From the old mill cities along the Merrimack River to the quieter roads of Topsfield, Muslim life north of Boston lives in a string of masjids, weekend schools and family-run kitchens. Here is a guide to where the community prays, learns and eats.

Where to pray

One of the region's longest-standing anchors is the Islamic Society of Greater Lowell in Chelmsford. It began at UMass Lowell, moved to Chelmsford in 1993 and spent years on Stedman Street before moving in February 2019 to a former gym at 5 Courthouse Lane with about 27,000 square feet. Today ISGL holds daily prayers, two Jumuah prayers, a weekly school for young people and a new adult hifz program for ages 18 and up. ICNA Relief also offers services there, including a halal food pantry on the third Saturday of each month.

In Methuen, Selimiye Mosque at 105-A Oakland Avenue was founded in 1995 by Turkish immigrants. It now serves Muslims from around the world, and its website promises, "Our doors are always open!"

The Islamic Society of Greater Haverhill, a registered nonprofit since 2014, runs the Haverhill Masjid at 36 Amesbury Road. During Ramadan 2026 it held nightly prayers, and WHAV reported that organizers expected more than 120 worshippers a night from across the Merrimack Valley and southern New Hampshire. Its Eid al-Fitr prayer on March 20 was planned for Northern Essex Community College.

The Andover Islamic Center at 204 Andover Street, Suite 201, holds Jumuah at 1 p.m., a Friday halqa with a community dinner, Quran and hifz classes, and counseling. It is also raising money to expand. In Topsfield, the Northshore Islamic Center at 430 Boston Street, Suite 208, says it was founded because the area had no dedicated space for Muslims, especially young people, to learn and connect. It offers Friday prayer and a weekly halaqa.

Peabody and Salem residents can pray at Masjid us Salam (35 Lynnfield Street, Lynn), whose Islamic Society of the North Shore says it serves Peabody, Salem and other nearby towns.

Schools and youth

The Andover Islamic Center's Sunday school takes children ages 6 to 13, and Haverhill's Al Hidaya Sunday School welcomes children from age four. For full-time study, The Islamic Academy for Peace in Methuen teaches pre-K through grade 8 in the former Oakland Avenue School, which it has leased from the city since 2001. Its students have won honors at the state FIRST LEGO League championship. After a packed meeting in April 2026, the Methuen City Council voted unanimously to approve the academy's offer to buy the building.

A community of many roots

Selimiye has Turkish roots, Lowell has long welcomed refugees from Somalia, Iraq and Syria, and ISGL's 2026 community iftar served Indo-Pak food. The local food scene reflects that mix, with Lebanese, Egyptian, Moroccan and South Asian kitchens.

Interfaith ties and hard moments

More than 150 people came to ISGL's annual community iftar in March 2026. Guests included members of the Greater Lowell Interfaith Leadership Alliance, state legislators, police and fire representatives, and local school staff. In 2021, the Andover Islamic Center partnered with West Parish Church to hold its Eid al-Fitr celebration outdoors in the cemetery, a space large enough for everyone.

The past year has also brought worry and grief. In March 2026, with the U.S. and Israeli war on Iran unfolding during Ramadan, ISGH president Yousef Tayab told The Eagle-Tribune that the society is nonpolitical, but that the war had put fear of attacks on places of worship at the front of his mind. In August, Andover residents Samir Naili, 35, and his 8-year-old daughter Kashmira were killed in North Reading. An allegedly drunk driver struck their car while it was stopped at a red light on Route 28. Hundreds attended prayers for them at the Andover Islamic Center. "All the community was mourning," Imam Umar Ahmad told The Boston Globe.

Where to eat and shop

In Methuen, Yalla Grill (169 Merrimack Street) is listed as fully halal on Zabihah, and its menus say it serves halal food. Halal Brothers International Food Market (436 Broadway) is a grocery and butcher shop selling halal meats along with Middle Eastern and Turkish foods. In Haverhill, The Charcoal Pit Mediterranean Grill (84A Emerson Street) says on its Facebook page that it serves halal food, and Habiburrito (61 Kenoza Avenue) describes itself as halal on its delivery listing. Lowell has Paradise Biryani Pointe (1689 Middlesex Street) and Egyptian Grill (272 Riverside Street), both listed as fully halal on Zabihah, and Food Basket International (123 Church Street) says it sells halal meats. On the North Shore, Blue Fez (118 Washington Street, Salem) serves Moroccan food and is listed as fully halal on Zabihah. Halal status can change, so ask when you order.

Find more listings at https://masshalal.com/restaurants and https://masshalal.com/markets, and masjid details at https://masshalal.com/mosques. Check each masjid's website for current prayer times.

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