Senegal is the most heavily Muslim country on Earth, with 94-percent of the people being Islamic. This religion emerged in Senegal in the 11th century. It has spread to the rest of the country over time. That is the reason a mosque worth $32 million constructed for them to hold prayers.
Muslim faithful witnessed the inauguration of Massalikul Jinaan (“The Paths to Paradise”) mosque in Dakar Senegal. It has been in construction for a decade, and finally, after efforts and support from the government and the private sector, it was completed. This mosque is believed to be the biggest in West Africa through the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca Morocco is bigger since it can accommodate a total of 105,000 worshipers as compared to 30,000 worshipers capacity in Massalikul Jinan.
A decade ago, the Senegal government, which is a 90 percent Muslim nation, donated 14-acre land for construction of the mosque. Ever since that, plans on putting up this biggest mosque in West Africa have been underway. Following the government and the endless religious support, the long journey of construction was culminated by a very dignified occasion that marked the completion of a unique mosque in Senegal.
Mouride Brotherhoods was the dominant player in the building of the mosque. It is part of the Sufi strand in Senegal and one of the four brotherhoods that practice a moderate Islamic culture in Senegal while following local spiritual guides. This group was in charge of putting up this structure. The private donations for the construction amounted to $33 million, and the government chipped in and contributed 10.5 million Euros for lighting, sanitation, and roadworks. With such enormous financial support, the construction was deemed possible.
Hundreds of people flocked the mosque by bus, cars, and foot for the opening of the long-awaited mosque. They all headed to the poor district of Bopp, in the capital Dakar, the host of Massalikul Jinaan mosque. It was reported that the area had traffic jams of both people and their vehicles. Tens of thousands of people had started camping near the mosque two days before the D-day, according to a reliable source. It shows how eager the Muslim faithful were for the launch and inauguration of their largest place of prayers and worship.
The interior of the mosque is very alluring, with graffiti about Islam religion hand-drawn on the walls by Moroccan men. The lavish inside of the mosque also features golden leaf dome and giant chandeliers. In the future, an Islamic museum, residence, and an Islamic institute are to be incorporated so that the mosque can turn into a business hub too. At the rate at which the faithful are willing to support the newly put up mosque, the dream will become a reality.
President Macki Sall was the chief guest invited for the inauguration of the mosque, which would be marked by a joyous celebration of accomplishment. On top of that, Mouride Brotherhoods group’s leader Mountakha Mbacke had invited a good number of religious, political, and religious leaders. They will all mark the success of a project that started a decade ago, which, despite challenges along the way, has been completed successfully.
