Chirri, Mohamad Jawad

Imam Mohamad Jawad Chirri was born in Lebanon on October 1, 1905. He was a graduate of the theological Institute of An-Najaf Al-Ashraf University in Iraq. In 1948, the small Muslim community in the Detroit area invited Imam Chirri to the United States of America. As the spiritual leader to the primarily Lebanese-American community, Imam Chirri envisioned the construction of a new mosque which would help strengthen the local Muslim population as well as enlightened non-Muslims throughout America on the practices of Islam.

In 1959, a little over a decade after arriving in America, Imam Chirri traveled to Egypt seeking financial assistance for the construction of the mosque he envisioned for the growing Detroit area Muslim community. While in Egypt, Imam Chirri met with President Jamal Abdul Nasser who provided the Islamic Center with a donation large enough to purchase land on Joy Road and Greenfield. During his visit to Egypt, Imam Chirri also met with Sheikh Mahmood Shaltut, Imam of the Al-Azhar University of Cairo. The two spiritual leaders participated in lengthy discussions about the similarities between Shi-ite Jaafari and Sunnite. After their discussions, Imam Shaltut made the historic announcement declaring the equality between the Shi-ite Jaafari and Sunnite Schools.

Three years after his trip to Egypt, the Islamic Center of Detroit (which would later be renamed the Islamic Center of America) opened its doors in 1962. The new center and mosque allowed for weekly Sunday services and became the social center of the strengthening community.

Along with being the founder of the Islamic Center of America, Imam Chirri was a renowned author and lecturer. Imam Chirri published widely in Arabic, but the self-taught English speaker also wrote many celebrated works in English. Some of his writings include Inquiries About Islam, The Faith of Islam, and Imam Hussein, Leader of the Martyrs . His writings and position as the director of the Islamic Center of America made Imam Chirri a widely sought after authority on Islam. His views and insights on topics related to Islam and the Muslim community were often quoted in the national media.

Over a decade after Imam Mohamad Jawad Chirri's death in 1994, the Islamic Center of America opened a new center on Ford Road in 2005. The new center is the home of one of largest mosques in North America.

From the guide to the Imam Mohamad Jawad Chirri papers, 1959-2005, (Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan)