What does the word Iqama mean?

Iqama is an arabic word and it has two meanings:

• An “Iqama” is a reference to the second call to prayer that is performed in the masjid prior to the start of salah. This call to prayer is quieter than the first, and more urgent. It signals the people within the masjid to hasten to fulfill the obligation of prayer and to fortify their connection with Allah (swt).

• An “Iqama” can also be used as a reference to documents of identification or citizenship.

The primary intention of Iqama Magazine is to reach out to the Muslims of the United States to help connect and empower them.  By providing these communities with easy access to faith-based material and updates on what good things are happening in Muslim communities across the nation, Iqama Magazine strives to be a tool that can be used for personal / spiritual growth and for the development of a sense of oneness in the community.

With easy, affordable access to Islamic reading material we hope to encourage a reverence for Allah (swt), the pillars of Islam, the pillars of faith, and the Sunnah of the prophet Muhammed (pbuh). We want the Muslims of the United States to hasten towards good works. We want them to develop high moral standards and an understanding of what constitutes proper etiquette. We want to promote volunteering, service, and engagement within the Muslim communities across the country and in support of our America communities at large (inclusive of all people and all faiths).

We are here to urge the Muslims within the United States to do good in the same way that the iqama urges people within the masjid to rise, to gather, and to straighten up the rows that they stand in, in preparation for prayer.

The secondary intention of Iqama Magazine is to reclaim our identity (and not coincidentally, the official title of our podcast is “Reclaiming Our Identity”). Muslim Americans are human, they are citizens, they have rights, and they are an integral part of what makes America beautiful. This magazine celebrates the beauty of Islam, Muslims, and America at large. This magazine is a formal declaration of our pride in serving God, in good works, and in serving the nation. It is our Iqama.