How a small circle of families in Baltimore built one of the region's first permanent Muslim institutions — and what it meant for the generations that followed.
By Hasan Maharoof · 18 min read
The founders of the Islamic Society of Baltimore come from a wave of immigration that occurred after 1965. A small group of these doctors, engineers, and graduate students gathered at apartments on Baltimore’s northeast side. About nine or ten of them helped create the Islamic Society of Baltimore in 1969.
They operated for over a decade at Johns Hopkins University, after which they purchased their current land out in the County. Since then, the mosque has grown exponentially, and has become a pillar of the Baltimore-area Muslim community.
As decades pass and the mosque’s leadership moves into new hands, many founders and community elders have passed away. The mosque has aged into a multi-generational institution, and is now run by those who grew up with the mosque.
In documenting the foundation of ISB and the context of Islam in America through the ’60s and ’70s, I interviewed three of those Muslims directly involved in creating ISB in 1969—Dr. Mohamed Shami, Dr. Ibrahim Syed, and Azim Khan—and spoke with members of Baltimore’s African American Muslim communities—to draw a portrait of the context and stories surrounding ISB’s founding.
Context
Prior communities
The foundation of the modern American Muslim community, as we know it, dates to demographic shifts that occurred in the wake of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965.
Immigration from most of Asia — including South Asia and the Middle East — were banned by WW1-era immigration restriction legislation. It was not until 1952 that immigration from Asia was reopened, allowing 100 Asian immigrants per country, per year.a
The 1965 Immigration Act, passed at the height of the civil rights movements, abolished these quotas entirely, opening the door to large-scale Asian immigration—and with it, the formation of Muslim communities. For this reason, the earliest extant Islamic institutions in many cities often date to the ‘60s and ‘70s.
In some cities, pre-existing African American Muslim communities go back decades earlier, most originating with influences largely from early Ahmadi missionaries, with Sunni influences as well. In Baltimore, where Nation of Islam influence was heavy, it would not be until the early ‘70s for a Black Muslim community to formalize.
The Uniting Islamic Society of America’s first convention in Philadelphia, 1943. A handful of primarily African American Muslim movements grew in isolated communities during the inter-war period.
An earlier wave of Muslim immigration, centered on the Midwest, occurred among a surge of Arab immigration beginning in the late-19th century. The slew of mosques they built in the ’20s and ’30s were the first true mosques and Muslim communities in the U.S.. These communities would largely dissolve following immigration restrictions.b
The earliest Muslim presence in the U.S., however—though involuntarily—is among slaves. While only a handful of anecdotal cases of Muslim slaves in the U.S. have been recorded, among the oldest of these is from Maryland.
“Upon our Talking and making Signs to him, he wrote a Line or two before us, and when he read it, pronounced the Words Allah and Mahommed; by which, and his refusing a Glass of Wine we offered him, we perceived he was a Mahometan [Muslim], but could not imagine of what Country he was, or how he got thither; for by his affable Carriage, and the easy Composure of his Countenance, we could perceive he was no common Slave.”
— Description of Ayuba Suleiman Diallo, enslaved in Kent County, Maryland, 17311
In another instance, an enslaved Fulani Muslim, Abdul Rahman Ibrahima Sori, visited Baltimore in 1828, following his emancipation. Individual Muslims have, in this regard, passed through Baltimore for centuries.
Post-1965
The wave of immigration following the 1965 Immigration Act brought large numbers of South Asian and Arab Muslims across the country. Contrasting from earlier, male-dominant economic migrants, this wave brought students and professionals, many pursuing degrees from American universities—and many of whom brought their families with them.
They typically arrived as students (F-1 visa) or exchange visitors (J-1 visa), transitioning into permanent residency through employment, and later obtaining green cards. It was those who secured permanent residency who were inclined to build lasting Islamic institutions and mosques.
Founding
Sarril Road community
By the mid-to-late 1960s, many young Muslim immigrants, along with their spouses and young children, were scattered across the city. Movement was frequent, as immigrants moved following the tides of their education and careers. These early immigrants had nowhere to pray Jumu‘ah salat, and Muslims hoping to pray Eid drove to Washington, D.C. to do so.c
By the late ’60s, a handful of about four or five South Asian Muslim families became close neighbors on the same road within the Sarril Road Apartments on Baltimore’s northeast side. It was among this particular group that the seeds for the first Islamic organization in Baltimore would be planted.d
The Sarril Road Apartments as they appeared in the 1960s, as viewed from Frankford Avenue.3
“There were very instrumental, about four, five people on the same road.”
— Dr. Mohamed Shami
Of this group which would found ISB, many first arrived to the US via Baltimore, while for others, it was their second or third residences in the country. The earliest was Azim Khan, who settled in Baltimore about ’65 after first arriving in D.C. in ’62. Most arrived by ‘68, and the last, Dr. Syed, moved to the Apartments in the summer of ’69. Dr. Syed first immigrated to Canada in ’68:
Dr. SyedI came to Baltimore in August 1969. … We came from Halifax. We went by train to Montreal. From Montreal, we came by train to New York. From New York, we took a bus and we came to a bus stand in Baltimore. Then, my research guide, Dr. Fazle Hosain, he picked me up and he lived close to Sarril Road Apartments. So he was a faculty.
HasanOkay, so when you came in August, were all the other … Firozvi, Javaid Shafi, and Shami—
Dr. SyedWere already there. Yes, exactly.
These events have never been formally documented, and in gathering a timeline of events based solely on oral recollections after an almost six decade lapse of time, various anecdotes were collected. The finer details—involving specific dates or people present at meetings—should be taken with a grain of salt.
Azim Khan remembers how they met at Sunday hour-long halaqa-like meetings here, where they recited and explained verses of the Qur’an. Muslim families living in the surrounding areas were invited.
