History

In the late 60’s and 70’s, a group of young professionals in the capital district, mostly immigrants from different parts of the world, had one thing in common. They were muslim. While not having a place of their own to practice their Religion, many would often take suffrage at each others homes or even at other places of worship. Sharing the dream to come together as one and practice openly, drove them to establish a place that they could one day call their own.

In 1979, this dream became a reality. The Islamic Center of the Capital District, known as the ICCD, was built. The building, although only a few thousand square feet, it included a kitchen, small banquet hall, a few offices, and a prayer area to accommodate a few hundred worshippers. At the time, this may have seemed a little ambitious for the small group. But, the pioneers knew that one day, even this place, would be too small for them. As the years went by, the muslim community began to grow and the need for educating our community became a necessity.

In the 80’s, a learning schedule was implemented. For the youth, the weekend school was formed. Comprised of volunteers, mostly mothers of the children, the weekend school began to take shape. Classes were held on Friday evenings and Sunday mornings. Alongside the weekend school, the community held classes for the adults taught by the local Imam. This was a place that our members could not only learn their Islamic Culture but also socialize with others just like themselves.

In the 90’s, the community went from hundreds to thousands. The need for a larger facility became more and more evident. The banquet hall was now being used as classrooms and overflow for the weekly Friday afternoon Mass, also known as Jumma Prayer. During this time, a member of the community had passed away and left money to the community, with one contingency. The money was to be used one day to build a center for our youth to enjoy.

Mr. Qadi’s vision inspired the Muslim community and in the early 2000’s, the planning of the community center became underway. There were many struggles during the beginning stages. Originally, the 17,000 sq Ft. facility was designed as a one story open space centered around an indoor basketball court which could double as additional prayer space. Soon after, the plans grew into the 3 story, 33,000 square feet community center you see before you today. This would be known as the MCC, or Muslim Community Center. Amenities include a full size basketball court overlooked by a 2nd story running track, his and her workout areas, a 6000 sq ft banquet hall accommodating up to 500 people and an area of worship to hold 2,000 people.