Afgan Refugee Islamic Community of the Bay Area

A brief history of the Masjid Abu Bakr Al-Siddeeq, which is managed by the Afghan Refugee Islamic Community Center:

• January 1985: About 75 Muslims, mostly newly-arrived Afghan immigrants, organize the first Friday congregational services (Jumu’ah prayers) and daily five prayers in a leased storefront on Mission Boulevard.

• May 1988: Purchase of a 3/4 acre (32,670 sq. ft) empty lot at 29414 Mission Boulevard for $260,000 as location for Hayward’s first purpose-built masjid.

• October 1991: Approval of constitution and bylaws for Masjid Abu Bakr Al-Siddeeq. Members of Executive Committee and Board of Directors appointed.

• May 1992: Masjid Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq incorporated as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization under the umbrella name of the Bay Area Afghan Refugees Islamic Community Inc. Masjid purchases 2.75 acres of land for $900,000 for parking lot at 29414 Mission Boulevard.

• November 1995: Plans for 10,000-square-foot stucco Islamic Center submitted to the City of Hayward.

• June 1996:  Groundbreaking on new masjid after an intense $1.6 million fundraising campaign where members rattled tin cups at area mosques and solicited family and friends across the country.

• January 1997: Completion of first phase: pouring of foundation, construction of exterior of facility, and fabrication of dome.

• May 1998: Muslims in Hayward anxiously await completion of new masjid as community outgrows its temporary digs with hundreds of worshipers regularly attending Friday services at leased storefront masjid.

• February 2001: A dream realized when City of Hayward grants an occupation permit to Masjid Abu Bakr Al-Siddeeq. The new building has two prayer halls, two washrooms, an office, second-floor classroom space, a warming kitchen, a multipurpose meeting area, and parking for more than 150 vehicles. The new masjid accommodates more than 300 worshipers in the prayer halls and 673 persons in the facility.

• June 2001: More than 400 people visit the mosque’s grand opening. Visitors came from various walks of life including churches, our neighbors, local officials and police officials, and businesses and construction workers who helped build the mosque.

• May 2010: New fence erected around mosque to enclose parking lot.

• December 2010: From humble beginnings of just 300 members in the late 1980s, membership at Masjid Abu Bakr Al-Siddeeq tops 1,700 congregants.

• August 2011:  Gravel parking lot on south side of building paved with asphalt to accommodate growing parking needs. The nearly $700,000 project also includes laying utility lines for a future 300-person capacity banquet hall/cafeteria on the southeast side of the mosque property. The project expands parking capacity from 45 vehicles to more than 300 vehicles.

• October 2011: Members begin a $25,000 fundraising campaign to construct a minaret on the north side of masjid.

• November 2011: Fence erected around Iman Durani’s home as well as additional trees and shrubbery planted on east side of masjid.

Our major educational services are weekend classes for children and adults. These classes teach the Qur’an and Arabic, religious studies, as well as reading and writing lessons in Pashto and Farsi, which are the languages spoken in Afghanistan.