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Baitul Ilm Academy | The Most Beautiful Places in Chicago with Geoffrey Baer

Baitul Ilm Academy
Baitul Ilm Academy
Baitul Ilm Academy
Baitul Ilm Academy
Detailed tilework and calligraphy adorn Baitul Ilm Academy in Streamwood, Illinois. Credit: Vajir Musabji / Baitul Ilm Academy

Baitul Ilm Academy

Baitul Ilm Academy is located in west suburban Streamwood, Illinois. With its lustrous dome and detailed tilework, the building opened in 2011 and serves Shia Muslim families. According to its website, the community includes immigrant families from Southeast Asia, the Middle East, East Africa, as well as American Muslims. Its sprawling 40,000 square feet are home to a mosque, library, banquet hall, and classrooms. Jawad Hussein, chairman of the mosque’s board, said the mosque was designed to create a “beautiful and spiritual” atmosphere for the community. An Islamic narration that says God’s name means “beautiful” and that God loves beauty inspired the design of Baitul Ilm Academy. The interior is embellished with Quranic verses, geometric patterns, and elaborate calligraphy. The mihrab – the prayer niche which indicates the direction of Mecca – has calligraphy that reads, “God is the light of the heavens and the Earth.”