List of mosques in the United States
This is a list of notable mosques in the United States.
History of mosques in the United States
A mosque, also called masjid in Arabic, is defined as any place that Muslims pray facing Mecca, not necessarily a building. By that meaning, there were mosques in the United States by 1731 or earlier. Job ben Solomon (1701–1773), an African-American Muslim kidnapped into slavery, was documented by his slave narrative memoir to have prayed in the forest of Kent Island, Maryland, where he was brought during 1731–33.[1]
Some sources assert that what is likely the first American mosque building was a mosque in Biddeford, Maine that was founded in 1915 by Albanian Muslims. A Muslim cemetery still existed there in 1996.[2][3]
However, the first purpose-built mosque building was most likely the Highland Park Mosque in Detroit, Michigan, opened in 1921. The mosque was located near the famous Highland Park Ford Plant, which employed "hundreds of Arab American men". This mosque, which included Sunni, Shia and Ahmadi Muslims, was funded by Muhammad Karoub, a real estate developer.[1][4]
The oldest still-standing mosque in the U.S. is the Al-Sadiq Mosque, built in 1922 in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago. However, the first "purpose-built" mosque, the Mother Mosque of America, was built in 1934 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.[5]
In 1994, the Islamic Center of Yuba City, in California, was destroyed by fire set in a hate-crime, the first mosque destroyed by a hate crime in U.S. history. It had just been completed at the cost of $1.8 million plus sweat equity of the Muslims of its rural community, including descendants of Pakistani who immigrated to the area c. 1902. Its story, including its rebuilding, is told in David Washburn's 2012 documentary An American Mosque.[6]
It has been estimated that there were somewhat more than 100 mosques in the U.S. in 1970, but immigration of more than a million Muslims since then led to hundreds more being built.[1] By 2000, there were 1,209 U.S. mosques, which rose to 2,106 in 2010, an increase of 74%.[7]
A 2011 study, The American Mosque 2011, sponsored by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies, as well as the nation's largest Islamic civic and religious groups, including the Islamic Society of North America and the Council on American-Islamic Relations, found that the U.S. states with the most mosques were New York with 257, California with 246, and Texas with 166.[7]
Through 2014, a building boom for mosques has been going on.[8]
Notable individual mosques
- Group
SH | Shia Islam | |
S | Sunni Islam | |
U | Unknown group (or undetermined) |
Name | Photo | Location | State | Year | Group | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Islamic Community Center of Anchorage Alaska | ![]() |
Anchorage | Alaska | 2010 | Broke ground October 2010 in construction of Alaska's first masjid, school, and center.[9] | |
Mosque Tucson | Tucson | Arizona | ? | AMJ | Also known as the 'Yousaf Mosque' | |
Islamic Center of Tucson | ![]() |
Tucson | Arizona | 1991 | U | |
Islamic Community Center of Phoenix | Phoenix | Arizona | 1982 | |||
Baitul Hameed | ![]() |
Chino | California | 1989 | AMJ | The Baitul Hameed Mosque (English: House of the Praiseworthy) is the largest Ahmadiyya Muslim mosque in the Western part of the United States with an area of 19,000 square feet (1,800 m2). |
King Fahad Mosque | ![]() |
Culver City | California | 1998 | ||
Islamic Center of Orange County | ![]() |
Garden Grove | California | 1976 | Asserted to be one of the largest Muslim centers in the Western Hemisphere, with almost 7,000 worshipers. | |
Islamic Center of Irvine | ![]() |
Irvine | California | 2004 | ||
Islamic Center of Southern California | ![]() |
Los Angeles | California | 1952 | Very large. | |
Sacramento Islamic Mosque | Sacramento | California | Asserted to be the oldest mosque in the United States west of the Mississippi River. | |||
Masjid Annur Islamic Center | Sacramento | California | ||||
Masjid Ar-Ribat al-Islami | San Diego | California | A Sunni mosque. | |||
Islamic Center of Yuba City | Yuba City | California | Completed in 1994 at cost of $1.8 million and thousands of hours of sweat equity, including community members descended from Pakistani who immigrated to the area in c. 1902. It was then burnt by arson, in the first hate-crime destroying a mosque in the United States. The case received little attention at the time, but is subject of 2015 documentary An American Mosque produced by David Washburn.[6] | |||