“We used to meet at the other people house on Sunday for an hour and we do recitation and explanation of Quran ayat.”
— Azim Khan
Khan, who did not live on Sarril Road, but in the adjacent Amberwood Apartments, would walk to reach the meetings. He recalls a maximum of ten to fifteen families present, including the core group of four or five that lived on Sarril Road.
Sarril Road, shown here, survives as a back-access road for a modern development; the Apartments were demolished in the early 2000s. Photo by the author.
The origins of ISB
As Muslim immigrants became acquainted with one another and gathered, many sought to formalize their connections. With no Islamic institutions or mosques, assimilation was a real concern, especially with regards to their children who would grow up here.
Dr. Awad, ISB’s first president, would relate the sentiment of Muslims of the period:
“For the moment the main concern of Dr. Awad and other Muslims in this country … is to maintain their religion for themselves and to pass on their Islamic heritage to their children in the face of strong pressures toward assimilation.”
— Dr. Mohamed Awad, 1978
It was during these Sarril Road gatherings that the idea for an Islamic institution developed. Members explain how it was an evolutionary process—the contributions of many people.
“Many of them [are] living on the same street. But some live a little bit far, but we get together for functions, and they get together here and there.”
…
“So that was the evolutionary process. Yes. So that’s the way — when people got together, they plan that ‘We should have our own place’, ‘We need to raise money’”
…
“We were only 4, 5 people, there was another guy, his name was Dr. Khattak. And Azim Khan. These two people, Azim Khan was very active. Very active.”
— Dr. Shami
Dr. Ahmad H. Sakr, from Chicago
The story differs slightly in one account provided by Dr. Syed.
Dr. Syed relates the contributions of a well-known scholar, Dr. Ahmed Sakr. According to him, there was a formative meeting at the Apartments involving four of the Muslim residents of Sarril Road—Dr. Mohamed Shami, Dr. Tarique Firozvi, Dr. Javaid Shafi, and himself—and a fifth, Dr. Sakr.
It was at this meeting, he relates, that Dr. Sakr initiated the idea for the Islamic Society of Baltimore.
Dr. SyedActually, it was initiated by Dr. Ahmad Sakr. Do you know him?
HasanI have not heard of his name. I don’t think he’s in the community anymore.
Dr. SyedNo, no. He came from Chicago. He was a biochemist from Lebanon. And he gathered 4 of us. So 5 people are the founders of the Islamic Society of Baltimore.
…
Dr. SyedHe was the one who initiated, uh, then he said let’s form Islamic Society of Baltimore.
The others do, in fact, recall that Dr. Sakr had visited the formative group at the Apartments. However, the notion of such a pivotal role was not corroborated.
“He did come to my home once long ago but I don’t remember we talked about this project.”
— Dr. Shami
Dr. Sakr established the Muslim Students Association (a precursor to ISNA) in Chicago in 1963. He was a pioneer of Islamic work in the U.S., and remains a household name among older members of the American Muslim community.
He was almost certainly staying in Baltimore to help with establishing chapters of his MSA, particularly the one at Johns Hopkins University. In the process, he had somehow gotten in touch with the Muslims here on Sarril Road.e
This notion of Dr. Sakr spearheading ISB while organizing the JHU MSA is supported by the fact that both groups entered the public record in the same month in 1969. ISB was registered on September 2, 1969, while the JHU MSA first appears in a Johns Hopkins News-Letter article dated September 26.
That is as much as can be surmised on the matter. While it is certain that Dr. Sakr’s prior experience in establishing Islamic organizations would have been highly useful to the members on Sarril Road, the extent of his role remains a mystery.
Founding members
Dr. Mohamed Awad
Anatomy Professor · First President
Dr. Mohamed Awad (1925–2006), an Egyptian, immigrated to Baltimore in 1968 as an exchange professor, joining the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
As the only Arabic speaker who could lead Islamic discussions, he was chosen to be ISB's first president.
He relocated to Chicago in 1970, returned to Baltimore in 1979, and served again as ISB president from 1981 to 1982. By 1983, he was a chemistry teacher at the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute.
Dr. Tarique Firozvi
Physician
Dr. Tarique Firozvi (b. 1944) immigrated from Pakistan to Baltimore in 1968, after graduating from Lahore Medical & Dental College in 1967. At the time of ISB's founding, he was doing residency at Church Hospital as an internal physician, and later, at the University of Maryland.
Founding meetings were held in his apartment. He maintained a medical office in Essex until retiring in 2012.
Azim Khan
Civil Engineer
Azim Khan (b. 1935), immigrated from Pakistan to Washington, D.C. about 1962, attending Catholic University and Howard University before moving to Baltimore about 1965. A civil engineer, he worked for the Maryland State Highway Administration and lived in the adjacent Amberwood Apartments, crossing the lawn of a local elementary school to reach the Sarril Road Apartment meetings.
Dr. Ahmad H. Sakr
Biochemist · MSA Founder
Dr. Ahmad Sakr (1933–2015), a Lebanese biochemist, was educated at the American University of Beirut and earned his PhD at the University of Illinois. He was the founding president of the Muslim Students Association in Chicago in 1963.
A traveling scholar, Dr. Sakr visited Baltimore while assisting with MSA outreach, particularly at Johns Hopkins University, and met with local Muslims during the formative period of the Islamic Society of Baltimore; his presence contributed to its early development, though the extent of his involvement remains unclear.
Dr. Javaid Shafi
Physician
Dr. Javaid Shafi (b. 1942), a Pakistani physician, was completing his residency at the University of Maryland Medical Center at the time of the Islamic Society of Baltimore's founding in 1969. He later practiced internal medicine in Baltimore, worked at Provident Hospital and the University of Maryland Medical System in the 1970s–80s, and by 1978 was affiliated with Garwyn Medical Center. Shafi served as ISB's second president during the late 1970s.
