Islamic Society of Boston · Est. 1981
A Community's Journey
Across Five Decades
This is the living story of the largest mosque in New England, a community of faith, resilience, and belonging.
A vibrant and engaged
American Muslim community
The Islamic Society of Boston (ISB) is a vibrant, engaged American nonprofit organization that upholds Islamic principles. It owns and operates two mosques (masjids): the ISB mosque, located at 204 Prospect Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts, which serves approximately 300 people at weekly Friday prayers (jum'ah); and the ISB Cultural Center (ISBCC), currently the largest mosque in New England, located at 100 Malcolm X Blvd in the historic inner-city neighborhood of Roxbury, Massachusetts. The ISB also owns residential property as part of its endowment (waqf).
The ISBCC serves approximately 1,700 congregants at Friday prayers each week. On major Islamic holidays (Eids), in collaboration with multiple other local mosques, ISB holds multiple sessions to accommodate approximately 10,000 worshipers. ISBCC is also one of Boston’s Historical Markers (2026), as designated by the City of Boston.
ISB's vision is to build a community of leaders rooted in the Islamic tradition, committed to American ideals, and empowered to serve the common good. A diverse and substantial number of Muslims in Massachusetts helped establish and develop the ISB organization so it can fulfil its mission to teach and live Islam in America.
Origins of the Islamic
Society of Boston (ISB)
After Congress passed the Immigration & Nationality Act of 1965, students and professionals from more than fifty (50) Muslim countries came to work and study in cities like Boston and Cambridge. To preserve their religious identity, they traveled by train and bus to the Islamic Center of New England in Quincy, Massachusetts (1964) , one of the first brick-and-mortar mosques built in New England by American-born Lebanese Muslims. The new immigrants contributed their knowledge of Islam by teaching Qur’anic Arabic and religion at the Sunday school.
In 1981, a core group of these same international students and professionals incorporated the Islamic Society of Boston (ISB), a nonprofit organization. In 1993, they purchased the Knights of Columbus Hall at 204 Prospect Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 1995, after completing renovations, the first mosque in Cambridge officially opened for prayers for a rapidly growing Muslim community.
An abandoned lot.
A sacred duty.
During the 1970s and 1980s, a similar story of growth was taking place in Boston. In 1988, as the two historic community mosques in Boston and Dorchester had reached their capacity, Boston’s African American Muslim leaders, Imam Al-Hajj Abdul Zahir Dawud Ahmad, Yusuf Abdul Hakim, and Imam Abdullah Faaruuq, incorporated the Muslim Council of Boston (MCB), a nonprofit organization. They envisioned building one big mosque to encourage the spiritual and cultural development of Boston’s flourishing Muslim community.
In the Islamic tradition, acquiring land and constructing a mosque are sacred duties. In 1989, the MCB successfully acquired a parcel (Parcel R-14) of abandoned land in Roxbury. The land, owned by the city, was part of the larger Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) redevelopment plan, led by the late Muhammad Ali-Salaam , the BRA’s Deputy Director of Community Planning and Special Projects, and architect of the Roxbury land deal. By 1998, the Parcel R-14 remained undeveloped. To raise the funds needed to develop the land, the MCB joined forces with the ISB Cambridge leaders. In 2000, the BRA approved the final redesignation of the land to the ISB nonprofit organization.
The post-9/11
years of opposition
Following the attacks of September 11, 2001, and the national atmosphere of suspicion of Muslims, the ISB leadership and their families were targeted by a local Islamophobic group because they were mostly international graduate students. The Islamophobic group of self-proclaimed experts on radical Islam and terrorism was joined by large media outlets, embroiling the ISB leadership in multiple lawsuits that suspended construction on the abandoned land (2003 to 2007).
For details, see: The Journey of Faith & Resilience .
In 2005, the ISB launched a nine-point countersuit against 17 defendants, including eight media entities and civil conspirators. After a negotiated legal settlement in 2007, all legal cases were dropped. The ISB declared it a legal victory for religious freedom.
This quote from Boston’s Mayor Thomas Menino, the city’s longest-serving mayor, exemplified the widespread community support for the ISB’s building project in Roxbury. City and state officials recognized that the cultural center would serve the needs of the rapidly growing Muslim population in the Greater Boston area. They also appreciated the tireless efforts of the MCB and ISB leaders who had participated in and promoted interfaith dialogue for decades to increase understanding of Islam.
