Faith on Campus: How Students Navigate Religious Spaces at Princeton

On Monday, April 8th, Laiba Ali ’26 trekked toward Murray-Dodge Hall to partake in the Maghrib salah, the fourth of the five daily Islamic prayers, which is to be completed at sunset. When she arrived at the third floor of Murray-Dodge, where Princeton's official Muslim prayer room is located, Ali found several Muslim peers already performing the sunset prayer just outside their designated space.

The prayer room was already at full capacity, but Ali was not surprised.

As an officer of the Muslim Student Association (MSA), Ali said she witnesses overcrowding of the Muslim prayer room daily. "I don’t remember the last time I prayed Maghrib salah in a congregation and we didn’t expand outside the prayer room,” she said. She explained that the group will often hold a second jama’ah, or congregational prayer, outside the prayer room due to a lack of capacity.

MSA is not the only student religious organization that faces space constraints for its members. Co-President of Princeton Hindu Satsangam (PHS), Sharv Dave ’25 described occasional hardships in accessing the group's established prayer area within the Interfaith Prayer Room, located on the third floor of Murray-Dodge Hall near the Muslim prayer space.

"Since we share the space with other religions...the timings don't always work out. So, for instance, if the Buddhist students are using the room, then we have to either wait or go at another time," Dave noted.

As Princeton endeavors to uphold its "commitment to welcome, support, and engage students, faculty, and staff with a broad range of backgrounds and experiences," it faces the practical challenges of aligning its physical spaces with the needs of its religious communities. According to a survey conducted in Spring 2023 by the Office of Religious Life, more than 24 different faiths and belief systems are practiced among the first-year undergraduate population.

Currently, the University provides four official religious affinity spaces: the Center for Jewish Life, the Interfaith and Muslim meditation areas in Murray-Dodge Hall, and the University Chapel. Students who do not adhere to Jewish, Muslim, or Christian traditions are expected to practice their faiths within the Interfaith Prayer Area.

A bar graph representing this distribution of faith.

A picture of the Center for Jewish Life.

A picture of Murray-Dodge Hall.

A picture of the Princeton University Chapel.

To provide a clearer picture of how Princeton's current religious affinity spaces serve its diverse student body, an in-depth investigation of these facilities was conducted. The examination revealed that, overall, each designated space is well-equipped with various items conducive to spiritual and religious practices. For instance, the Muslim Prayer Room possesses Qur’ans and prayer mats; the Interfaith Meditation Room houses shrines; and the University Chapel contains Bibles and Hymnals.

However, the investigation also highlighted limitations, such as the availability of Bibles in only one language, which could limit accessibility for Christian students with diverse linguistic backgrounds or denominational affiliations.

Furthermore, the dimensions of the Muslim prayer room are 9'7 by 14'2. "We have significantly outgrown the space. I think we have up to 400 Muslims and the prayer room holds 15 people at a time,” Ali explained. Though slightly larger in size at 14’9 by 13’, the Interfaith Prayer Room faces accessibility challenges for individuals with physical disabilities. "That space is not accessible. You have to either go up or down a couple of steps of stairs in order to access that place," Ali added.

Additional challenges related to Princeton's religious affinity spaces extend beyond the scope of that investigation and previously cited experiences. Vice President of Natives at Princeton (NAP) Ixtle Montuffar ’27 recounted several experiences in which sacred artifacts within the Interfaith Prayer Room were tampered with.

"Some things happened where our belongings [in reference to the side table dedicated to Indigenous student practices], as well as other shrines or other religious areas, were messed with in a way. Things would be moved, or they would be covered up," Montuffar said.

Dave shares this concern. "Sometimes each of our things are placed in different places," he noted.

This issue was persistent, compelling Montuffar to eventually stop using the prayer space. "[Disturbances] would happen... maybe once a week for three weeks in a row. And that’s when I stopped going...I honestly have not gone back since those repeated events of someone messing with that space and all the religions there," added Montuffar.

Montuffar’s personal decision also raises additional complexities, particularly regarding the space's suitability for Indigenous students. Montuffar’s and other Native students’ belief systems involve the use of incense, a practice regulated solely within the Interfaith Meditation Room. However, many Indigenous students, including Montuffar, assert the freedom to engage in prayer rituals in any space of their choosing. This limitation, in turn, impedes some students’ ability to practice.

Furthermore, the regulations surrounding flammable materials that are posted outside the Interfaith Meditation Room have prompted scrutiny from some students. Dave, representing a tradition that incorporates flammable substances like incense and camphor—an aromatic solid—into its practices, expressed apprehension regarding potential fire hazards. "We can't always do stuff that we want to do religiously because we’re afraid of setting the fire alarm off," explained Dave.

Additionally, Dave shared that the Interfaith Prayer Room is sometimes used for non-religious matters. "I think another big challenge that we often face is that since it is basically an empty room, it's often used as a study spot, which I know [is an issue] that a lot of the chaplains have been talking about how to combat," said Dave.