Dr. Mohamed Shami
Government Worker
Dr. Mohamed Shami (b. c. 1934) immigrated to the US from Pakistan in 1964, studying first at Washington State University until 1966, then at the University of Michigan, earning a PhD in Education. He moved to Baltimore in 1968, working for the Maryland Department of Education.
He left for a job in Saudi Arabia in 1976, then continued to Raleigh, North Carolina, and Columbia, South Carolina, where he helped establish Masjid Noor Ul Huda in 2003, and where he currently resides. His legacy at ISB was carried on by his brother Iftekhar, who served its Sunday School, passing away in 2022.
Dr. Ibrahim Syed
Radiologist
Dr. Ibrahim Syed (b. 1939), immigrated from Bangalore, India to Halifax, Canada, in 1968. He settled in Baltimore in 1969 with his wife and two daughters, pursuing a Master's in Nuclear Physics at Johns Hopkins University.
He served as ISB's first secretary until his departure in 1973 to Massachusetts. He currently resides in Louisville, Kentucky. He has kept in touch only with Dr. Shami, returning to visit ISB in '95.
Dr. Mahmud Thamer
Cardiovascular Surgeon
Dr. Mahmud Thamer (1930 – aft. 2003) was an Iraqi cardiovascular surgeon.
The above are those associated with various founding discussions at the Sarril Road Apartments in 1969, according to first-hand accounts from Dr. Syed, Dr. Shami, and Azim and Aisha Khan.f
Yusuf M. El-Abdullah
Incorporator
Salativel Bey
Incorporator
Alli Tabou Holley
Incorporator · Resident Agent
These three African American men legally registered the Islamic Society of Baltimore in 1969 and helped fulfill various early legal roles, including as ISB’s first incorporators and resident agent. Their identities and life stories remain obscure.
Meetings at JHU
Following the legal registration of ISB, Dr. Awad, a professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, secured permission from his friend, who was a Muslim professor at Johns Hopkins University, for ISB to hold on-campus meetings there.g
"We got the idea, we got through Dr. Awad his friend was a professor at Johns Hopkins. We got— We start going to Shaffer Hall. Got permission through him."
— Azim Khan
In this context, a meeting was recounted by Aisha Khan. She describes arriving in Baltimore on the last day of October 1969 to join her husband Azim, and that there was an important meeting the following day, at the apartment of Dr. Shami.
Aisha KhanI came here in October. October, last day of October, and they make that Association first they have the meeting on the November 1, 1969.
HasanAh, okay.
Aisha KhanYes.
HasanAnd then the first meeting at Shaffer Hall was November 2?
Aisha KhanYeah.
This meeting's purpose was to plan the weekly meetings at JHU. She associates the following names with this meeting: Dr. Shami, Dr. Syed, Dr. Firozvi, Dr. Shafi, Dr. Sakr, Br. Khan, Dr. Awad, and Dr. Thamer.
Aisha KhanBut we had the meeting at the Shami bhai. Yeah. We had the meeting that time at Shami's house.
HasanIs this the same meeting, November 1?
Aisha KhanYes, that is the same meeting. We lived very nearby all the— walking distance. We used to live in apartments everybody. So we were in walking distance.
As the story goes, ISB held its first official Sunday meeting at Hopkins the next day, on November 2, 1969.
A Muslim professor at JHU secured Shaffer Hall for ISB's weekly meetings, pictured here in 1965.5
The Hopkins meetings were much like the ones at the Apartments—they were a couple of hours long each, and consisted of Qur'an recitation and commentary, along with Dhuhr and Asr prayers. They numbered from ten to no more than fifteen families.
"We had families, we had children, we had ladies, we had men. And ladies sat on one side. You know, the children could not play, they were just listening. They had no playground. And we men were there. And then usually one of the men we read the Qur'an, translated, and made the commentary. After that, we prayed. And then we had the snacks. That was good for the children too, you know. The children came because of the snacks. It's boring otherwise."
— Dr. Ibrahim Syed
It is here where ISB would establish itself over the following decade. They began to grow both by word-of-mouth and through deliberate campaigning. Many South Asian international students at the university would join.
Dr. SyedLarge number of members joining us. Students, workers, faculty.
HasanSo even the faculty—faculty of [JHU], or faculty of [other] universities?
Dr. SyedNo, faculty of Johns Hopkins University and University of Maryland.
HasanWow, so [the faculty] were Muslim?
Dr. SyedYes, also students came to study at Johns Hopkins, you know from Bangladesh.
HasanRight.
Dr. SyedAnd there was a diploma degree called Master of Public Health, and there were 100 students, and all the 100 students were from foreign countries.
HasanWow, so for this diploma—?
Dr. SyedNo American came there. All foreign students came from Bangladesh, Pakistan, like that.
HasanWow, wow. So what was the name of this again?
Dr. SyedMaster of Public Health. MPH.
HasanSo, it was awarded, it was given to—?
Dr. SyedIn 9 months you get this. And everybody get scholarship. That was a great advantage for us. Because most of them were—majority of them were Muslims. Pakistan, Bangladesh, India.
HasanThey all joined ISB?
Dr. SyedExactly. That was a boost for us.
They may have also overlapped in membership with the university's MSA, though Dr. Syed was unable to confirm—a graduate student, he was not a member of the undergraduate group.
While ISB met on Sundays, the MSA met on Saturday evenings at Levering Hall—the two sometimes held joint meetings.6
Early years
Dr. Awad was elected ISB's first president, in 1969, through an informal selection. His knowledge of Arabic and ability to lead tafsir discussion set him apart. Additionally, he was the oldest, being in his 40s—the others were in their late 20s and 30s.
