Background
Founded in 1982 by a group of mostly Arab university students, it is one of the first masjids to be established in Northern Virginia, near Washington, DC. It is also one of the area's largest and most influential mosques.
The Saudi-backed North American Islamic Trust (NAIT) purchased the mosque's grounds on June 19, 1983. The mosque was first established in a house that is still on the Center's campus, and now serves as a food bank. The current building, on a 3.4 acre plot, was finished for $5 million in 1991 ($8,531,639 today) with financial help from the Saudi Embassy's Islamic Affairs Department.
In 1993 some area residents attempted to force closure of the mosque, saying it violated Fairfax County zoning ordinances. Worshipers reacted negatively, and believed the attempt was fueled by anti-Islamic bigotry.
The mosque sits at the corner of Virginia State Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) and Row Street, near a number of apartment units and single-family homes in which many Muslim families live. Numerous halal restaurants, grocery stores, and other Muslim businesses are also located nearby.
Read more about this topic: Dar Al-Hijrah
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