About Aiken Masjid

A Muslim organization with a masjid in Aiken was the stuff of dreams for various families who lived in Aiken during the latter part of the 20th century and the first two decades of the 21st century. Over the decades, various houses and disused churches were considered, but none was judged to fit the need for an affordable price. Aiken’s Muslims had to be content with traveling to mosques in Augusta or Columbia for weekly services and on holidays.

In mid-2021, a new Muslim Brother in town spotted a church on Trolley Line Road for sale. The location seemed good – near USC-Aiken and Aiken Regional Hospital. The price was judged affordable for facilities that met the needs. The facilities were generally sound, but required an interior facelift to be suitable for Islamic prayers, and considerable exterior maintenance would be required over a period of few years.

A group of current and former Aiken Muslims joined together to form a South Carolina non-profit corporation: Aiken Muslim Association (MA). An initial slate of officers was assembled to support the application and purchase of the property. Donations were solicited from Aiken’s Muslims and supporters from the Islamic Society of Augusta. An offer was made and was accepted by the owner of the church. On October 26, 2021, $150,000 was paid and the property now known as Aiken Masjid, with its social hall, became the property of AMA. The previous owner and pastor of the church climbed to the top of the steeple and removed the “cross” from the building. Our building was a church no more.

The next month, the officers comprising the AMA Board of Directors authorized a project to convert the interior of the church to a masjid. Beginning the first week of December 2021, the unwanted interior features of the church, including a stage and large steel baptism tank, were disassembled and removed. A team of about five brothers, aided by a few youth, cleared out the prayer space by early January 2022. The team took another month to level the floor, repair the ceiling, erect the Mihrab, paint the new features, and adjust the lighting. The last feature added in March 2022 was the carpet and pad for the prayer hall. Aiken Masjid was finally a reality; alhamdullilah!

Our first Eid al-Fitr was observed at Aiken Masjid on May 2, 2022 with an estimated 50-people in attendance.

To assure that Aiken Masjid will remain a Muslim facility far into the future, the property was deeded to North American Islamic Trust, a non-profit, wakf-type organization, on February 18, 2022.