Sajeda Ahmad

December 1, 2018
Work of Faith

As every day goes by, little people really pay attention to the small things that

actually have a big impact on society/societies. One of those small things are social

institutions, they have a huge impact and most likely everyone visits at least one social

institution daily. As I have been researching different businesses and institutions, I have

decided to focus my project on the social institution of religion. Religion is “a system of

beliefs, values, and practices concerning what a person holds to be sacred or spiritually

significant” (OpenStax, 2017, p. 346). I chose this social institution because, throughout

my life, I have been told by my parents that religion is the most important thing that I

should focus on. Religion for me is a big part of my life and has influenced the way I

have grown up. I have been growing up living my life following the rituals of Islam, and

I could not have been happier living my life any other way.

In a busy city like Chicago, there are numerous well-known businesses and

organizations, one that it is not spoken of much or heard about is the Islamic Community

Center of Illinois Academy or also known as the ICCI Academy. The ICCI Academy was

established in 2003 and is located on the Northwest side of Chicago. This non-profit

organization represents the social institution of religion in the Chicago community. It

holds very small classes with a student to faculty ratio of eight to one. I chose this

organization because when I was five years old up until twelve years old, I was a part of
this community and the teachings here helped me shape into the better Muslim I am

today. My younger siblings are still a part of this academy and I see the way they learn

new things every day that neither of my parents would have been able to teach them. This

business has been a very significant part of my life as it has helped me develop and grow

into the religion I am practicing.

This organization has a vision for individuals who are a part of the Chicago

community. “It is to establish a solid foundation that will enhance the children’s

development in language arts, Mathematics, Science, technology, Arabic and Islamic

Studies. Educators, parents and community members have a vital role in enhancing the

students of the ICCI Academy” (ICCI Academy, 2017). Since the beginning of this

organizations establishment in 2003, there has been a goal to teach younger generations

the followings of Islam. While studying the religion, students also have regular standards

and education as any other private or public school.

The ICCI Academy has done so much to improve its educational and religious

system for students as the years have gone by. “ICCI Academy’s educational program is

comprehensive and aims to educate the whole child. It is geared toward academic

excellence, the teaching of Islamic values and leading an Islamic way of life. Our

students strive for educational excellence through a balance of academic, character

development, physical education, Arabic, Islamic Studies, Quran, organizational skills

and technology that lead to independent, well-rounded future leaders and life-long
learners. Students are guided throughout the program to think critically and cultivate

self-reliance. ICCI Academy is committed to providing our students with a quality

education in an Islamic environment. The school is dedicated to maintaining a high

academic standard and giving the community well-learned youth with good Muslim

character” (ICCI Academy, 2017). Being a former student at the ICCI Academy, I have

seen the improvement that has gone throughout the years as they go by. There is more

awareness to the organization because of how successful it is the more that students learn

about their Islamic religion in school. It is also encouraging more parents to have their

children learning about their religion while some parents can not teach their children

everything. The ICCI Academy has been very successful in accomplishing the goals they

have set for the needs and wants of the people of the community.

The ICCI Academy has impacted many families and neighboring communities in

the city of Chicago. As the religion of Islam is progressing throughout cultural awareness

over the years, this organization has helped spread awareness. Teachers at this school

teach their students Sunnah which is the followings of the prophets we worship, mainly

Prophet Mohammad as he was the most recent prophet of our time. One thing that is most

important that is taught at ICCI Academy, is our god, also known as Allah in Islam. We

follow monotheism and believe there is no other god besides Allah. This is extremely

pushed in our religion, especially since most children grow up in the United States with

the exposure to other religions from friends, politics, or from what is taught in some
classrooms. There are many religious beliefs relating to Islam that are taught at the ICCI

Academy organization to the students, most of which are supposed to teach young

children at a young age that by following the religion, it is guiding one to the righteous

way of life.