Islamic Center of Greater Hartford | Hartford and Berlin | Connecticut | Its president, Dr. M. Reza Mansoor is a Hartford Hospital cardiologist and "a long-time Trustee of the Hartford Seminary, the country's oldest center for the study of Islam and Christian-Muslim relations".[10][11] Berlin, CT, new mosque is also part of IAGH.[12] Mansoor was also founding president of the Muslim Coalition of Connecticut.[13][14][15] | |||
Masjid An-Noor, Bridgeport, a.k.a. Bridgeport Islamic Society-Masjid An-Noor | Bridgeport | Connecticut | Its building purchased in 1991 was formerly a bank.[16]
As the largest mosque in Bridgeport area, it was subject of questions in 2010 regarding any possible association of Faisal Shahzad, the May 1, 2010 Times Square bomber who lived in Bridgeport). Demonstrators from as far away as Texas confronted the mosque in protests in August 2010.[17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] | |||
Bridgeport Islamic Community Center | Bridgeport | Connecticut | ||||
Islamic Center of Connecticut | Windsor | Connecticut | ||||
Assalam Center | ![]() |
Boca Raton | Florida | |||
Atlanta Masjid of Al-Islam | Atlanta | Georgia | Established when Elijah Muhammad purchased a property on Bankhead Hwy, moved later. | |||
Al-Farooq Masjid Mosque | ![]() |
Atlanta | Georgia | |||
Islamic Community Center of Augusta | ![]() |
Augusta | Georgia | 2012 | U | |
Masjid Al-Quba | Buford | Georgia | 2010 | S | Established first Masjid in vicinity of Mall of Georgia area | |
Honolulu Mosque | Honolulu, Oahu | Hawaii | Muslim Association of Hawaii | |||
Mosque Foundation | ![]() |
Bridgeview | Illinois | 1980 | Mosque Foundation webpage | |
Mosque Maryam Muslim Temple No. 2 |
![]() |
Chicago | Illinois | 1972 | NoI | Originally a Greek Orthodox church, purchased in 1972 by the Nation of Islam. Headquarters of the Nation of Islam and of Louis Farrakhan. |
Baitul Jamay | ![]() |
Chicago | Illinois | |||
Al-Sadiq Mosque | ![]() |
Bronzeville neighborhood, Chicago | Illinois | 1922 | Asserted to be the oldest standing mosque in the U.S. | |
Islamic Foundation | ![]() |
Villa Park | Illinois | 1974 | Islamic Foundation webpage | |
Islamic Foundation North | ![]() |
Waukegan | Illinois | 2004 | IFNoOnline website | |
Masjid DarusSalam | Lombard | Illinois | 2013 | DarusSalam Foundation webpage | ||
Muslim Community Center | Chicago | Illinois | 1969 | MCCChicago webpage | ||
Muslim Association of Greater Rockford | ![]() |
Rockford | Illinois | 1984 | MAGR website | |
Masjid Noor ul-Islam, Burmese Muslim Education and Community Center | ![]() |
Fort Wayne | Indiana | 2015 | The first Masjid built by the Burmese Muslim community outside their nation.[25] BMECC website | |
Mother Mosque of America | Cedar Rapids | Iowa | 1934 | U | ||
Darul Arqum Islamic Centre | Ames | Iowa | – | U | Darul Arqum Islamic Centre website | |
Masjid Omar Bin Khattab | ![]() |
Harvey | Louisiana | |||
Baitur Rahman | ![]() |
Silver Spring | Maryland | 1994 | AMJ | |
Baitus Samad | ![]() |
Baltimore | Maryland | 2017 | AMJ | |
Diyanet Center of America | Lanham | Maryland | Mosque complex built with support of Turkish government. | |||
Imam Mahdi Islamic Education Center of Baltimore | Parkville | Maryland | 2003 | |||
Islamic Society of Western Maryland | Hagerstown | Maryland | 1994 | |||
Islamic Society of Baltimore | Catonsville | Maryland | 1969 | Visited by former US president Barack Obama in 2016. | ||
Allston Congregational Church | ![]() |
Boston | Massachusetts | A mosque meets in former Congregational church. | ||
Islamic Center of Boston (ICB Wayland) | Wayland | Massachusetts | 1979 | |||
Islamic Society of Boston | ![]() |
Cambridge | Massachusetts | |||
Islamic Society of Greater Lowell | Chelmsford | Massachusetts | ||||
Quincy Mosque | Quincy | Massachusetts | 1963 | |||
Sharon Mosque | Sharon | Massachusetts | Was established by Lebanese American immigrants. | |||
Worcester Mosque | Worcester | Massachusetts | 2005 | |||
Islamic Center of America | ![]() |
Dearborn | Michigan | 2005 | U | |
Dearborn Mosque | Dearborn | Michigan | 1937 | U | ||
Muslim Temple No. 1 | Detroit | Michigan | 1931 | NoI | First mosque of the Nation of Islam. | |
