The Islamic Foundation, Inc. was established in 1989 and started with Taraweeh prayers held in the basement of Brother Mohammad Jaffar’s home. This led to regular five daily prayers and Islamic classes at the basement of Brother Mohammad Khaleel’s home. In 1990, the foundation moved to a newly purchased home in Queens Village, where the basement was generously donated for the month of Ramadan. The Islamic Foundation was later granted permission from the City of New York to use an elementary school for Saturday classes for children, though this was expensive. The foundation also hired the YMCA building for Masressa classes, Eid prayers, and other annual programs.
On September 30th, 1992, the present building was purchased and renovated to include a prayer area on the second floor and a Madressa, kitchen, washroom, and other facilities on the first floor. The site also owns an adjacent lot for future expansion, which is currently used as a paid parking lot for cars. The 103 precinct and the Department of Traffic have allowed three hours of free parking on 161st and 162nd Streets from Hillside to Jamaica Avenue on Fridays and special occasions.
The building has a capacity of approximately 421 people and is a brick and cement block, two-story building located between Hillside and 89th Ave. It is easily accessible by subway (F & E train to Parsons Blvd.) and bus. The Imam and General Director of the Corporation, Imam Abdul Azeem Khan, is a prominent leader in the community. He comes from a religious background where his ancestors were Imams and served Masjids in Guyana South, America. Before coming to the Islamic Foundation, Imam Khan worked as a computer specialist for the Demerara Bauxite Company and was involved with the Anjuman Hifazatul Al-Islam and Sunnatul Jamaat in the Bronx. He has contributed to the Masjid as an entrepreneur, arranging educational and Dawah programs and playing a significant role in cleaning up the neighborhood from drugs and prostitution.
The police department and Assemblyman William Scarborough have commended Imam Khan, the Board of Trustees, and other community activists for their efforts in improving the area. The Muslim community has received recognition for their work, including a third-place award in IPA 2004’s “Best Feature: Cleansing the Neighborhood” category, a citation of honor from the president of the borough of Queens in 2009, a proclamation from the president of the borough of Queens in 2018, and a recognition of excellence from the Masjid Ash-Shura in 2018. A church has also been opened across the street from the Masjid, and the pastor is cooperative with the foundation’s activities, including those during Ramadan. The Muslim community owns several buildings in the area, which are being rented.