Jameel Syed, a Auburn Hills father of two, is believed to be the first man to recite the prayer in all 50 US states. Syed's 35-day trip across America was a planned journey in which he interacted with Muslims of different ethnicities and races, in addition to individuals of other faiths, in order to "promote peace, not push faith".
Taken from the Detroit Free Press article:
From a beach in Hawaii to a mosque in Alaska to Disneyland in California, Jameel Syed of Auburn Hills recited the Muslim call to prayer in 50 states over the past month.
Such a trip took months of planning since the call to prayer, and the prayers themselves, have to start at a specific time which means making sure to reach each mosque in every state on time.
Syed's journey came at a time when Islam was once again in the spotlight. The Boston Marathon bomber verdict happened near the beginning of the trip, and the shooting in Garland, Texas, outside an anti-Islam cartoon event that drew negative pictures of Islam's prophet, Mohammed, happened near the end. But the 40 year old marketing executive said he had positive experiences and now hopes to write a book and produce a documentary about his journey. Of faith and religion in general Syed says, "I don't like throwing religion in people's faces. I was in awe of the generosity and hospitality and love from people I never knew before."
The month long trek finished Friday at the Islamic Association of Greater Detroit in the suburb of Rochester Hills as that is where Syed regularly delivers the call to prayer as the muezzin.
