First Mosque in Toledo again to Serve Faith
-- A historic Islamic building - the first mosque in Toledo and the ninth in the United States - is coming back to life again as a house of worship.
The former Toledo Islamic Center, a two-story red brick building on East Bancroft Street near Cherry Street, was dedicated in October, 1954, and was a worship and community center for local Muslims until the congregation moved to Perrysburg Township in 1983.
The near-downtown building has been vacant for several years and was sold last month to Toledo Masjid al-Islam. It had been used most recently as a branch office for the Connecting Point youth treatment center, and prior to that housed a variety of government offices, including a food stamp distribution program.
Long gone is the mosque's distinctive copper dome that had been topped by a traditional crescent moon and star, and its arched windows have been bricked over, leaving few visual reminders of its place in local Muslim history.
But the mosque's history has not been forgotten by the local Muslim community, which has rallied to help the small congregation of Toledo Masjid al-Islam in its restoration efforts.
"We've received a lot of support from the people of Toledo," said Imam Shamsuddin Waheed. "Every mosque in town has given significant support to this project. And when I say significant support, I don't mean just verbal support. They have given generously."
The historic 3,800-square-foot building was purchased for $60,000 by Toledo Masjid al-Islam, which has been located at 828 Ewing St. in central Toledo since 1980.
Imam Shamsuddin said the congregation of 50 families raised enough to purchase the building in two months and also made donations toward a fund to cover renovation costs.
Imam Shamsuddin Waheed points out features of the building, which was purchased for $60,000. A native of Akron, he has been associated with the local congregation about a year and a half.
But many Muslims in the area who don't attend Toledo Masjid al-Islam are pitching in to help, he said. For example, one person has pledged to pay for carpeting, and another is underwriting the costs of a parking lot.
"Their efforts have really shown me the dedication of the local Muslim community," Imam Shamsuddin said.
The longtime spiritual leader of Toledo Masjid al-Islam is Imam Ibrahim S. Abdul-Rahim, but he holds a government job that requires him to travel frequently. Imam Shamsuddin, 30, a native of Akron, was hired about a year and a half ago to help provide spiritual guidance to the membership.
A week ago, Imam Shamsuddin said, volunteers knocked down office walls that had been built in the main prayer room, opening up the room where Muslims once again will gather to worship.
"It wasn't easy," he said of the tear-down project. "We had to get a professional in here to oversee it."
The Toledo Masjid al-Islam members hope to have the Bancroft Street building ready by the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins in August.
John Shousher, 81, who was president of the board of the Toledo Islamic Center when the mosque was dedicated in 1954, said last week that he was delighted the historic building is being restored.
"This was the first mosque in the state of Ohio, and we are honored and glad and blessed to have people who want to use it as a mosque again," Mr. Shousher said. "I am 100 percent for it."
He added that he would like to see another dome atop the building to replace the one that was removed.
Dr. S. Zaheer Hasan, a spokesman for the United Muslim Association of Toledo, also said the renovation was a wonderful project, and it will remind everyone of the deep roots of local Muslims.
"We wish to thank everybody who helped lay the foundation of Islam in this community," he said. "We wish to thank them for their vision and generosity in building that center in 1954."
The Toledo Islamic Center opened in 1954, and it was built for $80,000. The inspiration to build a mosque began a year earlier, when Toledo served as the host city for the 1953 convention of the International Muslim Society.
The Muslim society's leaders encouraged the local community to build its own mosque, and $5,000 was raised at the conference to provide seed money for construction.
At the time of the Toledo mosque's dedication, there were eight other mosques in the country - two in Detroit and one each in Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Michigan City, Ind.; Washington; New York City; San Francisco, and Philadelphia.
The Toledo Muslim community began outgrowing the Bancroft Street site in the late 1970s, when it purchased 48 acres of farmland in Perrysburg Township near the junction of I-75 and I-475.
The mosque moved into the striking $3 million, Mideastern-style building with twin minarets and a dome in October, 1983.
Imam Shamsuddin said members of Toledo Masjid al-Islam feel that the Bancroft Street site is a better location than the Ewing Street building, which is in a residential section of central Toledo.