"Then we had a brother, Awad, from Egypt. He was a professor of anatomy, I think, in the University of Maryland at that time. He became our Emir, our president, first president of the Islamic Society of Baltimore. He was a very good brother. He was from Egypt. His name is Awad. I don't know his first name. Very good brother."
— Dr. Syed
Dr. Syed himself became ISB's first secretary, wherein he served until 1973. I asked him what that was like:
HasanWhat did you do as a secretary of the ISB?
Dr. SyedI had to write the minutes of the meeting, you know. We hold meeting. Had to write the minutes of the meeting. Meaning what happened, who were present, what happened, like that.
HasanWow, so you were that particular about the meetings?
Dr. SyedYeah. I had to write the descriptions—who were present, who were absent, what was discussed, like that.
HasanWhy was this meticulousness so important?
Dr. SyedI loved to do it, you know. I was a typist. I could type. I had a typewriter.
HasanOh, so you did this on a typewriter?
Dr. SyedRight, portable typewriter it was called.
HasanWhat topics were specifically discussed?
Dr. SyedUh, we were discussing about when to conduct the Eid, you know, who will be coming, and when to have the picnic, you know, things like that. And also, raise awareness in the community, in the city. And, to tell—you know, I used to tell other students in Johns Hopkins—I was in the School of Hygiene. Right, now it's called Bloomberg School of Hygiene. Bloomberg. You heard that? Right in front of the hospital—Johns Hopkins hospital.
HasanSo, did you lead any outreach work in this time? So you said in the city, you did outreach work. Is that correct?
Dr. SyedNo, I used to just camp in, in the university, in the School of Hygiene. And I used to meet, when I saw the people, you know I can recognize—these people are not white Americans. Their color is brown, you know.
HasanOkay, so you would find members and—
Dr. SyedYeah. And I would tell them, I would invite them to come to our meetings on Sundays.
The group envisioned a mosque from the very beginning, and it is this which they firmly set toward in the following years. Several 'Meena bazaars' were held on campus in the following years, where they sold ethnic foods and crafts to raise funds.
A Baltimore Sun promotion for ISB's Meena bazaar cites the "Mosque Project", June 1970.7
Fundraising was a grassroots effort. There were no international donors. Members contributed what they could. Dr. Shami remembers holding picnics at a local park, where they would raise funds. Dr. Syed sold his personal stamp collection.
The words "MOSQUE FUND" printed on this 1970 donation receipt are among the oldest references to the mosque project.
African American Muslim community
By the early ‘70s, a small Black convert community began to grow with vigour in Baltimore. Unbeknownst to these ISB members, they would form Baltimore’s first mosque, Masjid as-Saffat, in 1971.
The story of Baltimore’s Black Muslim community follows almost parallel to the immigrants’, beginning at about the same time in the late ‘60s. Their origin and influences, however, lie in movements that pre-date the latter’s arrival by several decades.
Early movements
After early-20th century migrations from the South led to the formation of Black communities in inner cities for the first time, many sought to reconcile a deep past of oppression and racial segregation with movements of self-identity.
Two Islamic-oriented movements would have a presence in Baltimore’s Black communities—the Nation of Islam, and the Moorish Science Temple of America. Fusing black nationalist separatist ideology with Islam, the Nation in particular would quickly take off with leaders like Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X.
Their Temple No. 6 was established in Baltimore, in 1947, by Isaiah Karriem, and would quickly grow through the ‘40s and ‘50s, attracting thousands of followers.
Minister Isaiah Karriem, leader of Baltimore's "Black Muslims".
"The purpose of Islam in Baltimore is to uplift our people, instill into them dignity, race pride and self-respect."8
— Isaiah Karriem, 1966
Foreign-born Muslims arriving in the ’60s and ’70s quickly realized the difference between themselves and these groups, and they would operate independently.
HasanSo, was there a relationship between ISB and Nation of Islam during this period, or what was the relationship like?
Dr. SyedWell, we used to invite and meet them once in a while—but not so strong. They had their own masjid, they used to call it a temple. You know, "Temple Number this and that".
…
Dr. SyedWe met them, but uh— we are not happy because they had different, you know, things. Aqeeda was different.
HasanSo was this a formal meeting?
Dr. SyedYeah.
…
HasanSo, the meeting with the Nation of Islam— where was this, was this at the temple? Or was this at Hopkins?
Dr. SyedAt the temple, at the temple.
Azim KhanThey were nice to us. Elijah Muhammad and his followers.
Dr. Shami relates visiting them as well.
HasanHow was your interaction with Nation of Islam at this time? How did you view that?
Dr. ShamiWe used to go there. Not used to go. We did go over there. And, the Nation of Islam—he [Warith Deen Mohammed?] went to Saudi Arabia. He came here to, I think in Raleigh, North Carolina or somewhere in Columbia. So he go this way and that way. I don't know much about them, but I have been a little bit in touch with them. They were nice people. One of them said, I want my son to memorize Qur'an. But we don't go there. There used to be a masjid for Nation of Islam. They stay over there. We stay here.
HasanAh okay.
Dr. ShamiI'm living here in Columbia, South Carolina, and I think there is one here too. Nation of Islam.
HasanSo ISB, what were the—did they have any interactions—or as a whole, the Muslim community?
Dr. ShamiNo. No, no. I don't think there's any interaction.
The first Black Muslims
Sunni Islam had already developed in isolated Black communities in cities like New York City, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, and more, as early as the 1930s.h In Baltimore, however, it would not be until the late ’60s for a Black Muslim community to gradually develop.
On a national scale, the death of Nation of Islam minister and later Sunni Muslim Malcolm X, in 1965, and his autobiography, influenced a number of African Americans to first hear of true Islam. It is difficult to assess what effect this had, apart from a few, unorganized religious seekers.
