosque. praying five times a day is one thing, but doing it in jama’ah transforms not only your connection with Allah but with the people around you. bilal helps make that habit a reality, building masjid-centric communities that can transform us.
our mosques are operating at 30% efficiency. they are meant to be at the heart of our spiritual development, yet right now they only cater to a small group of people who already have a relationship with them. this small minority cannot financially sustain the mosque alone, so mosques often operate in survival mode. jummah and ramadan become about raising funds just to keep the lights on, rather than an opportunity to develop the wider community. if we could bring more people into the mosque regularly, imagine how much stronger our mosques and our communities could be.
bilal’s mission is to help close that gap. it is a simple reminder that encourages us to show up at the mosque, not just on friday, but for every salah. when we pray together, we build stronger connections with each other and with Allah. and that is where real growth happens, not just spiritually, but as a community.
i have experienced this firsthand. like many people, i often get caught up in work and end up missing jama’ah at the mosque. we get busy, distracted, and the time slips away. but every time i have made the effort to go, it has reminded me how powerful praying together is. it roots you in your community and strengthens bonds that go beyond words. this is what bilal is designed for, to help us build that habit even when life gets in the way.
i understand that some of you might already have this habit and that is great if you do. but think about jummah. the mosque is full, the energy is strong. imagine if every salah looked like that. imagine if every prayer at the mosque felt as alive as jummah does. that is the potential we can reach but right now there is a gap we need to bridge. bilal’s mission is simple, get people to the mosque one salah at a time.
what i have noticed with the first-row congregation is that these are people whose hearts are deeply attached to the masjid. they are the ones we aspire to be. what stands out to me is how tight-knit they are. everyone knows each other. they do not even need to say anything. praying together brings you closer. it is the kind of bond that only comes from showing up day after day and being present for prayer.
and that is what bilal is about. it is not just a reminder. it is a way to bring us back to the mosque regularly, to help us reconnect with our communities and our faith. even if you do not feel like you need bilal, you can still be part of this mission. the next time you head to the mosque, invite your neighbour or your friend to come with you. because when we pray together we strengthen each other, and that is how we build strong, masjid-centric communities.
the future i imagine goes beyond just getting people into the mosque. i imagine families hearing the athan in their homes and taking their kids to pray at the mosque. once they have built that habit for themselves, they will instil it in their children. together, we can create a future where the mosque is not just a place we go to on fridays but a daily part of our lives.
