5 Places That Bear the Stamp of Islam in The USA

Despite the negative attitude towards Islam in the USA, there are 5 places in the country where the characteristics of Islam are reflected.  Let’s examine these 5 places together.

Harvard Law School

Our first stop is the Harvard Law School in Cambridge. At the entrance of Harvard Law School Library, there are the Words of Justice Exhibition, which is a gallery of the most powerful statements of justice in history. In the exhibition, there are three outstanding quotes on the wall: The first one is from Augustine of Hippo, the second from Magna Carta, and the third from Verse 135 of Surah an-Nisa.

‘’You who believe, uphold justice, and bear witness to God, even if it is against yourselves, your parents, or your close relatives. Whether the person is rich or poor, God can best take care of both. Refrain from following your own desire, so that you can act justly- if you distort or neglect justice, God is fully aware of what you do.’’

United States Supreme Court

Our second stop is the United States Supreme Court in Washington DC. Eighteen greatest leaders in the history of the World who played a significant role in establishing the laws in their time is carved on a frieze[1]  just above the courtroom. Among these leaders, we see the Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian I, the Frankish King Charlemagne, the King of England King John, and our prophet Hz. Muhammad (PBUH).

US Capitol

Our third stop is the House of Representatives Room of the US Capitol. On the walls of the room, there are twenty-three portraits that depict the worldwide historical figures who were influential in establishing the principles that underlie American law. Among the portraits which were made in 1950, we come across a portrait of Suleiman the Magnificent.

Dome of the Library of Congress

Our fourth stop is the Library of Congress, again in DC. In the Library of Congress, there is a mural on the large dome above the main reading room which was painted by Edwin Blashfield in 1897. Around the mural, we observe twelve winged figures representing periods which were thought to have contributed to the development of Western civilization. Among these figures, there is one that says “Physics” which represents the Islamic civilization. This figure symbolizes the strong influence of Islamic geography on physics, chemistry, astronomy, algebra, and algorithm sciences.

Thomas Jefferson Library

Finally, our last stop is Thomas Jefferson Library in Virginia. In Jefferson’s personal library, there is a two-volume copy of the Quran translated by George Sale and initialed by Jefferson. Moreover, this same Quran was used during the swearing-in ceremony of Keith Ellison, who is the first Muslim representative elected to the US Congress in 2007.

[1] Frieze: “A flat or embossed strip between the floor beam and the roof in architecture”.