Imam Maalik Jones of Masjid as-Saffat began identifying with Islam in 1970 while serving in Vietnam, after reading the autobiography there. At the Army base he served, he experienced the same racism Malcolm X described in his book, between the Black and white soldiers there.
“… his assessment of our situation, meaning the Black urban male, was right on point, because he lived through it. … in my heart, I believed in Islam. I wanted to be a Muslim. I just didn’t know how.”
— Imam Maalik
In addition to this, a cultural movement was growing among African Americans identifying with Islam through the influence of Ahmadi immigrant missionaries. It is through this that multitudes of Black jazz musicians would convert to Islam in the ’50s and ’60s.
“Jazz musicians back in the late ’50s and ’60s, they gravitated toward Islam. If you go back and look at some of the album covers, I’ll mention a couple of the names, Yusef Lateef, Pharoah Sanders, Dakota Staton, people like that. They became Muslim.”
— Imam Maalik
While it is uncertain to what degree Ahmadi missionaries directly propagated Islam in Baltimore, by the late ’60s, the culture of the Islamically-inclined Black jazz musicians was present here.i
“… these musicians were major propagators of Islam in the world of jazz even though the subject of music was often a source of debate within the subcontinent Ahmadis. Some even developed their own jargon—a unique blend of bebop and Arabic.”
— Richard Brent Turner15
For many influenced by this culture, Islamic practice apart from the simple identity of Islam was largely informal, apart from certain aspects such as dietary restrictions and Islamic attire. Initially, the small Ahmadi center, which operated in a small rowhouse as early as 1962, was the only true source of knowledge in Baltimore.
Imam Maalik relates that it was from the Ahmadis in Baltimore where he first heard the word ‘Islam’, in about 1968. Samir Sultaan, from the missionary center, wrote down the 5 pillars of Islam on a piece of paper, and gave it to Maalik. For many, Ahmadi literature would be their first exposure to Islamic theology.
Imam MaalikThat brother Samir that was the leader of the Ahmadiyya [in Baltimore]— He was the first person that I ever heard the word ‘Islam’ from. He wrote down on a piece of paper, ‘Islam.’ … He said ‘faith,’ ‘prayer,’ ‘charity,’ ‘fasting,’ and ‘pilgrimage.’ He wrote that on a piece of paper.
HasanThe five pillars.
Imam MaalikYes. First time I ever heard anything about Islam. This is before I went to Vietnam.
HasanSo what year was that around?
Imam MaalikThis was— had to have been maybe ‘68. 1968 for me.
Islamic knowledge would grow further with the arrival of the immigrant Muslims in the late ’60s. Mustafa relates that Shaffer Hall would become instrumental in bridging this gap.j
“Dr. Ashruf— Dr. Ashruf actually showed them how to pray, and they were very patient. We used to meet at John Hopkins in Shriver [sic.] Hall when we used to meet on Sundays.”
— Umar Mustafa
It is through these early influences that Islamic knowledge gradually increased within Baltimore’s convert communities through the late ’60s. From a pivotal crossover in 1969 with the immigrant Muslims hoping to form ISB, a few early names from this community become apparent.
Early crossover
According to accounts from the founders, ISB’s founders were unable to register the organization, being immigrants on temporary visas. To assist with the documentation, three men from this early convert community took on various early legal roles.
The three men appear here as incorporators of ISB on an early founding document.
Yusuf Mansur El-Abdullah, Salativel Bey, and Ali Tabu Holy were the first incorporators, and resident agent, of the organization. As late as 1970, El-Abdullah appears as treasurer of the organization.k
Their identities remain obscure, even among elder members of Baltimore’s Black Muslim community. They relate that Holley was a drummer, coming from the aforementioned music-influenced strain of Islam.
The identity of the other two men may be discerned from their names: the suffixes “El” and “Bey” are typical of the Moorish Science Temple. Additionally, Moorish ideology claims ancestry from the region of modern-day Morocco—older members of ISB remember that two of the men had claimed Moroccan origin.
Some oral recollections remember the men as merchants. Though not speaking on Baltimore specifically, in characterizing these early music-influenced Black Muslims, Richard Brent Turner characterizes this career choice:
“There also developed a merchant class of men in the [jazz] community (comprised mainly of vendors) due to lack of opportunities for formal education. Self employment became a way to learn a living while at the same time maintaining the freedom to propagate Islam.”
— Richard Brent Turner15
El-Abdullah was a meatpacker and died in Baltimore in 1993. Holley, apparently a merchant seaman, reportedly died at sea and was subsequently buried in Seattle. The death of Salativel Bey was related as follows:
Dr. AshrufSalativel Bey, uh, he knew our old, one of our old, uh, imam. Uh, our imam, his name was, uh, Dr. Shoukat, Shoukat Yusuf Khan. Okay?
HasanAh.
Dr. AshrufSo, uh, Salativel Bey, he met him many times, and he said that when he die, you— He should be buried as a Muslim. You know, Muslim funeral should be given to him.
HasanMm-hmm.
Dr. AshrufHe said, "Okay. Keep in, keep in touch." But they lost touch and then he died, and his body went to the mortuary of the university hospital. Okay?
HasanMm-hmm.
Dr. AshrufAnd then that time, uh— Yusuf Khan was doing a residency in m- in ophthalmology, and somebody said there is some Muslim's body has come and is in [washing?]. So he went there and he buried Salativel Bay.
HasanAh.
Dr. AshrufSo he procured his body, and he was given a proper Muslim burial.
HasanMm.
Dr. AshrufYou know? That is, that is the—
HasanShaukat Yousuf Khan.
Dr. AshrufRight. That is an act God, you know?
Immigrant—African American relations
It is uncertain what relationship these two nascent communities initially had, and whether or not this initial contact was simply for documentation purposes.
