(RNS) — On the first night of Ramadan, worshippers stood shoulder to shoulder on rows of blue prayer rugs beneath the glow of string lights in a former elementary school gym in Lubbock, Texas.
Just weeks earlier, the building had been abandoned and in disrepair.
Mohamad Altabaa, a third-year medical student at Texas Tech University, and his physician friend bought the former Arnett Elementary School in January with an ambitious goal: open a mosque and community hub in 45 days, just in time for Ramadan.
“It was in horrible condition,” he said, noting the building had been unused since a church sold it in 2024. “But I just had a feeling like we need to purchase it and turn it into a community center, to do good in the community.”
After purchasing the building, Altabaa took to Instagram to share the renovation process through a nine-part witty video series featuring volunteers and crews hauling debris, opening an underground water main and tackling a steady stream of odd jobs.
“I just bought an elementary school, and that’s kind of crazy,” Altabaa said at the start of each video, all of which have since gone viral, with more than 1 million views and 100,000 likes on one video alone.
@mohamadaltabaaI just bought an elementary school♬ original sound – Mohamad Altabaa
What followed was a burst of grassroots support that grew beyond the West Texas city.
Young professionals from across the state and country came over several weekends to clean, paint walls, cut grass and prepare the center. Hundreds more donated to the renovation costs.
And on Feb. 14, less than two months after Altabaa and his friend purch …