Al-Islah Mosque | Hamtramck | Michigan | 2000 | Following the Sunni tradition. It was founded by immigrants from Bangladesh. | ||
Islamic Center and Mosque of Grand Rapids | Grand Rapids | Michigan | 1986 | |||
Islamic Center of Mississippi-Starkville | Starkville | Mississippi | ||||
Daar-Ul-Islam | Ballwin | Missouri | One of two mosques of the Islamic Foundation of Greater St. Louis | |||
Islamic Center of Central Missouri | ![]() |
Columbia | Missouri | 1983 | First ever Islamic Center in Missouri. | |
St. Louis Islamic Center | St. Louis | Missouri | 2010 | a Bosnian mosque | ||
Masjid As-Sabur (As-Sabur Mosque) | Las Vegas | Nevada | ||||
Islamic Association of Long Island | Selden | New York | 1974 | Also known as the Selden Masjid | ||
Islamic Society of Central New York | ![]() |
Syracuse | New York | 1981 | Sunni mosque and community center | |
Masjid Al-Mamoor | Jamaica | New York | Also known as the Jamaica Muslim Center, includes a Mosque, a school, a place for religious gathering, and eating facilities, and is one of the largest multi-purpose Muslim establishments in the U.S. Located in a Bangladeshi-American neighborhood. | |||
Masjid Hamza | Valley Stream | New York | ||||
Mid-Hudson Islamic Association | Wappingers Falls | New York | Also known as Masjid Al-Noor (Arabicمسجد النور) | |||
Mosque No. 7 | ![]() |
New York City | New York | Where Malcolm X preached in a storefront until he split from Elijah Muhammad and left the Nation of Islam in 1964. Destroyed in a bombing in 1965, after Malcolm X's assassination. Rebuilt later as a proper mosque and known as Malcolm Shabazz Mosque or Masjid Malcolm Shabazz. | ||
Mosque of Islamic Brotherhood | New York City | New York | Successor to the Sunni Muslim mosque that was named Muslim Mosque, Inc., which was started by Malcolm X after Malcolm X split from Elijah Muhammad in 1964 | |||
Hazrati Abu Bakr Siddique | New York City | New York | ||||
Masjid al-Ikhlas | ![]() |
Newburgh | New York | 1992 | ||
Islamic Cultural Center of New York | New York City | New York | 1991 | Also known as "96th Street Mosque" | ||
Park51 | New York City | New York | 2011 (temporary facility) | Proposed mosque, also known as the "Ground Zero mosque", a plan that became subject of controversy in 2010. Currently a museum, not a mosque, is planned. But in September 2011, a temporary 4,000-square-foot (370 m2) Islamic center opened in renovated space at the site.[26] | ||
Beit El-Maqdis Islamic Center | New York City | New York | ||||
Noor Islamic Cultural Center | ![]() |
Columbus | Ohio | 2006 | U | |
Islamic Society of Greater Dayton | Josie Street, Dayton | Ohio | Sunni | |||
Islamic Society of Greater Toledo | ![]() |
Toledo | Ohio | |||
Islamic Association of Cincinnati | Cincinnati | Ohio | 1970 | Community members donated their funds and skills to design and build a new facility... The new mosque officially opened in 2003 | ||
Portland Rizwan Mosque | Portland | Oregon | ? | AMJ | [27]
Posted: 07/19/2010 9:03 pm EDT | |
Islamic Center of Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh | Pennsylvania | 1989 | Largest mosque in Pittsburgh, with 600–750 attendees at Friday prayers[28] | ||
Mosque of Shaikh M. R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen | Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | 1984 | |||
Masjid Al-Islam | ![]() |
North Smithfield | Rhode Island | |||
Islamic Center of Murfreesboro | Murfreesboro | Tennessee | 2012 | |||
East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC Masjid) | ![]() |
Plano | Texas | |||
Islamic Association of North Texas | ![]() |
840 Abrams Rd, Richardson, Texas | Texas | |||
Islamic Center of Greater Austin | Austin | Texas | 1977 | |||
Islamic Center of Irving | ![]() |
Irving | Texas | 1991 | ||
Baitus Samee Mosque (Houston) | ![]() |
Houston | Texas | 2002 | AMJ | Visited by Mirza Masroor Ahmad in 2018.[29] |
Al-Noor | Houston | |||||
Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center (Arabic: مركز دار الهجرة الاسلامي, English: Land of Migration) | Seven Corners area of unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia | Virginia | ||||
Islamic Center of Washington | ![]() |
Washington, D.C. | 1957 | U | ||
Fazl Mosque, also called the American Fazl Mosque | Washington, D.C. | Washington, D.C. | 1950 | Established by the Ahmadis in 1950. Served as the American headquarters of the Ahmaddiya movement in the United States until 1994 | ||