Across the U.S., including in Baltimore, a noticeable separatism—a self-segregation—would manifest between the two communities, contrasting with the previous closer relations of the dawat-focused Ahmadi missionaries.
In discussing the three who helped register ISB, Umar Mustafa gives his take on their involvement:
“You should ask yourself the question, why weren’t they more involved? Because I think in many cases, they felt that they couldn’t be more involved. Because you gotta remember, they probably had— they probably didn’t even have a high school education. Probably one of them made sixth or, sixth or seventh grade, and they felt very uncomfortable.”
— Umar Mustafa
They represented distinct communities with different cultural backgrounds, languages, and lived experiences. Many African Americans originally converted to Islam as a means to uplift their communities. Some had lingering Black nationalist influences from prior movements, as well as from the general Black power atmosphere of the era of the late ’60s.l
“No one brought the nationalists to the [Ahmadi] meetings. We had one foot in that world and one foot in Islam. Other Muslim Sunnis were doing it, straddling the line.”
— description of early influences, though not speaking on Baltimore specifically15
The immigrant Muslims were primarily focused on navigating a new life in a new land—for many, Islam was an afterthought. In fact, for some, it would be encounters with the converted Muslims that would re-invigorate their practice in the religion.
“They came in town and saw us covered or wearing kufis, wearing beards, taking off for Jumu‘ah, and then they would say, ‘Y’all do that? Y’all, they, y’all, are y’all allowed to do that?’ Said, ‘Yeah, we… Well, we don’t, we don’t ask for permission. We just do it.’ And from that, the immigrant community started to realize that, you know, they were gonna have to take a similar posture.”
— Imam Maalik
Though there were positive relations, it is due to this separatism that the history of the immigrant Muslims in Baltimore largely follows the history of ISB itself. Likewise, the history of the Black Muslim community would soon surround their mosque, Masjid as-Saffat, founded in 1971.
While there would be crossover between them, and many individuals who bridged this gap through the ‘70s, it would initially be rare to see members of either community holding positions in either organization.
For example, it would not be until the ‘80s for ISB to have another African American council member, when brother Umar Mustafa was placed in charge with establishing the school—whose first principal, Dr. C. Islaah Abd'al-Rahim, was also African American.
Two West Baltimore mosques
Jumu‘ah and Eid prayers
For prayers held on other days other than on Sunday—specifically the congregational Friday and Eid prayers—some core ISB members initially did organize gatherings at Shaffer Hall.
ISB Eid prayers are advertised in the Johns Hopkins News-Letter, 1971.9
However, this would quickly change. With the foundation of Masjid as-Saffat in 1971, and the conversion of Baltimore’s Nation of Islam mosque to Sunni Islam in 1975, public daily prayers were made available for the first time.
Masjid as-Saffat
Masjid as-Saffat began with a group of Islamically-inclined men—similar to the three 1969 men who registered ISB, they were shaped by influences from music, black power movements, and some by stints at the Moorish Science Temple.
These men regularly congregated in D.C. to participate at the quasi-military Black Man’s Development Center, founded by Black power activist Hassan Jeru-Ahmed, or “Colonel Hassan”, who was not a Muslim, despite his name.m
Members of the Dar ul-Islam—a Black Sunni movement out of New York, the largest and most orthodox such group at the time—would travel up and down the East Coast, looking for members to convert.
Upon hearing of the men in D.C., in about 1970, they would bring several members to their Brooklyn mosque to formally take the shahada. The Dar’s imam, Yahya Abdul-Karim, instructed the Baltimore members to establish Islam in their city.
In advising them, Abdul-Karim would specifically differentiate between Sunni Islam and the more-prevalent Ahmadi Islam.
“Imam Yahya who was the Imam of the Dar ul-Islam movement told us, ‘You go to the brothers from Pakistan because they're practicing Islam.’”
— Abdul Salaam
They held their first Jumu‘ah prayer in Baltimore in 1970.
“In 1970, the brother Abdul Salaam, Imam Taif, the brother mentioned Umar Nuruddin, they would hold Jumu‘ah at Abdul Salaam’s house, which was on Monroe Street, Monroe and Baltimore Street. In an apartment on the third floor. As far as we know, that was the first Jumu‘ah that was held. It was in 1970.”
— Imam Maalik
By 1971, they formally established Masjid as-Saffat in a rented second-floor apartment on West Lanvale Street, where they established the five daily prayers. They moved to Myrtle Avenue in 1972, operating Islamic classes for “brothers, sisters or children”, tabligh programs for non-Muslims, and outreach programs for local prisons.
This was the first mosque in Maryland.
A description of Masjid as-Saffat’s founding, published by Imam Taifa Abdullah in the Baltimore Magazine, reproduced in The Criterion, 1973.10
Imam Maalik recounts the story of this group’s first contact with the immigrant congregants of ISB, who were yet unaware of their existence. Imam Mustafa, their imam, refused service in the Vietnam War, objecting on the basis of religious grounds. Included in his sentence was service at the University of Maryland Hospital.
There, he noticed the name tags of men in the corridors with Muslim names.
“He would run into the doctors whose name tag is Muhammad, or he would see their name tags, Khan, Shafi. … And he would say, ‘Oh, you have a Muslim last name. We have a masjid.’”
— Imam Maalik
These were the doctors associated with ISB. Following this encounter, several would begin coming to Masjid as-Saffat for Jumu‘ah prayers.
“It was a rowhouse, and on the top floor, there was some place where we were about fifteen, twenty people praying Jumma.”
— Dr. Shami
Muhammad’s Mosque No. 6 (present-day Masjid ul-Haqq)
In 1975—following developments which led to the Nation of Islam’s official transition to Sunni Islam—their temple, or mosque, began operating as a traditional Sunni mosque, allowing foreign-born Muslims to attend.
