History
This is the journey of establishing Islamic Society of Framingham, which operates Masjid-e-Basheer and Al-Falah Islamic Institute, serving the spiritual needs of the broader Metrowest community.
20+
Years of history
and education
In the early 1990s, a visionary brother intended to establish a Masjid in the Framingham area. The goal was to establish five regular daily prayers and create a space where community members could learn the deen of Allah SWT. In 1996, this humble beginning started in an apartment on 29 Gordon Street in Framingham. The weekly Jumu’ah attendance was no more than 15-20 people, with regular prayer attendance of 5-10 members.
As the desire for regular five-time salah grew and jumu’ah attendance increased, the apartment space became inadequate. Recognizing the need for growth, we moved to a small rented location in 1999. In 2001, we welcomed Mufti and Aalim, Imam Mushtaque Qasmi, to lead Taraweeh prayers, later appointing him as our Imam. All praise to Allah SWT, this period marked the inception of our Al-Falah, founded on a commitment to providing Islamic education and nurturing the next generation of leaders. At a time when there was no teaching source in the New England area, we began with teaching the basics of Quranic recitation with proper Tajweed, instilling respect for the Quran as the word of Allah SWT. What began as a humble initiative has blossomed into a beacon of learning. Alhamdulillah, by the mercy of Allah SWT, we have nurtured numerous Huffaz and young leaders who are dedicated to serving the deen of Allah SWT. Today, many surrounding Masajid benefit from these efforts, as Quran teachers, Huffaz, and Imams—who lead Taraweeh prayers—are among the fruits of this blessed endeavor.
As our community flourished, the dream of a permanent Masjid – a house of Allah SWT – became an urgent necessity. In 2007, through perseverance and community support, we achieved a significant milestone: acquiring a permanent space for our Masjid, a testament to our dedication to serving Allah SWT.
Our journey then evolved to address youth challenges in building foundations for a sustainable vibrant community and this constant challenge for any community. To ensure we have youth voice, three young Huffaz and undergraduate students were added to our board, demonstrating our commitment to addressing youth challenges and developing future leaders.
Our journey evolved to address the challenges faced by youth in building a foundation for a sustainable and vibrant community—an ongoing challenge for any community. In 2014, we establish youth group with main purpose to have youth programs developed by youth for th youth. Alhamdhulillah youth led many programs, such as Open Mosque Day, Fundraising events for refugees and other needy causes, hoops for charity, collaborated with Framingham police to conduct Police Academy Workshop, Youth Career Planning with Framingham Town, etc. We also ensure youth voices were represented by adding youth to our board, demonstrating our commitment to addressing youth challenges and developing future leaders.
Alhamdulillah, we expanded our resources to include Imams and spiritual guides who understand the unique challenges of growing up in the West. This strengthened our spiritual leadership and reinforced our commitment to fostering a connected and spiritually vibrant community.