They also are glad to help shine a light on local Islamic history.
"Why not keep that history going?" Imam Shamsuddin said.
Source: Toledo Blade
The near-downtown building has been vacant for several years and was sold last month to Toledo Masjid al-Islam. It had been used most recently as a branch office for the Connecting Point youth treatment center, and prior to that housed a variety of government offices, including a food stamp distribution program.
Long gone is the mosque's distinctive copper dome that had been topped by a traditional crescent moon and star, and its arched windows have been bricked over, leaving few visual reminders of its place in local Muslim history.
But the mosque's history has not been forgotten by the local Muslim community, which has rallied to help the small congregation of Toledo Masjid al-Islam in its restoration efforts.
"We've received a lot of support from the people of Toledo," said Imam Shamsuddin Waheed. "Every mosque in town has given significant support to this project. And when I say significant support, I don't mean just verbal support. They have given generously."
The historic 3,800-square-foot building was purchased for $60,000 by Toledo Masjid al-Islam, which has been located at 828 Ewing St. in central Toledo since 1980.
Imam Shamsuddin said the congregation of 50 families raised enough to purchase the building in two months and also made donations toward a fund to cover renovation costs.
Imam Shamsuddin Waheed points out features of the building, which was purchased for $60,000. A native of Akron, he has been associated with the local congregation about a year and a half.
But many Muslims in the area who don't attend Toledo Masjid al-Islam are pitching in to help, he said. For example, one person has pledged to pay for carpeting, and another is underwriting the costs of a parking lot.
"Their efforts have really shown me the dedication of the local Muslim community," Imam Shamsuddin said.
The longtime spiritual leader of Toledo Masjid al-Islam is Imam Ibrahim S. Abdul-Rahim, but he holds a government job that requires him to travel frequently. Imam Shamsuddin, 30, a native of Akron, was hired about a year and a half ago to help provide spiritual guidance to the membership.
A week ago, Imam Shamsuddin said, volunteers knocked down office walls that had been built in the main prayer room, opening up the room where Muslims once again will gather to worship.
"It wasn't easy," he said of the tear-down project. "We had to get a professional in here to oversee it."
The Toledo Masjid al-Islam members hope to have the Bancroft Street building ready by the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins in August.
John Shousher, 81, who was president of the board of the Toledo Islamic Center when the mosque was dedicated in 1954, said last week that he was delighted the historic building is being restored.
"This was the first mosque in the state of Ohio, and we are honored and glad and blessed to have people who want to use it as a mosque again," Mr. Shousher said. "I am 100 percent for it."
He added that he would like to see another dome atop the building to replace the one that was removed.
Dr. S. Zaheer Hasan, a spokesman for the United Muslim Association of Toledo, also said the renovation was a wonderful project, and it will remind everyone of the deep roots of local Muslims.
"We wish to thank everybody who helped lay the foundation of Islam in this community," he said. "We wish to thank them for their vision and generosity in building that center in 1954."
The Toledo Islamic Center opened in 1954, and it was built for $80,000. The inspiration to build a mosque began a year earlier, when Toledo served as the host city for the 1953 convention of the International Muslim Society.
The Muslim society's leaders encouraged the local community to build its own mosque, and $5,000 was raised at the conference to provide seed money for construction.
At the time of the Toledo mosque's dedication, there were eight other mosques in the country - two in Detroit and one each in Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Michigan City, Ind.; Washington; New York City; San Francisco, and Philadelphia.
The Toledo Muslim community began outgrowing the Bancroft Street site in the late 1970s, when it purchased 48 acres of farmland in Perrysburg Township near the junction of I-75 and I-475.
The mosque moved into the striking $3 million, Mideastern-style building with twin minarets and a dome in October, 1983.
Imam Shamsuddin said members of Toledo Masjid al-Islam feel that the Bancroft Street site is a better location than the Ewing Street building, which is in a residential section of central Toledo.
They also are glad to help shine a light on local Islamic history.
"Why not keep that history going?" Imam Shamsuddin said.
Source: Toledo Blade
