🤲 Building the Future Home of McLean Islamic Society

Our community has grown beyond the limits of our current basement Musalla, but our vision has only just begun. Together, we are raising $8 million to establish a permanent home for McLean Islamic Society—a place where generations will gather to worship, learn, serve, and grow in faith.

This campaign is dedicated to one goal: building a permanent Masjid that will be the heart of our community for years to come. Every donation is an investment in a lasting legacy—a home where we will continue to Connect, Educate, and Elevate future generations.

Help us build the future home of McLean Islamic Society. Be part of the building blocks that will shape our community for generations to come.

Not convinced yet? Here's our story.

“The mosques of Allah are only to be maintained by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, establish prayer, give zakah, and do not fear except Allah.”
(Qur’an 9:18)

🌱 A Masjid That Began With a Simple Need

In 2016, a small group of families in McLean began dreaming of something simple.

A local space where families could gather, children could learn, and faith could grow together.

That vision slowly turned into action.

By 2017 and 2018, prayer began in a modest basement space. In 2019, McLean Islamic Society officially became a nonprofit Masjid.

That same year, our youth helped remove old carpet and install new tiles — laying a literal foundation for a growing community.

Then Covid arrived.

The Prophet ﷺ said:“Whoever builds a Masjid for Allah, Allah will build for him a house in Paradise.”
(Bukhari & Muslim)

🌙 From Survival to Revival

Covid paused our momentum for nearly a year. When we returned, something beautiful happened.

Family Night grew from 7–10 people in 2022 to nearly 100+ attendees monthly in 2026.

Our Jumu‘ahs grew from just a handful of worshippers to nearly 90–100 per prayer every week.

Families returned. Children gathered. Faith found its home again.

“Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change what is within themselves.”
(Qur’an 13:11)

🌟 Growing Programs. Growing People.

Today, MIS serves tens of families and dozens of children through:

• Faithful Stars Tarbiyah Program (now waitlisted)
• Quran Night & Communal Events
• Monthly Family Nights
• Community Halaqas
• Children’s Learning Initiatives

Our Programming Team Lead joined with a fresh perspective, bringing new energy and innovative ideas to grow and strengthen our community.

Alongside this, Ilm on Wheels — our Masjid library — has grown from zero books to 800+, serving over 70 families who come from near and far. As one of the few Masjid-based libraries in the entire DMV area, it uniquely connects local McLean families with visitors from across Northern Virginia & Maryland, creating a vibrant hub of learning and community.

A recent author event brought mostly new families, many of whom immediately wanted to join our community.

This is what happens when access meets intention.

The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever travels a path seeking knowledge, Allah will make easy for him a path to Paradise.”
(Tirmidhi)

⚠️ Our Current Space Is Holding Us Back

Our Masjid operates in a basement of an office building.

Being underground creates challenges like humidity and sewage odors. More importantly, the space itself is limiting.

We currently have:

• No dedicated community room — meals, crafts, and family activities happen on prayer carpets, requiring constant setup and cleanup and limiting what programs we can offer.

• No kitchen — all food must be prepared offsite, increasing costs and preventing us from hosting regular community meals or youth programming with ease.

• No storage — supplies are scattered wherever space can be found, creating clutter and slowing down every event setup.

• No built-in AV infrastructure — every program requires temporary equipment setup and breakdown, making consistency and quality difficult.

• No permanent projection or recording setup — Khutbahs and classes cannot be reliably recorded or shared, despite frequent community requests.

• No sound separation between rooms — lectures, children’s activities, and prayers overlap, limiting simultaneous programming.

• No exterior signage — new families struggle to find us, and our presence in McLean remains largely invisible.

• Only shared parking— Friday prayers and events regularly strain capacity, creating congestion and limiting attendance.

Children’s crafts and meals happen on prayer carpets.
Our library cannot expand.
Everything must be set up and taken down repeatedly.

As the community continues to grow, these limitations are becoming urgent.

“Allah does not burden a soul beyond that it can bear.”
(Qur’an 2:286)

🌍 Why This Matters

We are committed to remaining in McLean.

Families have built their lives here. Children are growing here. Relationships are forming here.

Our hope is to establish a permanent Masjid home in McLean for our growing community and future generations.

With your support, we can.

🤲 Donate

Every contribution — large or small — becomes part of this Masjid’s legacy.

You are supporting:

• Daily prayers
• Children’s tarbiyah
• Quran programs
• Community gatherings
• Knowledge initiatives
• A growing Muslim presence in McLean

“The example of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is like a seed which grows seven ears; in every ear a hundred grains.”
(Qur’an 2:261)

🤲 Final Call

This is about more than square footage.

It’s about giving children a place to belong.
About elders having somewhere to pray nearby.
About knowledge being accessible.
About faith having a home.

The Prophet ﷺ taught us that whoever builds a Masjid for Allah, Allah builds for them a home in Jannah.

💛 Connect. Educate. Elevate.

By supporting Heart of the Community, you are helping us:

Connect families to faith and to one another.
Educate the next generation through tarbiyah, Quran, and knowledge.
Elevate our community by giving Islam a permanent home in McLean.

Your donation today becomes someone’s prayer tomorrow.
A child’s first Quran lesson.
A family’s sense of belonging.

Be part of this moment.
Be part of the Heart of the Community.