BNHA Masjid Al Haqq

The Islamic community has been a part of Baltimore since 1943. In 1956, Baltimore’s Masjid was established as Muhammad’s Temple of Islam No. 6 of the Nation of Islam. First located at 1000 Pennsylvania Avenue, in 1959 the Temple moved to 514 Wilson Street. Upon the death in 1975 of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, leader of the Nation of Islam, the Nation transformed itself. Temple No. 6 adopted Sunni Orthodox practices, including services in Arabic, identical to services in the Middle East and ultimately renaming the organization to “masjid.”

The masjid is Baltimore’s oldest continuously used Islamic place of worship. The large half-block structure is of a two-story square design with a stone facing on the first floor. The building was first constructed as the Keystone Livery Stable around 1880 and has also served as a garage and hub for aluminum manufacturers.

Masjid Al Haqq serves as a center stone for Islamic influence and guidance. The well-established and active Islamic community has created a school, redeveloped houses, and opened a soup kitchen in Old West Baltimore. The followers of Islam have become well known for their contributions to the surrounding neighborhoods, and in 1989 Baltimore Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke proclaimed May 7, 1989 as “Islamic Community Day” and Wilson Street as “Islamic Way.”