Malden sits just north of Boston, a short ride on the Orange Line, and it is one of the most diverse cities in Massachusetts. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 41 percent of Malden residents were born outside the United States, and just over half of residents age 5 and older speak a language other than English at home. The Boston Globe has reported that at least 70 languages are spoken in the city's public schools.

Inside that mix is a Muslim community that spent well over a decade building toward a permanent home of its own. This is the next stop in our town series on Muslim life across Massachusetts.

From home gatherings to a rented room

The Malden Islamic Center traces its roots to small halaqas, or study circles, held in people's homes in 2004 and 2005, according to the center's own history. On November 28, 2006, the group was officially established as the Outreach Community and Reform Center, known as OCRC, a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Its first rented space was at 22 Pleasant Street in downtown Malden, and the center says Mayor Richard C. Howard attended the opening. For years the community outgrew that space on its biggest days. The center's history and a 2020 report in the Malden Blue and Gold, the Malden High School student newspaper, both say Eid prayers were held in the Malden High School gym, and Ramadan iftars were served in the school cafeteria.

A building of its own

In April 2019, the organization reached a long-held goal and bought a permanent building in Malden to serve what it describes as a growing Muslim population in the city and surrounding towns. The building is at 405 Pearl Street.

The renovation took more than a year. The Blue and Gold reported that the grand opening was delayed for months, and that on Saturday, October 3, 2020, the center held a small ribbon-cutting ceremony with a tour of the prayer room and the classrooms used for weekend school. Mayor Gary Christenson, Police Chief Kevin Molis and city councilors attended, and the event was open to neighbors.

The paper quoted Adil Bousalem, who had first contacted Christenson about the idea about 15 years earlier, when Christenson was still a city councilor. Bousalem described the building as a celebration of years of fundraising, conversations with people across the city, and the work of board members and volunteers. The organization said at the time that it intended to change its name to the Malden Islamic Center, or MIC, which is the name it uses today.

Who prays there

In a 2021 story, Neighborhood View, a community news site, described the Malden Islamic Center as a mosque for Muslims of many backgrounds, including Moroccans, Algerians, Syrians, Palestinians, Jordanians, Pakistanis, Indians, Bosnians, Turks and American converts. The same story said the mosque had worked with ICNA Relief to distribute boxes of meat and vegetables to families in need after Friday prayers.

What the center offers

The center says it holds the five daily prayers seven days a week all year, along with Jumu'ah on Fridays, Taraweeh prayers in Ramadan and Eid prayers. Its prayer times page has listed two Friday prayers, at 1:00 PM and 2:00 PM. Times shift with the seasons, especially after the clocks change in early November, so check the center's website before you go.

For children, the center runs Al-Firdaous School, a weekend Arabic, Qur'an and Islamic studies program. Its program page lists in-person sessions on Saturdays and Sundays, some with an online component during the week, and levels from preschool through advanced, with students placed by a test. The center also lists sisters' programs and youth programs with activities, retreats, guest speakers and discussions.

Its stated mission includes promoting "friendly relations and understanding between Muslims and followers of other faiths," and teaching about the faith to Muslims and non-Muslims alike. If you're a neighbor who's curious about the masjid, contacting the center ahead of time is the best way to arrange a visit.

Halal shopping on Pleasant Street

The block where the community first rented space is still a good place to stock a halal kitchen. Safy Halal Market at 18 Pleasant Street carries Moroccan and Mediterranean groceries and a halal meat case, according to its Zabihah listing, which says a halal certificate is on file. Alsafi Supermarket at 22 Pleasant Street is listed by MuftiEats as a halal butcher and Arabic grocery. A few doors down at 12 Pleasant Street, Levant Delight is a family-run Mediterranean restaurant serving kebabs, shish tawook, shawarma and falafel; a customer review featured on its website describes the food as halal, so ask the staff to confirm.

Hours and halal status can change, so call ahead or ask at the counter before you make a special trip. That's good practice anywhere.

If you go

Malden Islamic Center
405 Pearl Street, Malden, MA 02148
Phone: (781) 605-0759
Email: info@maldenislamiccenter.org
Website: maldenislamiccenter.org

Malden's Muslim story is a familiar one in Massachusetts: neighbors who met in living rooms, borrowed a gym for Eid, saved for years, and finally opened a door on their own street. If you live nearby, stop in for a prayer, enroll a child in weekend school, or pick up dinner on Pleasant Street on the way home.