1477 Sydenham Road, Kingston, ON
1477 Sydenham Road, Kingston, ON
Recently stopped by at this mosque to pray Asr while on my way to Toronto. It was freezing cold that day and I certainly did not appreciate the cold water I had to do wudu with. Given that they pride themselves as a masjid which caters to travellers, I would have thought they had warm water. The washrooms were not that clean either. The masjid interior was quite interesting but pleasant. It was empty when I visited but I couldn't help notice a lack of barrier between the women's section and men's section. In a relatively small masjid, that could be an uneasy thing. It is disappointing that they do not cater to all Muslims and only to those who are of a liberal inclination.
I grew up in this masjid, although I no longer live in Kingston. It's very friendly and welcoming, and has always tried its best to adhere to Islamic principles while being as accommodating as possible to all of those who come through its doors. The masjid recently hired a young Imam by the name of Sikander Hashmi, who I think is a great fit for this masjid, and embodies what the identity of a Canadian Muslim should be, in my opinion. The fact that there is only one masjid in Kingston tells you what a good job this masjid has done of bringing together Muslims from different walks of life, as well as from different interpretations. I think this masjid can serve as a model for many other masjids in Canada, especially as it has done a good job of keeping positive relations with non-Muslims in the area. The masjid has plenty of parking, a large women's space, and many activities each week, and is democratically governed.
They recently put up an unnecessary divider blocking the womens view of the Imam. It looks like this place is slowly steering away from it's inclusive, traditional origins to taking a more saaalafist approach.
Beautiful masjid.
Clean, easily accessible off the 401, lots of parking and open for drop-in (great for travellers passing through Kingston needing a place to pray).
A beautifully constructed masjid in the heart of Kingston. A huge main hall and prayer area, and a welcoming community.