Islamic Society of Northern Wisconsin | ![]() |
Altoona | Wisconsin | |||
Toledo Masjid of Al-Islam |
![]() |
Toledo | Ohio | 1953 | Building built by the Syrian Lebanese immigrants in 1953. First Masjid (Mosque) built from the ground up in the State of Ohio and City of Toledo. Formerly the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo. Purchased in 2010 by Toledo Masjid of Al-Islam under the leadership of Imam Ibrahim S. Abdul-Rahim. Masjid Al-Islam is the name of many Masajid established by followers of Imam W.D. Mohammed of the Mosque Cares Ministry. Once called The American Muslim Mission. | |
Masjid Al-Jamia of Philadelphia | ![]() |
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | 1988 | S | Founded in 1988, originally by Muslim students from the University of Pennsylvania; now independent; located in the building of the former Commodore Theatre, a cinema built in the Moorish (Spanish colonial) architectural style in 1928 |
See also
- Islam in the United States
- Lists of mosques (worldwide)
- List of mosques in Canada
- List of mosques in Brazil
- List of mosques in Mexico
- List of mosques in the Americas (Latin & South America)
- List of the oldest mosques in the world
- Religious buildings and structures in the United States
References
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- ^ a b c Edward E. Curtis IV (August 29, 2010). "Five myths about mosques in America". Washington Post.
- ^ Queen, Edward L.; Stephen Prothero; Gardiner H. Shattuck Jr. (1996). The Encyclopedia of American Religious History. New York: Facts on File.
- ^ Ghazali, Abdul Sattar (August 4, 2001). "The Mosques in America: A National Portrait by CAIR: The number of mosque attendants increasing rapidly in America". American Muslim Perspective. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007.
- ^ The mosque was sold to the city of Highland Park in 1926, who then sold it to a fraternal organization."Highland Park Muslim Mosque". detroit1701.org. Archived from the original on 2019-03-16. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
- ^ "8 Oldest Mosques in the United States". oldest.org.
- ^ a b "An American Mosque".
- ^ a b "Islamic places of worship in U.S. up 74% since 2000 – USATODAY.com". Usatoday30.usatoday.com. 2012-02-29. Retrieved 2014-08-03.
- ^ Tamara Audi (August 14, 2014). "A New Mosque Rises—in Alaska: Construction Is Part of a Building Boom Nationwide as Muslim Population Rises". Wall Street Journal. (see intro)
- ^ Masjid Building Flyer Archived 2015-02-01 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ this recent Fairfield Daily Voice article re speaker event
- ^ Fairfield Citizen article
- ^ Search hits in Fairfield Citizen
- ^ Hartford Courant article on panel event including Mansoor
- ^ WTNH article quoting Mansoor in July 2015.
- ^ February 2015 Hartford Courant article citing Mansoor
- ^ Salatomatic.com listing
- ^ dnainfo Archived 2017-09-06 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ NY Post
- ^ this Fairfield Citizen article
- ^ CT Post article
- ^ Aug 12 CT Post
- ^ "Texas Demonstrators Plan to Gather at Mosques Through Ramadan" NBC CT article
- ^ Pamela Geller anti-islamic site article
- ^ New Haven Register Aug 9
- ^ Sara Wagner (May 24, 2015). "Fort Wayne mosque makes history around the world".
- ^ Abbie Fentress Swanson (September 21, 2011). "Park 51 Opens Renovated Space with Photo Exhibit of NYC Immigrant Children". WNYC Culture. Archived from the original on September 24, 2011. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
- ^ Nancy Haught (July 19, 2010). "Ahmadi Sect Struggles For Recognition, Respect From Other Muslims". Religion News Service / Huffington Post.
- ^ Iati, Marisa (September 25, 2014). "Muslims in Islamic Center of Pittsburgh demonstrate little-known facets of their faith". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
- ^ [1]
External links
- Mosques and Centers, by U.S. state, a directory of addresses & phone numbers, at BLDUSA.COM (a commercial business links directory)
- Mosques and Islamic Centers in Greater Chicago, at the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago (CIOGC)
- Lecture: Brief history of Islam in America, YouTube video
- The History of Islam in America – By Sulayman Nyang, YouTube video
- Islam in America, YouTube video