Islamic Association of Greater Detroit (IAGD) was founded in 1978 by immigrants from

South Asia South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;;;;; ...

and the

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...

. After IAGD was formed, it purchased the current property situated in the city of Avon Township. Eventually, the city name changed to

Rochester Hills Rochester Hills is a city in Oakland County, Michigan, Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the city had a total population of 76,300. It is the 14th-largest city in Michigan. The area was ...

, Michigan. On this property was a "Blue House" which was used as a meeting place and Sunday Islamic School. As the community grew and during the construction of the original mosque, IAGD rented the Larson Middle School in

Troy, Michigan Troy is a city in Oakland County, Michigan, United States. Its population was 87,294 at the 2020 U.S. census, making Troy the most populous city in the county and the 13th most-populous municipality in the state. Troy is a northern suburb of Me ...

for its Sunday School as well as community dinners. IAGD has had a tradition of holding a community dinner on the first Saturday of each month for the past 30 years. The original mosque included a prayer space, social hall, and kitchen. IAGD moved into the newly built facility in 1982.

History

IAGD (Islamic Association of Greater Detroit) has been in the

community for over 40 years. Along with the mosque, IAGD has a Montessori school, Sunday Islamic school, and a gymnasium for sports activity. Regular events include five daily prayer services, a monthly community dinner, and an annual family fair event. The structure of the masjid has gone through many phase of restructuring including a previous prayer hall and an adjacent social hall with kitchen. On November 10, 2001, IAGD opened the masjid with a significant expansion which included permanent classrooms for the Montessori and Sunday Islamic Schools, the gym, a larger social hall (rentable as Hall A, Hall B, or combined), and a large kitchen with restaurant type equipment. Plans in the next phase of building include expanding the sisters prayer area, a minaret and dome for the masjid. IAGD has a

Montessori The Montessori method of education involves children's natural interests and activities rather than formal teaching methods. A Montessori classroom places an emphasis on hands-on learning and developing real-world skills. It emphasizes indepen ...

school and daycare. The IAGD is also currently looking into the possibility of opening a full-time (K-12) Islamic school in the near future. IAGD works with parents and the youth in an annual youth summer camp
Camp Al-Hilal
which has long received the backing and support of the United Way of Michigan. In its 28th year, it brings Muslim youth together from across the metro Detroit area and the surrounding states for a weeklong camp that includes outdoor activities and lectures/discussion sessions about Islam, five daily prayers, and more. IAGD was also the home of the Michigan Muslim Basketball League
MMBL
a non-profit basketball league for 18+ men. During the season the games are held in the gymnasium every week, Saturday mornings. The current

Imam Imam (; ar, إمام '; plural: ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a worship leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Islamic worship services, lead prayers, ser ...

is Ahmed Abdur Rabb Rabbani (DB). Past

Imams Imam (; ar, إمام '; plural: ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a worship leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Islamic worship services, lead prayers, serve ...

have been

Muneer Fareed Muneer Goolam Fareed (born 1956) is a Muslim scholar and the former secretary general of ISNA (Islamic Society of North America). Biography Muneer Fareed is a South African citizen of Indian descent. He studied Arabic language and literature a ...

(currently Secretary General of ISNA), Achmat Salie, and Aly Lela.

Visits by prominent scholars

The following notable scholars have visited IAGD in the past: *

Hamza Yusuf Hamza Yusuf (born: Mark Hanson; 1958) is an American Islamic neo-traditionalist, Islamic scholar, and co-founder of Zaytuna College. He is a proponent of classical learning in Islam and has promoted Islamic sciences and classical teaching metho ...

* Abdur Raheem ibn Dawud Limboda (senior Professor of

Darul Uloom Bury Darul Uloom Al-Arabiyyah Al-Islamiyyah ( ar, دار العلوم العربية الإسلامية), better known as Darul Uloom Bury, was established in 1979 and is the oldest Islamic seminary in the United Kingdom. Located in Holcombe, Bury, i ...

). *

Muhammad ibn Adam Al-Kawthari Muhammad ibn Adam Al-Kawthari is a British Sunni Islamic scholar, jurist, mufti, researcher, founder and chief-Mufti of Darul Ifta Leicester and a teacher at Jamiah Uloom-ul-Quran Leicester. He has authored a number of books including ''Islamic ...

Zaid Shakir Zaid Shakir ( ar, زيد شاكر; born Ricky Daryl Mitchell, May 24, 1956) is an American Muslim scholar"Lonny Shavelson, Fred Setterberg", Under the Dragon: California's New Culture, Oakland Museum of California, Heyday Books, p.64, "Edward ...

Siraj Wahaj Siraj Wahhaj (born Jeffrey Kearse ( ar, سراج وهّاج), March 11, 1950) is an African-American imam of Al-Taqwa mosque in Brooklyn, New York and the leader of The Muslim Alliance in North America (MANA). Samory Rashid, Black Muslims in the ...

Faraz Rabbani Faraz Rabbani is a Pakistani-Canadian Islamic scholar, instructor in online Islamic institutes, of which he has been a developer, and the translator of books on Islamic teachings. Work Faraz Rabbani is the founder, education director, and instr ...

Abdur Rahman ibn Yusuf Mangera Abdur Rahman ibn Yusuf Mangera (born 1974) is a Sunni Islamic scholar, author, and founder of Whitethread Institute and Zamzam Academy. He authored ''Fiqh al-Imam'' and ''Healthy Muslim Marriage''. He featured in the 2020 edition of The 500 Mos ...

Tariq Jamil Tariq Jamil ( ur, , Ṭāriq Jamīl; born 1 October 1953), is a Pakistani Islamic television preacher, religious writer, scholar, and a member of the Tablighi Jamaat. The recipient of the Pride of Performance award, Jamil has been named twice i ...

* Saeed Palanpuri (current Principal of

Darul Uloom Deoband The Darul Uloom Deoband is an Islamic seminary (darul uloom) in India at which the Sunni Deobandi Islamic movement began. It is located in Deoband, a town in Saharanpur district, Uttar Pradesh. The seminary was established by Muhammad Qasim ...

References

IAGD websiteMMBL websiteCommunity Affairs CommitteeSports ActivityIAGD Parent Teacher Association (PTA)Muslim Youth of Greater Detroit (MYGD)Camp Al-Hilal
{{Coord, 42, 38, 6, N, 83, 8, 57, W, type:landmark_region:US-MI, display=title Culture of Detroit Islam in Metro Detroit Middle Eastern-American culture in Michigan Mosques in Michigan Oakland County, Michigan South Asian American culture