They would retain the “No. 6” in their name for some years, before becoming Masjid Muhammad—and later Masjid ul-Haqq. The mass conversion of thousands of Nation followers made this mosque vastly larger than as-Saffat.
It would be these two mosques which ISB members would largely attend for congregational prayers. A 1978 Sun report covering a Jumu‘ah prayer at Masjid Muhammad recorded 300 Muslims in attendance. Two of them were foreign-born Muslims.
“What I see here is a resurgence of Islam. It reminds me of the early rise of Islam in the East, when I see the vigor, the sincerity of the belief.”
— Dr. Awad, 1978
This dynamic was replicated across dozens of cities where a large former NOI presence was met with streams of immigrant Muslims. Again, despite immense cultural differences, there was harmony between the various communities.
“Many immigrant Muslims that are sincere will say that the converted Muslims are better Muslims than they are, because they have taken their religion for granted, while a convert hasn’t. … Many immigrants have come to America, not to practice their religion, but to aspire to the American dream.”
— Dr. Awad, 1978
Both Masjid as-Saffat (left) and Masjid ul-Haqq (right), the former NOI mosque, continue to operate in Baltimore. Photos by the author.
Other programs
"So many people did so many activites."
— Dr. Shami
Inter-mingling between members of ISB, Masjid as-Saffat, and Masjid Muhammad, would be frequent. In 1973, for instance, an “Egyptian brother” was reported holding Arabic courses at Masjid as-Saffat (almost certainly Dr. Awad). Meanwhile, African American Muslims frequented ISB’s meetings at Shaffer Hall.
Of many influential names during the ’70s, among them are Dr. Shoukat Yusuf Khan, one of ISB’s early imams, and Dr. Javaid Shafi, president of the Association through the late ’70s.
Dr. Shafi was a defining figure of the community in this period. Among numerous stories that may be highlighted, Dr. Shafi brought a Burmese Muslim he met in Pakistan back to the U.S., to help preach Islam to Baltimore’s Muslim communities.
Hafiz Kasim Burmi teaches Arabic to congregants at Masjid Muhammad. He helped bridge the gap between immigrant and Black Muslims in Baltimore.
In 1979, the first joint Eid prayer of Baltimore’s various Muslim communities was reportedly held at Masjid Muhammad.12
Olushola Gross leads a joint Eid prayer at Masjid Muhammad, 1979.12
Among ISB’s programs at Shaffer Hall was a Sunday school. They used two floors for classes, despite only being given one room. One of ISB’s Sunday school teachers—Muhammad Aslam—drove weekly from his residence in Philadelphia to teach there. He resigned as a Major in the Pakistani Army to devote his life to missionary work in the U.S..13
By the early ’80s, coinciding with the construction of Masjid Al-Rahmah, sectarian issues began to plague leadership in the organization. The presidency was handed to Dr. Mahmud Thamer, a respected, neutral party. He helped progress the organization through a number of reforms.
Dr. Mahmud Thamer made a number of reforms as president in the early '80s. Photographed here in 2003.14
Public awareness
The context in which Muslim immigrants lived during the ’60s and ’70s was far different from today, and the founders recall how nobody knew Islam at the time.
"My boss was one of the best person [sic] I have met in my life, and he would say 'This time is a meeting here in the office.' I said, 'This time we have our Jumma player.' He said, 'You come at this time.' I said, 'I don't know when they will finish.' He said, 'Okay. You come any time you want to.' Very nice. Masha'Allah. Very nice. Very nice. Very nice. Yeah, and they would respect my food. Hardly ever I had any discrimination. Hardly ever."
— Dr. Shami
In terms of food, there were no halal shops to purchase Islamically-permissible zabiha, or ritually-cut, meat. Muslims would purchase from a certain local individual who raised the animals at his own home.
Members of the Black Muslim community recall resorting to kosher meat.
“There were no halal establishments back then, in 1971. What we would do is we ate kosher. We would go to the, there was a Jewish supermarket called Shapiro’s, in the upper part of Restierstown Road. And we would go there and purchase our meats.”
— Imam Maalik
Public awareness of Islam would soon change. Dr. Syed personally recalls a turning point in 1977 during the Hanafi Siege, a hostage-taking carried out by former Nation of Islam members in a feud with the group. Of their demands was the cancellation of the premiere of The Message, which they believed to depict Prophet Muhammad (SAW).
The pattern of negative press in America surrounding Muslims was sharply intensified in 1979, during the Iranian hostage crisis.
Modern ISB land
ISB’s attention had originally been drawn to its present-day Baltimore County property by a man named Sabir Rahman, who worked in real estate. He informed ISB of the availability of the 8-acre lot. They had evaluated a number of other spots to lay their roots, including churches on North Avenue—in Baltimore—but were ultimately averted by a lack of parking space.
The settlement for the property was made in 1976, in the name of Mushtaq Khan, for $34,000. It would be another six years before enough funds were raised to begin construction, ensuing from 1982–83.
Families gather at ISB's new land prior to the construction of Masjid Al-Rahmah, early 1980s.
The mosque opened its doors in the early 1980s. The name Masjid Al-Rahmah was adopted by Imam Adam El-Sheikh. It would be the first purpose-built mosque in Maryland—the fourth overall after Masjid as-Saffat, Masjid ul-Haqq, and Masjid Al Muminiin, another convert-led mosque in Baltimore.
Here, it quickly grew into a pillar of the local Muslim community, becoming one of the largest and most defining mosques in the region. Its growth continues to the present-day, remaining at its core a place for prayer and learning. In recent years, it has served as a springboard for many other mosques in surrounding counties.
Reactions to growth
HasanHow did it feel watching the mosque grow from its beginnings into what it is today?
Dr. SyedI am very very happy because I am one of the founders of this masjid. It's like a baby growing—you know, big. If you are a father, and you see your child growing, and you know becoming a doctor or engineer. You feel proud and happy, correct?
