Islamic Center of Washington DC

I\'ve been to a lot of mosques and had many complaints about them, but this has to be the absolute worst mosque I\'ve ever prayed in. For it being in Embassy Row, the impressive outdoor architecture, and the early history of the mosque, I was expecting something far more impressive. Instead I found the women\'s section to be more like the women\'s changing room at a badly cared for pool than is fitting for a mosque. It stunk big time, absolutely no ventilation. It was underground. I prayed quickly as I could and got out as quickly as I could. My husband also complained about the smell and was unimpressed. Another group of young women came after I did and tried to see the main prayer area but was quickly shushed out and pointed to the women\'s entrance (which is underground).

I go to the Jumma prayer on Fridays. It is a beautiful masjid especially if you get to sit in the main hall. It almost gives you a feeling of historical masajid in Muslim countries. It DOES have weekend programs but not as many as other Islamic community centers. That is because majority of the attendees are people that work but do not live in the area. It has a 45-60 minutes khutba; The first half is in Arabic and the other in English. It's 10-15 minutes walk from DuPont circle.

Salaam. This masjid is very impressive and it has a minaret that you can see from over 2 miles away. It is a historic location and its history is interesting. In my opinion, the major flaw of this masjid is that it has NO community presence. No after-school activities for kids, no organized classes (except for Arabic on Saturdays), no special speakers, etc. The Islamic Center exists as just a place to pray. Other area masjids that are half the size have organized pot luck dinners, lectures, sports activities for kids.....so it remains unclear why the Islamic Center hasn't taken a step forward. It's also true that the Islamic Center does not accommodate women very well. Say what you want about where they should pray (behind, concealed, in the basement) but the net effect is that women have NO role in this masjid. You don't see them or hear them. Insha'Allah the community surrounding the Islamic Center will grow and turn it into the type of place it has the potential to be. Allah (SWT) knows best.

Huge, well established masjid in DC. The congregation for Friday prayers is large. Khutba is in Arabic and English. all of the brothers I came into contact here are all friendly. Not sure what some of the below postings are talking about--there is ample space for women to pray.

The other reviews are outdated. I've been attending this masjid since I became Muslim in 2001. To refute a couple of points: If in doubt about anything, go to the office for help (11am-5pm)--there's always someone who speaks English there. It's closed during salah though. It the first door to your right when you come up the stairs of the premise. People are not allowed to wear shoes on the carpets. And added bonus: if u come for jumua, you get free lunch inshAllah (lamb, rice, salad). Just bring your own drink and napkins. You must be patient though and at the same time determined, there's a lot of hungry people in line... There's also a bookstore on site (cash only) with nice gifts, clothing, and books. It's the first door to the left when you come up the first stairs of the mosque premised. A very international masjid--you can find almost any language spoken there. The only one you may not find is Icelandic! Transportation: Easy 10-15 min walk from Dupont Circle metro. You can also take the N2 bus which drops you off right in front of the masjid. You can catch the bus riding back across the street. Parking is difficult to find unless you cone EARLY or have embassy connections. Expect to walk from your parking spot otherwise. Women's area: Women pray upstairs with the men on regular days. There is a wooden barrier to the right (next to the entrance/back of the mosque). On jumu'a because of large crowds, women pray on the lower level of the masjid (completely sectioned off from men). There is ample room for hundreds of women and it's clean and carpeted. It's newly renovated with zellij (mosaicwork) on the walls,and a flat screen TV with sound to hear the khutba and follow the prayers). Khutba is in Arabic and English and there is usually a short khatira after every fard salah in Arabic.

This masjid has beautiful architecture. The masjid is pretty bug but mainly only for men. I use to go this masjid for Isha and Taraweeh prayers in Ramadan while I was in D.C.

I was happy to attend Friday prayers here for a while as the khutbas were alright and the vibe of the brother in attendance, many of whom are from the nearby embassy row, was also nice and friendly. The protest (or is it a concurrent khutba?) via megaphone of some estranged group outside across the street from the masjid was sometimes distracting when I was sitting outside but it was worth the nice architecture and feel. But there is no real management or presence or public relations there and any interaction or services, if you see any at all, are way below one's expectations for this flagship, historic masjid. I had wandered into the basement to use the bathroom, which nobody seemed to be able to communicate to me its location. I mistakenly entered the woman's bathroom whose door was open, was empty and not labeled well at all. I had just stepped in when an extremely rude and vulgar man yelled and signaled me to get out as if I had committed a serious crime and as if I was from the same uncouth tribe he was. Although it is my duty to understand the cultural differences and to forgive my brother, this was the only interaction I had with anyone from the masjid or its regular attendees and it left me with a very bad feeling. I have not been back there since that incident several years ago. Most basic community masjids offer the same or better service as this masjid, which is sad considering its size and history. I recently attended the Masjid Muhammad in DC and was amazed by the grace and service of this African American mosque, not being African but being American I found that masjid to be an example. In summary it is worth going to see the masjid and perhaps attending a Jumah but offers no special connection for regular attendance whatsoever.

They have 30-40 Min juma in Arabic and 5 mins English translation. Before they built the shack next to the masjid for the over flow of women. Women use to and still do go around the back, down into the basement, where they sit on straw mats. It is not air conditioned, the sound barly works, and its near bathrooms. Mean while the men sit upstairs on plush Turkish carpets. Non Muslims can visit the masjid and walk around with there shoes on in the masjid during non peak hours but Muslim women can't sit upstairs? Interesting

Yet another Saudi-built mosque with a nondescript poorly designed annex for women and a grandiose musalla for men.