Masjid Al Hidaya

Sheikh Mokhtar Maghraoui is the main sheikh/​imam of this masjid, with second-​in-​command Sheikh Djafer Sebkhaoui. Amazing masjid for those less concerned with the aesthetics of a mosque and most concerned with getting as much knowledge from the eloquent Sheikh Mokhtar. Very friendly community, but for those accustomed to posh masjids, be prepared– this one is a 2-​story home converted to a mosque; men pray in the main «living» and «dining» areas, women pray (during most of the year) in a smaller room on the first floor, pretty segregated. For classes, they do sit in the dining room area (all attendees can see the teacher and interact easily with the sheikh during halaqas, but there is a wall dividing the men and women). Ramadan can be challenging as the masjid is extremely popular — women pray upstairs, and there are separate rooms for women with children. You can see the imam on video through the tv that has been fixed upstairs. There are monthly community dinners and numerous iftars in ramadan. Again, cannot emphasize enough that this masjid is amazing for the purpose it serves — you can learn so much from the classes (free!) and gain so much from being a part of this warm community. For those lucky enough to get accepted, the annual retreat in the adirondacks is amazing and def something to find out more information about.