Masjid Muhammad, ‘The Nation’s Mosque,’ Starts $6 Million Renovation

After decades, Masjid Muhammad, the first mosque in the country built by African Americans, is undergoing a $6 million renovation, an effort that will double the capacity of a place that serves as a spiritual home for more than 1,800 people.

Founded by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad in 1937 and erected in 1960, Masjid Muhammad, known as the “the Nation’s Mosque,” has been a bustling house of worship for decades. 

Imam Talib Shareef, the longtime leader of Masjid Muhammad, said the facility is past due for a significant expansion. 

“We are doubling the size of the mosque to include more classrooms and space so that we can have larger community gatherings,” Shareef said. “This construction (renovation) to The Nation’s Mosque will add more than 10,000 square feet of space for continued growth in the prayer area, enhanced senior activities, classrooms, and community service – of value to the broader community needs.”

Shareef also said the existing building, at 1515 4th Street NW, will become a “green masjid” in D.C., leveraging energy efficiency features and water conservation methods to reduce its environmental impact, a tribute to the city and to the planet on which we live.”

The Jumu’ah Prayer service, which takes place every Friday at 1 p.m., has been moved temporarily to 1615 14th Street NW, and many activities are taking place there as well. Parking is being provided at the Vermont Avenue Baptist Church parking lot at 12th and Q Streets NW.

The Rich History of Masjid Muhammad 

As he looks forward to the new updates for the mosque, Shareef reflected on the rich history of Masjid Muhammad. 

“It was in the 1930s when the strongest movement toward establishing the full expression of universal Islam began. That movement was the original Nation of Islam,” explained Shareef, who was also considering Masjid Muhammad’s founding in 1937. “It was a time in American history when just in the rearview mirror, Blacks had been enslaved, mistreated, and oppressed in the most brutal system of slavery ever known in human history.”

The religious leader noted that the Prophet Muhammad said, “A father gives his child nothing better than a good education.” He explained that the renovations to the local mosque continue the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad and the scriptures in the Quran.

“The expanded space will grow the school to serve more students and provide a more holistic and nurturing Islamic environment for our children,” Shareef said.

Shareef also said celebrated civil rights leader Malcolm X was a major fundraiser for The Nation’s Mosque.

“In fact he donated $1,400 of his own money towards its construction and this is the only mosque in all of America that he has helped to build from the ground up. In 1959, the masjid became the first to be built in the Capital city from the ground up and by American citizens- the descendants of enslaved Africans,” Shareef explained.

The pioneering Muslims of Masjid Muhammad borrowed from the equity in their homes, cooked dinner, sold newspapers and volunteered their construction skills to build the mosque, which sits on what is now designated as “Islamic Way” in D.C.

When boxer Muhammad Ali was alive he was a frequent visitor to the mosque and he contributed to its construction. Late last year Ali’s brother and sister-in-law visited Masjid Muhammad on their way back to Louisville, Kentucky.

Benjamin Abdul Haqq, special assistant to Imam Shareef, said he has seen the evolution of Masjid Muhammad over the past five decades, and is thankful to learn about the new renovations.

“Alhamdulillah, I’ve had the pleasure and honor of serving our masjid community over the past 50 years in various leadership roles and for the past five administrations since 1974 to the present,” he said. “It is truly a blessing to see the latest developments taking place today.”

In addition to weekly services, classes and prayers on Friday, Masjid Muhammad has a range of programs that include a food and clothing pantry, Boy Scouts troop and chess club. Some speculate that the new facility will feature the “Youth and Teen Leadership School,” a resource in combating the loss of young men and women to the challenges associated with poverty and violence on the streets.

Anwar Saleem, a board member of the mosque, took the opportunity to view the renovations as a lesson about life.

“Life is a grand construction project where we build our future upon the sturdy foundations of our past,” Saleem said. “Each brick laid with yesterday’s wisdom, creating the architecture of tomorrow.”