Timing also presents a distinct set of hurdles for Muslim students. Murray-Dodge Hall typically closes daily at midnight, preventing many Muslim students from performing specific prayers in congregation, such as Fajr, the first of the five Islamic prayers, which is to be completed at sunrise.

Arika Hassan ’26, a member of MSA, noted that because of these hours, there are other prayers that occur “really late into the night,” like the Tahajjud (nightly recitation of the Qur'an), for which students cannot use the building. These prayers typically take place around 2:00 or 3:00 AM.

In addition to challenging closure times, some find Murray-Dodge Hall’s location inconvenient. "All of my classes are by the E-Quad and Friend Center. So, that's a very far walk to make, to go pray and then come back for my classes,” noted Ali. “For people that live much further away, like down campus, it's even harder for them to have access to it," she continued.

Hassan echoed the same barrier. "I feel that might discourage some people from coming up if they're not already in the area," she said.

Considering these diverse challenges – from spatial constraints to scheduling conflicts and the limitations of current facilities in meeting students' needs – there is a need for more accommodating spaces for religious affinity groups at Princeton. "Our numbers are very much reaching that level and we need... more than just one tiny prayer room. We need a floor of a building where we can all fit," said Ali.

Hassan proposed that "[Princeton can] work more with building managers or different buildings on campus to get small prayer spaces in case someone's all the way in PNI, the Neuroscience building.” She added, “A lot of people tend to grab a prayer mat, hide under a staircase, and pray. So, I think setting up small spots like that and making sure it's clean [would be beneficial].”

There are many spaces across campus that could serve as supplemental prayer and meditation areas. Most academic buildings are equipped with an abundance of seminar rooms, conference rooms, and classrooms. Additionally, several buildings house miscellaneous spaces such as quiet rooms, multipurpose rooms, and large storage areas. The possibility of converting any one of these existing spaces could offer a practical solution to the current shortage.

Understanding and addressing the needs of Princeton's religious communities requires thoughtful consideration of each community's needs. The parameters utilized in this assessment were as follows:

Building Metrics

Number of Potential Affinity Spaces: This metric helps in identifying how many spaces within a building can be designated for religious practices; it ensures that there are sufficient options available to accommodate the diverse needs of the student body without causing congestion or scheduling conflicts.
Maximum Capacity of the Biggest Potential Affinity Space Within Each Building: Knowing the capacity of the largest space available is crucial for organizing larger gatherings and events.
Number of Fulfilled Categories: This figure represents how many of the essential accessibility and suitability features each building meets. A higher score indicates a building is more accommodating and accessible, reflecting a proactive approach to inclusivity in campus facilities.

Potential Affinity Space Metrics

Wheelchair Accessible Doors: Doors with a minimum width of 25 inches are necessary to ensure that buildings are accessible to everyone, including individuals who use wheelchairs or other mobility aids.
Ramps/Elevators: The availability of ramps and elevators is crucial for providing physical access to all student levels, particularly for those with mobility impairments.
Automated Building Entrance Doors: Automated doors at building entrances reduce barriers for individuals with disabilities, making it easier for them to access spaces independently.
Automated Doors to Affinity Spaces: Similarly, automated doors leading to each affinity space ensure that access is seamless and dignified for everyone, including those who might find manual doors a challenge.
Braille Signage: Incorporating Braille signage is essential for visually impaired students, providing them with the necessary information to navigate spaces safely.
Space Size for Group Gatherings: Ensuring that affinity spaces are large enough to host group gatherings is important for communal religious activities.
Adjustable Lighting: Adjustable lighting in these spaces can accommodate various religious practices and personal preferences, enhancing the spiritual and aesthetic experience.
Openable Windows for Incense and Candles: Many religious practices involve the burning of incense or candles. Openable windows provide necessary ventilation, making these practices safer and more comfortable.
Exterior Windows: Natural light can enhance the ambiance of a space and provide a comforting, uplifting environment for prayer and meditation.
Nearby Water Source: Access to water sources, such as bathrooms, is essential for practices involving ablutions and other purification rituals, which are integral to many religions .

These metrics have been compiled into an interactive map. Specific categories of interest can be filtered using the navigation bar.

This comprehensive examination of Princeton’s facilities reveals a significant potential to accommodate various religious affinity groups. The data, drawn from an extensive survey of campus buildings, indicates that there are over 300 rooms that could be designated as religious affinity spaces. These rooms not only meet basic accessibility requirements—such as door widths suitable for wheelchairs and the presence of ramps or elevators—but also feature amenities conducive to religious observances, like adjustable lighting, exterior windows, and nearby water sources for ablutions.

As Montuffar noted, "Maybe moving forward…there will be [other] designated religious spaces…that will help ease this tension of all these groups just coming in one area.”

Faith on Campus:

How Students Navigate

Religious Spaces

at Princeton

By: Anha Khan

Legend