Oldest Mosque in North Texas Continues Fundraising On Path to $6 Million Modernization Plans

North Texas’ Masjid Al-Islam hosted a successful fundraiser with renowned scholar, Imam Siraj Wahaj over the weekend, enlisting the keynote speaker in its latest bid to reach the fundraising goal of $6 million. 

Organizers say community members donated $70 thousand which will be added to approx. $3 million has already been raised for the overhaul of the current dilapidated building. 

Current Imam Muhammad Abdul-Jami, who says donations are still being accepted on the masjid’s website, also spoke about how their social programs address the desperate need in the area around the downtown Dallas mosque. 

“We know that we're just scratching the surface of the need in Dallas,” said Abdul-Jami. “There's food insecurity in South Dallas, but these are symptoms of generational poverty, and so we wanted to try and reach deeper to tackle the root of the problem.” 

It was established in the late 1950s by African-American converts who broke away from the Nation of Islam to become Sunni Muslims. Indeed, it was Wallace Deen, the son of its founder, Elijah Muhammad, who funded the first building which became known as Masjid Al-Islam - the oldest mosque in North Texas. 

The masjid’s former Imam and current Imam Emeritus Khalid Shahid helped pioneer social justice programs including the annual Day of Dignity where the masjid provides meals and necessities for thousands of poor and needy people in the area.

“Nothing is ‘right’ until a Mosque is built for Allah's sake in the oldest Muslim community which is located in the poorest part of town, that would make us all appear ‘Upright ‘,” said Shahid. “The masjid is part of a Muslim movement in this country that is 94 years old. Nothing is “right” until this is done!” 

The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex has 62 Sunni mosques and five Shia mosques that serve an estimated 150,000 individuals, making it one of the largest Muslim populations in the U.S. 

Construction is already underway on the new mosque, as the original building has been torn down. This meant that the congregation had to spend Eid al-Adha at Garland’s recreation center. The project is anticipated to be completed in two to four years. 

Abdul-Jami adds that the focus is on completing construction as soon as possible and says that this kind of investment will promote the gentrification of the neighborhood, which will also uplift the wider community. 

Beyond providing the tools to escape poverty to South Dallas residents, Masjid Al-Islam is a space where many converts and young Muslims of all backgrounds feel accepted. 

“It's more of a cultural experience because our masjid was founded by and is run by people who are converts to Islam and were born and raised in America,” said Abdul-Jami. “Our approach to the religion is a little bit different from what might be experienced and other masjids and that appeals to a different demographic.” 

Nearly 100 people showed their support by attending the fundraiser, many of whom belonged to the congregation. 

“There's so much more that needs to be done so that we can see substantial changes in the people that we’re serving, in the neighborhoods that were adjacent to,” said Abdul-Jami.