Catering to the needs of its Muslim students, Georgetown University has become the first US college to open a mosque with ablution stations.

The Yarrow Mamout Masjid, named after one of the first Muslims in America, first opened its doors in 2019. However, construction and design were completed this year, Aleteia.org reported.

“The masjid [mosque] builds on the university’s commitment to interreligious understanding and care for the whole person, or cura personalis, in creating sacred spaces on campus and community for students of all faith traditions,” the university said in an announcement.

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The facility “provides a space for reflection, prayer, community and interfaith dialogue for Muslim and non-Muslim students at Georgetown.”

The mosque offers the traditional five daily prayers, as well as educational programming and spiritual discussions.

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It is one of seven sacred spaces on Georgetown’s main campus. It provides a space for reflection, prayer, community and interfaith dialogue for Muslim and non-Muslim students at Georgetown.

Yarrow Mamout is an enslaved Muslim man who bought his freedom. He contributed to the neighborhood of Georgetown, and continued to deepen and practice his Islamic faith in the 18th century. 

Georgetown was also the first US university to hire a full-time Muslim chaplain, Imam Yahya Hendi, 24 years ago.

Muslims pray five times a day, with each prayer made up of a series of postures and movements, each set of which is called a rak‘ah.

The five prayer times are divided all through the day which starts with Fajr prayer at dawn.