“And hold fast, all of you
together, to the Rope of Allah
(which is Islam) and be not
divided among yourselves.”
(Qur’an, Surah al-’Imran, Ayah
103)
History
In 1969, a group of Muslim students who chose to
make their permanent home in Minnesota formally started the Islamic
Center of Minnesota in Dinkytown. The AbuKhadra family generously
donated the facility in Columbia Heights to be used as a Masjid. With
the growth of the Muslim community and with generous donations from
community members, the ICM purchased the school building on Gardena
Ave. in Fridley in 1987. The ICM school facility in Fridley and the ICM
AbuKhadra Masjid are the two ICM facilities in use today.
The Fridley building is used on weekdays by the
Al-Amal School which operates a full time Islamic school. The ICM
operates a weekend school on Saturday and Sunday. ICM AbuKhadra Masjid
holds daily and Friday congregational prayers. The Muslim community in
Minnesota is estimated at 150,000. There are some 6 to 8 million
Muslims in the United States and 1.4 billion Muslims
worldwide.