The name Masjid Muhammad was used as synonymous with African American Muslims in America; who are the first publicly known Muslims in the United States.
There are many Masjids among the African American Muslim community that uses the name Masjid Muhammad to identify their places of worship. This is an outgrowth of assigning generic names to places of worship in the old Nation of Islam community by calling/naming them Muhammad Temple No.#. Most of these temples were established in the 1950's under the leadership of the Honorable Elijah Mohammed and they continue to flourish under the leadership of Imam Warith Deen Mohammed and serves as religious centers for all Muslims.
Masjidul Taqwa was first established under the leadership of the Honorable Elijah Mohammed by Brother Yusuf Abdullah and Brother Ahmed Majid in the early 1950’s, it was called Muhammad’s Temple #8 and later Muhammad’s Mosque #8. It was the first house of worship of Islam on the west coast and the eighth in America.
After the passing of the Honorable Elijah Mohammed, the transition into Al-Islam and the following of the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) began under the leadership of his son the late Imam W.D. Mohammed. Many of these same temples were renamed. Some masjids have taken on distinct names, such as, Malcolm Shabazz Masjid in Harlem New York, or Bilal Masjid in Cleveland. Mosque #8 was re-named "Masjidul Taqwa of San Diego" by the late W.D. Mohammed. Taqwa mean “God Conscious” in Arabic.
We believe that Islam is the best way of life to establish our individual and community life in the aftermath of slavery in America. Masjidul Taqwa follows the Qur'an, Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (saw), and the Tafseer of the late Imam W. D. Mohammed. This website tries to express the interest and culture of the African American Muslim along with the world Muslim community.