Boston stands
together
A groundbreaking ceremony held in 2002 was attended by Mayor Thomas Menino, Boston City Councilman Chuck Turner, U.S. Representative Michael E. Capuano, and religious leaders including Bishop Filipe Teixeira of the Catholic Church of the Americas, and Imam Talal Eid of the Islamic Center of New England in Quincy and Sharon, Massachusetts. By 2004, construction was underway. Sample of construction photos
On June 27, 2007, an Intercommunity Solidarity Day was held at the site of the unfinished ISBCC building. Approximately 300 faith and community leaders, academics, civil rights leaders, and elected officials attended to share their common concerns and demonstrate the strength of intercommunity cooperation. A group of young Jewish community activists who started the website Jewssupportthemosque.org presented the ISB with a $2,000 check they raised online.
Raising
the Minaret
In 2007, the Muslim communities of Greater Boston and New England rejoiced at the Minaret Capping Ceremony of its landmark mosque in Roxbury. Over 2,500 Muslims gathered outside the mosque to rejoice and pray. A 5,000-pound copper canopy (supported by the American flag) was hoisted by a crane and lowered onto the 140-foot-high minaret. The ISB’s Imam called the faithful to prayer (the athan).
On September 28, 2007, after the leadership received a temporary permit from the city allowing the Muslim community to use the incomplete building for prayers during Ramadan, the first prayers were held inside the ISBCC. More than 2,000 congregants and supporters from across New England attended, including a delegation of students from the Harvard Islamic Society (HIS).
In 2008, the ISB leadership selected the MAS Boston chapter of the Muslim American Society to manage the ISB Cultural Center operations. At the time, MAS Boston was the largest grassroots Muslim organization in Massachusetts, with a dedicated membership base statewide and a network of over 50 chapters nationwide. Their ten-year collaboration (2008–2018) enabled the ISB Cultural Center to deliver the moderate, peaceful message of Islam in Greater Boston.
The doors open.
The Athan rises over Roxbury.
The inauguration ceremony celebrating the completion of the ISBCC was held on June 26, 2009. It included an interfaith breakfast, a prayer service, and a ribbon-cutting by Mayor Thomas Menino. A large crowd attended, with speeches by the first Muslim Congressman, U.S. Representative Keith Ellison, and William A. Graham, Dean of Harvard Divinity School.
The ISB engaged Steffian Bradley and Associates, Inc. (SBA), a prominent, Boston-based architecture firm, to develop the building plans. The firm hired a consultant, Dr. Sami Angawi, who created the building’s concept and vision. Dr. Angawi intentionally integrated the mosque's architecture with the surrounding neighborhood and region. Alongside traditional Islamic architectural motifs such as pointed arches, a 140-foot minaret, and a gilded dome, the Center was constructed of red bricks emblematic of industrial New England and matching other historic buildings in the neighborhood, such as Roxbury Community College.
The Center’s location on Malcolm X Boulevard is especially significant to Boston’s historic African-American Muslim community because it is the only street that also features Malcolm’s Muslim name, El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz. His leadership helped unite American Muslims under the banner of mainstream Islam
Today, the ISBCC is a 70,000 sq ft mosque and cultural center and (currently) the largest mosque in New England. Given its size and unique American Muslim nonprofit status, the ISBCC is more than just a place of worship. It serves as a cultural center for countless others in the Boston community and beyond, and attracts a diverse congregation spanning racial, ethnic, educational, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
A Center for all
of Boston
- In 2010, Governor Deval Patrick told more than 1,100 Muslims at the ISBCC in Roxbury that he would do everything in his power to combat discrimination and racial profiling, pledging his support to Muslims in the state.
+Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick on the right. Photo_ The Boston Globe.+Governor Deval Patrick addressing a public forum at the ISBCC (2010). Photo: The Boston Globe.
- In 2013, as voters were deciding who would succeed Mayor Menino, the two candidates, John R. Connolly and Martin J. Walsh, attended the ISBCC as part of their citywide mayoral debate campaign that they brought to churches and synagogues as well.
+Boston Mayoral Debate between John R. Connolly and Martin J. Walsh held at the ISBCC (2013). Photo_ The Boston Globe via Getty Images.
- In 2015, one of the largest audiences gathered at the ISBCC for Friday prayers to hear the late Chief Justice Ralph D. Gants Gants speak. On this occasion, he delivered his remarks speaking “as a Jew,” and assuring Muslims of their Constitutional protections. His reassuring words at the time: "You do not stand alone"
+Chief Justice Ralph D. Gants addressing the community at the ISBCC (2015). Photo: Boston Herald via Getty Images.+The late Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Ralph D. Gants. Photo via Wikipedia : Creative Commons.
