Alhumdulillah, Hamza Masjid, the Parkdale Islamic Education Centre (PIEC), can still be found at 1287 Queen Street West in West End Toronto.
My brother Amir needed to be in Parkdale this morning, so I took the opportunity to join him and make a 30Masjids’ stop at Hamza Masjid.
With so much time before the midday Dhuhr Prayer, it was still too early for the masjid to be open.
Nevertheless, I tried the door, maybe someone was inside doing Itikaaf, and the Masjid might yet be open?
SubhanAllah, the storefront door of the Masjid was locked at the top of this noon hour visit.
So no visit inside The Parkdale Islamic Education Centre on this, Day 24 of Ramadan 2023.
From outside then, a brief look back and an update with a photo taken from the outside…
Hamza Masjid first appeared on 30Masjids on Day 2 of Ramadan 2011 (!).
That story was one of the very first blog entries here.
Could I have imagined in Ramadan 2011, I would still be blogging about visiting 30 Masjids in 30 Days of Ramadan 13 Ramadans later in 2023?
AllahuAlam.
During my first visit in 2011, this storefront masjid was renting the main floor plus basement.
My second 30 Masjids visit was four years later,
On Day 13 of Ramadan 2015, I broke my fast inside Hamza Masjid.
That was the end of June 2015.
During Ramadan 2015, it was still a rented storefront masjid.
The process to buy the existing property was a long one.
Decision to buy the building instead of continuing to rent was made in May of 2005.
Ten years worth of fundraising later,
Shortly after Ramadan 2015, on July 31 2015, 1287 Queen Street West was fully purchased for $1.2 Million.
Donations mostly raised from low-income Muslim families and new Immigrants to Canada who settled in Parkdale, made that million dollar purchase possible.
Hamza Masjid became debt free, now operating as a Trust, an Islamic Waqf.
Today in 2023, you can’t even buy a small house in most areas of Toronto for $1.2 Million, let alone in now desirable Parkdale.
An adjacent store front would allow for more prayer space, proper prayer hall for sisters, and services found and expected for a growing congregation.
Because of the important and urgent need for more space,
Fundraising continues:
Hamza Masjid, Parkdale Islamic Education Centre, is an important institution in the History of Muslims in Toronto.
1287 Queen Street West was rented in 1999 by Sheikh Issa, who converted the retail store front into a Musallah, becoming Parkdale’s first dedicated Muslim Prayer Space.
Sheikh Issa was a quiet humble man, originally from Uganda.
An immigrant who found roundtrip walks to Jami Mosque, Parkdale’s then nearest masjid, too far to make for all five daily prayers, and did something about it.
That storefront Sheikh Issa had rented is now owned by the Parkdale’s Muslim Community.
It remains a Sadiqah Jariyah for Sheikh Issa.
Not unlike Sheikh Issa in the 1990s, many Immigrant Muslims make Parkdale their home neighbourhood today.
There are now about 1,000 Muslim Families who make Hamza Masjid their home Masjid.
As in Ramadan 2011, Hamza Masjid continues to provide free daily Iftar during the Holy Month in Ramadan 2023.
I was here last year here on Day 20 of Ramadan 2022 to pray my Dhuhr.
InshAllah, I hope to pray or Iftar here again.
