The Islamic Center of Charlotte (ICC), originally the Islamic Society of Masjid Al-Islam, opened its doors to the community in 1988. It was the first Muslim community center in Charlotte. The ICC offers many Islamic services and events that build community amongst Muslims and non-Muslims.
Back in 1988, the Charlotte Muslim community was small, with only two or three mosques in the area. A group of Muslim Charlotteans, numbering around 1,000, was praying and meeting in apartments and various other locations. Recognizing the need for a dedicated space, the group purchased a former church at 1700 Progress Lane in Charlotte and converted it into the Islamic Society of Masjid Al-Islam.
In 1992, the governing body of the organization changed its name from the Islamic Society of Masjid Al-Islam to the Islamic Center of Charlotte. Today, the ICC comprises three parts: the mosque located on Progress Lane in Charlotte, the Charlotte Islamic Academy, and the Al-Nour Community Center. The Muslim population within Charlotte continued to increase, so much so that ICC realized in 2005 that they were outgrowing their current mosque and needed more space. In the Islamic faith, you never leave a mosque; you maintain the current space and expand into a new area. In 2006, the ICC purchased 20 acres of land in east of Charlotte, just outside the city limits, for the Al-Nour Community Center. Roughly 500 people use the mosque and space on Progress Lane.
The Al-Nour Community Center was completed in 2020. It uses 4.2 of the 20 acres of land. The community center has a small mosque, a gymnasium, and event spaces. There’s a cricket field on the premises, and the community center is rented to whoever needs it for events and activities. The gymnasium is often used for basketball, indoor soccer, and volleyball. The community center also serves as an election-day polling location. Nearly 500 people use the community center per service; services like prayer happen five times daily.
Another integral part of the Islamic Center of Charlotte is the Charlotte Islamic Academy. Established in 1994, the academy initially shared space with the mosque on Progress Lane before expanding and renting a space in Harrisburg. Today, it is located at 5500 North Tryon Street and educates 250 students from pre-K-12, representing diverse ethnic backgrounds. The academy is a Cognia-accredited school, offering a curriculum that includes the North Carolina Standard Course of Study, Islamic Studies, Arabic language, and athletic activities.
Today, there are approximately 50,000 Muslims in the Charlotte metropolitan area. The Islamic Center of Charlotte has continued to grow steadily with the population. The ICC is governed by a community-registered general assembly and a Board of Directors elected by the general assembly. Those two groups work together to ensure the ICC continues to grow and provide for the community by helping needy families of all faiths and ethnicities.
The ICC is mostly volunteers, with only two to three full-time employees. A volunteer primarily with the Charlotte Islamic Academy said he volunteers “for the Sake of God, basically, and trying to contribute back to our community and help the needy.” Nael Abodabba, a 14-year volunteer with the Al-Nour Community Center, mentioned that their “message is very simple: stay balanced, stay in the middle, always look at things optimistically.” The ICC is open to everyone; all are welcome to attend services and listen.