HasanWhat was your reaction to seeing President Barack Obama visiting in 2016?
Dr. SyedI was very very happy to watch him on the TV.
HasanOh, you watched it on TV?
Dr. SyedYes. And as I told you in 1995, I gave a Jummah khutbah there.
HasanSo, you visited in 1995? Was that the last time you visited the mosque?
Dr. SyedExactly, correct.
HasanOkay, so what was your reaction then, seeing [the mosque], after what, 20 years?
Dr. SyedI met a couple of people. Oh I met them, still they were alive. Maybe Dr. Azim Khan was there, and a couple of people were there. I was very happy to see a school. There was an indoor playground and there were houses built for the Muslim and the Imam—something like that.
HasanYeah. Those houses are still here today, and the school's still running. I actually attended it.
Dr. SyedGreat. You know, I felt very very happy that it was just a dream come true. Subhan'Allah. Yeah, Subhan'Allah. That's the words I want to use: a dream come true.
I asked the same question to Dr. Shami, who was one of the oldest of those original members. The generational divide between us was profound. He gave the following response:
HasanHow does it feel for you, seeing the growth?
Dr. ShamiWell, it is not how I feel. It is how by Allah feels that—who did what and what was the extension, the [?], the sincerity. So that's what counts. And, yeah, we see this thing, and then there is a proverb in our Urdu language that, 'Do a good deed and throw [it] into a gushing river.' نیکی کر، دریا میں ڈال. Do a good deed and throw [it] into a gushing river, you will never see it.
HasanSubhan'Allah.
Dr. ShamiThis is very hard to do. Very hard to do. The ego, the nafs is the one which will ask you to remember, 'Oh, you did this thing. Oh, you did this thing.' And, just do good things, and for that, never look back.
Notes
a.
A number of acts, specifically the Immigration Act of 1917, the Emergency Quota Act of 1921, and the Immigration Act of 1924, contributed to Asian exclusionary policies of the early 20th century. The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 would place quotas on Asian immigration, which would still be heavily restricted until the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965.
b.
A major factor resulting in this demise were the WW1-era immigration restrictions that cut off the supply of immigrants. Most would either assimilate or return home. What is likely the last-standing organization from this wave of Arab immigration is the American Moslem Society, which has operated the Dearborn Mosque in Michigan continuously since 1937. Other contenders, like the Mother Mosque of America in Iowa (1934) and the Powers Street Mosque in Brooklyn (1931) still exist but had been sold or fell into disuse for decades.
c.
The nearest Sunni mosque to Baltimore would have been D.C.’s Islamic Center, dedicated by President Eisenhower in 1957. It operated as a rigid diplomatic institute rather than a community-led institution—though it did hold regular prayers. Azim Khan relates driving to D.C. for Eid prayers through the ‘70s.
d.This is in regards to Sunni Islam. Ahmadi Muslims had an earlier established presence in the U.S. than Sunni Muslims, due to a number of early-20th century missionaries. A small Ahmadi center existed in Baltimore as early as 1962, operating at 716 N. Fremont Avenue, headed by a Samir Sultaan.2
e.
None of the founders interviewed were able to recall how exactly Dr. Sakr had become connected with the founding members living on Sarril Road, but they do remember him visiting during early formative meetings.
f.
At least two others at the Sarril Road Apartments would become involved shortly after founding: Mohammed Ghazi and Nawaz Khattak.
g.
I was unable to identify the Muslim professor who granted ISB permission to use their campus through oral records nor University Archives. This anecdote was provided solely by Azim Khan, who did not know the professor's name.
h.
Likely the earliest Sunni Muslim missionary to the U.S. was Sudanese missionary Satti Majid, who was in the U.S. from about 1904 to 1929 in Detroit, Pittsburgh, New York City, and Buffalo. His teachings influenced the creation of Brooklyn’s State Street Mosque in 1939, where many African Americans would convert to Islam. Other Black Sunni groups would arise during this period, primarily through the influence of Ahmadi missionaries.
i.
The notion of this culture being present in Baltimore in the late ’60s is in reference to anecdotes surrounding the three men who registered ISB in 1969—Yusuf El-Abdullah, Salativel Bey, and Ali Tabu Holley.
j.
Experiences are anecdotal, and, of course, vary from person-to-person. In general, however, the late ’60s was a developing period for convert communities in Baltimore—these statements may not apply within just a couple years’ time.
k.
The 1970 donation receipt, featured prior in the article, displays a signature from the ISB Treasurer, signed by El-Abdullah.
l.
In an example from early ’60s New York City, African American congregants of the Sunni-based State Street Mosque split and created an entirely new movement, the Dar ul-Islam, desiring a focus on using Islam to uplift downtrodden Black communities in the city. By the late ’60s, these influences would dissolve, and their movement became strictly Sunni.16
m.
According to Imam Maalik, prior to their formal conversion, members of the Black Man’s Development Center were Muslim only by identity. Only one of those men had been Muslim at the time. This would be Colonel Mahdi, who worked at D.C.’s Islamic Center.
2.
Moses J. Newson, “Pakistani Says Muslims in U.S. Misrepresent Islam,” Afro-American (Baltimore), May 5, 1962, p. 17. ProQuest Historical Newspapers.
3.
Baltimore Museum of Industry Archives, BGE38380, Sarril Apartments, Frankford Ave and Force Road, 1963.
5.
William C. Hamilton, Exterior view of Shaffer Hall, September 8, 1965. Johns Hopkins University Sheridan Libraries, Johns Hopkins University Graphic and Pictorial Collection.
14.
Michael Dibari Jr., photograph of Mahmud Thamer, April 3, 2003. Associated Press (Alamy ID 542913818). Licensed for digital editorial use, Order 144184834.
