Muslim Community Spaces in Chicago: Histories, Practices, and Futures
This short winter series fosters public conversations about Muslim community spaces in Chicago. These talks address the formation, history, and ongoing work of institutions that serve local Muslim communities, particularly those historically underserved.
Muslim Community Spaces in Chicago: Histories, Practices, and Futures
A Community Talk Series hosted by Seldon Institute
Designed to be responsive and dialogical, the series creates space for open discussion about how these institutions emerge, whom they serve, and the often-overlooked circumstances of their establishment. The sessions will highlight both long-established centers and newer spaces currently taking shape, with attention to their evolving roles in local religious life and community care.
Session Two: Sacred Roots with Shaykh Trent Carl
Founded in 2020, Sacred Roots is a relatively young presence in Chicago’s Muslim landscape, yet it has quickly emerged as a vibrant site of worship and spiritual formation. Rooted in the Shiʿi Jaʿfari tradition while serving a multi-madhhab community, its Pilsen center has become a gathering place for Muslims and seekers drawn to an engagement with the Islamic tradition that is both rigorous and hospitable.
Sustained by a committed network of volunteers, Sacred Roots cultivates devotion to the teachings and practices of the Prophet Muḥammadﷺ and his Household, within a community that is ethnically, culturally, generationally, and confessionally diverse. In addition to regular Friday prayers and major Ramadan and Muharram programs, the community hosts initiatives such as the Convergence Convert Gathering, book collectives, theological and moral psychology series, and neighborhood-oriented service efforts.
Sacred Roots is led by Shaykh Trenton Carl, a graduate of the Ahl al-Bayt Islamic Seminary and former DePaul University graduate student, who will reflect on the community’s origins, its guiding commitments, and its promising future in Chicago.
Sunday, February 15th, 4:00PM-6:30PM (Dinner included)
RSVP required | **Doors open at 3:30PM and will close promptly at 4:00PM when the program begins.