Masjid Malcolm Shabazz

Masjid Malcolm Shabazz is one of Harlem’s most historically significant Muslim institutions. The mosque traces its history to Mosque No. 7, the Nation of Islam congregation connected with Malcolm X during his years as a minister in Harlem. The present identity of the mosque was shaped after the death of Elijah Muhammad, when Imam W. D. Mohammed led many communities toward Sunni Islam. In 1976, the mosque was renamed Masjid Malcolm Shabazz in honour of Malcolm X, whose life and work remain closely tied to Harlem’s religious, political, and civil rights history.

The mosque stands on West 116th Street near Malcolm X Boulevard, placing it within one of New York’s major centres of Black cultural and political life. Its green dome and prominent corner presence make it visually recognisable in the neighbourhood. The mosque has served as a place for Friday prayers, religious education, public programmes, community organising, and interfaith engagement. Its history also reflects wider changes in African American Muslim life, from the Nation of Islam period to Sunni Muslim community leadership. Masjid Malcolm Shabazz remains important because it connects worship with Harlem’s long history of activism, migration, identity, and public memory.