Dar al-Hijrah
| Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center | |
|---|---|
Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center; 2010
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| Basic information | |
| Location | Seven Corners area of unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, USA |
| Geographic coordinates | 38°51′41″N 77°08′48″W / 38.8614°N 77.1466°WCoordinates: 38°51′41″N 77°08′48″W / 38.8614°N 77.1466°W |
| Affiliation | Islam |
| Country | United States of America |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Mosque |
| Status | Active |
| Leadership | Imam Shaker Elsayed |
| Website | www |
| Architectural description | |
| Architectural type | Mosque |
| Architectural style | Islamic |
| Completed | 1991 |
| Construction cost | $5 million |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 5,000 (inside) |
| Minaret(s) | 1 |
The Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center (Arabic: مركز دار الهجرة الاسلامي, English: Land of Migration) is an open mosque in Northern Virginia. It is located in the Seven Corners area of unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
Founded in 1982 by a group of mostly Arab university students, it is one of the first masjids to be established in Northern Virginia, near Washington, D.C.. It is also one of the area's largest and most influential mosques.
The Saudi-backed North American Islamic Trust (NAIT) purchased the mosque's grounds on June 19, 1983. The mosque was first established in a house that is still on the Center's campus, and now serves as a food bank. The current building, on a 3.4 acre plot, was finished for $5 million in 1991 ($8,791,840 today) with financial help from the Saudi Embassy's Islamic Affairs Department.
In 1993 some area residents attempted to force closure of the mosque, saying it violated Fairfax County zoning ordinances. Worshipers reacted negatively, and believed the attempt was fueled by anti-Islamic bigotry.
The mosque sits at the corner of Virginia State Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) and Row Street, near a number of apartment units and single-family homes in which many Muslim families live. Numerous halal restaurants, grocery stores, and other Muslim businesses are also located nearby.
The mosque holds prayers five times daily, and Friday prayer attendance exceeds 3,000 people. In September 2004, about sixty percent of its membership was Arab, with an increasing percentage coming from countries such as Pakistan, Ethiopia, and Bangladesh.
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