- In 2016, the ISBCC hosted the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization (GBIO). The interfaith rally drew an estimated crowd of 2,600. Speakers who protested bigotry and intolerance included Mayor Martin J. Walsh and Senator Elizabeth Warren.
+Over 2,600 attendees gather for the 2016 Interfaith Rally. Photo: ISBCC Facebook Page.
- In 2017, after the Trump administration's executive orders on immigration, refugee status, and discrimination against Muslim countries, the ISBCC hosted a forum attended by Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh, who offered a passionate defense of immigration and religious diversity:
- In 2019, Governor Baker was the first sitting Republican governor in Massachusetts to appear at a Muslim house of worship. Hundreds of congregants at the ISBCC Friday prayer service attended to hear his message of inclusion and the need to embrace community differences.
+Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker visiting the ISBCC (2019). Photo: ISBCC Facebook Page
- In 2022, after parking tickets had been issued to worshippers' cars at the ISBCC, Boston’s Mayor Wu relaxed routine parking enforcement around mosques on Fridays and Muslim holidays. A Muslim Boston City Council member brought it to Mayor Wu’s attention, requesting that the mosque be afforded the same leeway as church attendees on Sundays.
+Traffic and parking flow during Friday congregational prayers. Photo: The Boston Globe.
he choice of William Suhaib Webb as the first official imam (religious leader) highlighted the ISBCC’s commitment to young American Muslim leadership. Imam William Suhaib Webb successfully modernized the mosque’s youth engagement and public image. William grew up as a preacher's grandson in Oklahoma, attending Church of Christ services twice a week. He converted to Islam at the age of 20 after discovering the Qur'an. Nineteen years later, he was serving the ISBCC community as the resident scholar and imam. New challenges of Imam Webb’s role surfaced in 2013, after the tragic Boston Marathon Bombing. As the nation focused once again on Muslim communities, and especially in Boston, Imam Webb engaged the media as the representative of Boston’s American Muslims, who were “not just the other.” The Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU) researched and published a report on the ISB's astute handling of the crisis. For details, see: 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing.
Due to its size and mission/vision, the ISBCC functioned best by employing three imams: a senior imam, an associate imam, and a qari. In 2015, Institute for Policy & Understanding (ISPU) published a case study on how the nonprofit organization effectively conducted a community-led search for a senior imam. The needs assessment of 20 distinct constituencies within the community reinforced the need for young American Muslim leadership. As senior imam, Shaykh Yasir Fahmy said his aim was to foster love and appreciation for the Islamic tradition among new generations of American Muslims.
ISB & Public
Health Challenges
Authorized Vaccination Site
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the ISBCC was designated as an authorized vaccination site administered by Whittier Street Health Center. For several months in 2020, attendance at ISB's two mosques was suspended. Slowly, a certain percentage of congregants were allowed back, following social distancing rules during prayers, wearing masks, having their temperatures checked at the door, and bringing their own prayer rugs. The leadership provided the community with a series of educational programs to raise awareness of the importance and efficacy of the vaccines. One of its several health clinics included “Impact of Pandemic on Children's Mental Health.” Another program highlighted the role of Muslim slaves from West Africa who shared the Ottoman practice of vaccination against smallpox.
The ISB organization also created innovative online programs, transitioning them to virtual formats to ensure continuity and support for the community. These programs eased challenges such as loss of life, isolation and loneliness, temporary loss of physical and spiritual locations, and financial strains. The ISB leadership created a fully equipped media green room in Roxbury for online broadcasts, including live Friday and Eid prayers. Leaders also provided technical support and helped manage funds for other local mosques and organizations to improve their operations and services. As part of its broader national profile, the ISB offered support to Boston’s students and transient population.
The Islamic concept
of Endowment (Waqf)
Since its early years, the ISB organization has utilized the Islamic concept of waqf — translated as “endowment” in English — to support its mission and operations as a non-profit. Adhering to the Islamic value of ethical stewardship of resources, community members purchased property on Prospect Street in Cambridge (1992) and donated it to the ISB in 1994. The property was renovated into five modern townhouses. In 2023, the ISB won the Preservation Award from the Cambridge Historical Commission for preserving the properties' original architecture.