The academy also includes a mosque that provides a great experience for teachers

to teach their students the steps of praying, and how to do it correctly. This adds to the

religious experience that is offered to children at the ICCI Academy. Through the

teachings of the religious rituals by teachers, like the prayers, are showing students what

is required and expected of the religion of Islam and how they, as young Muslim children

are supposed to be following Sunna, which is “the traditional portion of Muslim law,

based on the words and acts of Muhammad, and preserved in the traditional literature”

(Collins English Dictionary, 2018) as they grow up in life. One thing that is appreciated

at the ICCI Academy is the diversity in faculty and students. Diversity in the share of our

ethnicity is an extremely important role in our religion and it has been seen throughout

the organization. Teachers have been prepared to set up students with success through the

regular and religious education they receive throughout every school year.

Religion can stand as multiple theories, but as in consideration to the ICCI

Academy, the theoretical perspective that stands for religion is the functionalist theory.

Based on the functionalist perspective, religion serves as multiple functions. Society and

the people of society depend on religion for existence, value, and significance, and vice
versa. Religion is to serve multiple purposes to people, for example, “providing answers

to spiritual mysteries, offering emotional comfort, and creating a place for social

interaction and social control” (Cloudfront.net, 2018, p.336). Religious rituals serve as a

roll of offering comfort, and through religious practices such as the joining and formation

of social interactions, they augment the social norms of lifestyles. This perspective shows

that the formation of religion is supported by the sharing of beliefs and actions which

lead to similar and familiar behaviors. The functionalist perspective bases religion on the

central concept of people themselves, people base their whole life and actions on religion.

Based on this information given, individuals usually have a better function and part in

society as they develop the rituals and practices of the religion one is believed in.

What the functionalist theory determines the organization of the ICCI Academy is

that it shows the improvement and awareness of religious practices and rituals. By

immersing the students of the organization into the current methodologies of Islam, it

shapes their lives and their interactions and behaviors. Students practice their prayers,

recitations of the Holy Quran, and following the Sunna of Islam and their beloved

prophet Muhammad. All of these are mandatory rituals and practices in the religion of

Islam that are stressed in order to help shape a better lifestyle for Muslims as they grow

up, which is exactly what the ICCI Academy is trying to establish for the future of the

students that are enrolled in the school, and also hopefully spread awareness around the

community. The ICCI Academy will also focus on fundraising for the mosque it owns,
and also giving charity for the poor, which also opens the eyes of young children helping

them see the good that they can achieve just by following the steps of the religion and

taking them into action. The organization of the ICCI Academy is a perfect example of a

social institution that takes on the functionalist perspective of religion.

All things considered, the social institution of religion is an important aspect of the

daily lives of human beings, and through a non-profit organization such as the Islamic

Community Center of Illinois Academy, religion is spread to the awareness of society. As

I have been researching for this project and about the organization, I realized that I

learned more about how individuals function in a society just based on religion itself. It

never came to my mind on how much of an impact religion has on one’s daily decisions

and actions. Starting off from the beginning of one’s first breath into this world, religion

has been a part of every single individual, and throughout our futures, we grow up with

religion, some of us just decide to enforce more than others, which leads to the way that

most of us function, for example, the social norms of people such as suitable apparel or

wardrobe, following the law, and controlling sexual behavior. Religion has seemed to be

one of the most important social institutions that affect the daily life of individuals. In the

end, I have learned how good of a job the ICCI Academy sets religion into the

communities and societies of Chicago, by strengthening and supporting the religion of

Islam is the most important thing this organization does. Many in the community are very

thankful for what the organization has to offer, as it has helped many of us, including me.
 Reference List

​ etrieved from
Cloudfront.net (2018). ​Introduction to Sociology 2e. R

https://d3bxy9euw4e147.cloudfront.netoscms-prodcms/media/documents/IntroductionTo

Sociology2e-OP_oAii5Yb.pdf.

Collins English Dictionary (2018). ​Sunna definition and meaning. ​Retrieved from

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/sunna.

​ etrieved from
ICCI Academy. (2017). ​Islamic Community Center of Illinois. R

http://iccicenter.org/ schools/icci-academy/.

OpenStax. (2017).​ Introduction to Sociology 2e.​ Retrieved from

https://openstax.org/details/books/introduction-sociology-2e.