In accordance with Islamic stewardship of resources, the ISB non-profit organization is obligated to use any waqf profits to support its mission and operations. In 2006, the sale of an endowed commercial property at 166–172 Prospect Street in Cambridge helped to fund the construction of the ISBCC. In August 2021, substantial donations from ISB trustees helped the organization acquire a revenue-generating residential property in Florida. The proceeds from its sale strengthened the endowments.
Summer Event For Young Professionals
ISB: Present-Day
Vision and Growth
Today, the ISB organization is a model of transparency and civic engagement for the American Muslim community nationwide. It continues to develop and strengthen its unique role as a Muslim nonprofit organization that adheres to Islamic principles, maintains key relationships with neighboring mosques, students, the interfaith community, and remains a relevant constituency to city, state, and national officials.
The ISBCC in Roxbury currently offers burial services, weekly religious study circles (halaqas), special programming for converts, marriage counseling, networking opportunities for young professionals, college programs, youth group events (for teens), programs to empower small businesses, and partners with relief social services, including food supplies and funding for the local community.
ISBCC: One of Boston’s Historical Markers
ISBCC Events
Summer Event for Young Professionals
As part of the United States' 250th Anniversary – celebrated in July 2026, the ISBCC was designated as one of Boston's Historical Markers by the City of Boston and Embrace Boston. As the only Muslim building and organization to be so honored, this milestone culminates ISB’s vision as a representative of American Muslims in Boston and nationwide. The landmark historical marker will further enhance ISBCC’s visibility as a destination for visitors from around the city, country, and world. Embrace Boston developed "The Embrace," a 20-ton bronze sculpture that pays tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. and his family. The sculpture is located in the historic Boston Common. The ISBCC received a plaque to commemorate the honor and affirm the mosque's historic place on America’s religious landscape. Details of Boston’s inclusive program, Everyone250, and a list of other site participants can be found here: Learn more at Everyone250.org ↗
Contribute to Our History
Were you there? Long-time community members can add their voice — upload old photographs, share voice notes, or write your memory. Your contribution may appear on this page.
Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center
The Building as Story
Tap a glowing point on the building — or use the buttons below — to explore each space
The minaret is more than a tower — it is nearly two decades of legal battles made stone. At 140 feet, it is the tallest minaret in New England. Opposition groups argued its height violated Boston zoning; community lawyers and an unprecedented interfaith coalition argued the opposite. After years of appeals and public hearings, a 5,000-pound copper canopy was hoisted by crane in 2007 — the community's declaration that perseverance, not power, builds lasting things. When the Imam called the first Athan from its base, between 2,000 and 3,000 Muslims gathered in prayer outside on Malcolm X Boulevard.
The grand prayer hall beneath the central dome holds over 1,000 worshippers at Friday Jumu'ah — and approximately 10,000 across multiple sessions on Eid. Acoustically designed so the Imam's voice carries to every corner without amplification, the space draws on classical Ottoman and Andalusian mosque architecture. Geometric tilework was installed by artisans from Morocco. The gilded dome, designed by architect Dr. Sami Angawi, integrates Islamic motifs with the red-brick industrial vernacular of Roxbury.
The ISBCC library grew from a few bookshelves in the ISB Cambridge basement to thousands of volumes in Islamic studies, history, languages, and sciences. It hosts tutoring programmes, the Islamic Sunday School, and an expanding digital archive. Every donated book carries a story — many bear dedications from Boston's earliest Muslim families. The library embodies the educational mission that has defined the ISB since its founding graduate students gathered in Cambridge in the early 1980s.
Decades of Eid celebrations, Iftar gatherings, community dinners, and landmark interfaith events have unfolded here. After the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing, the ISBCC opened these doors for a city-wide interfaith vigil attended by representatives of every major faith community in Greater Boston. The hall has witnessed weddings, graduations, political forums, and the annual Halal Food Festival — a beloved Boston institution. In 2016, it hosted the GBIO rally against bigotry, drawing an estimated 2,600 people including Mayor Walsh and Senator Elizabeth Warren.
The grand arched entrance was designed as a statement of welcome — open to Muslim and non-Muslim alike. The ISBCC runs a formal tours programme for students, civic groups, and interfaith delegations from around the world. The horseshoe arch and the building's orientation toward the Qibla were intentional choices by architect Dr. Sami Angawi. The entrance embodies the founding vision: a centre that belongs to all of Boston. As part of the US 250th Anniversary, the building will receive a commemorative plaque at its entrance affirming its historic roots on America's religious landscape.
[Photo: Main entrance facade]
[Blueprint: Entrance arch detail — Dr. Sami Angawi / Br Helal Alwaz]