From humble beginnings to a thriving community center serving thousands of families across the Greater Toronto Area
From humble beginnings to a thriving community center
Muslims began moving to East York, the only borough in Canada. Thorncliffe Park and Flemingdon Park offered many attractive features for living, working, and doing business, leading to steady and significant growth of the Muslim population.
Approximately 25,000 Sunni Muslim families established themselves in East York, making it one of the most densely concentrated Muslim populations in Greater Toronto and one of the fastest-growing Muslim communities in North America.
For years, we rented various facilities for daily and Friday prayers, Taraweeh during Ramadan, and evening after-school programs for our children. The lack of a dedicated place of worship, religious education, and a center to meet both social and religious needs caused significant challenges in preserving Islam for current and future generations.
By the grace of Almighty Allah (SWT), the Muslims of East York purchased a property at 4 Thorncliffe Park Drive. This location was suitable for an Islamic Centre, providing religious education and serving as a hub for preaching and teaching Islam to both Muslims and non-Muslims in the community.
Beyond safeguarding the faith, we saw strong opportunities to propagate Islam to non-Muslims and defend the religion against those who occasionally, but systematically, attempted to discredit it and spread hatred against Islam and Muslims.
Alhamdulillah, we have opened our new masjid at 20 Overlea Blvd. Allah has blessed us with this beautiful new chapter for our community, with five daily prayers and all programs now functional at our new location.
Real experiences from our community members
"Beautiful masjid with a warm and welcoming community. The programs for youth are excellent and the Friday khutbahs are always inspiring. May Allah bless this place and everyone involved."
"The sisters' programs are amazing! I've learned so much and made wonderful friends. The madressa teachers are knowledgeable and patient with the children. Highly recommend for families."
"Alhamdulillah, found this gem of a masjid. The new location is spacious and clean. Brother imam is very knowledgeable and the community is like family. JazakAllah khair to all the volunteers!"
"Best Islamic center in the area! The youth programs keep my teenagers engaged and the Taraweeh prayers during Ramadan are beautiful. Great parking and accessible location too."
"MashAllah, the sports programs are fantastic! My son loves the basketball sessions. The masjid does an excellent job balancing physical activities with spiritual growth. Highly recommended!"
"The Hifz program is exceptional. My daughter has made amazing progress under the guidance of qualified teachers. The environment is nurturing and focused. May Allah reward everyone involved."
At the Islamic Society of Toronto, we are committed to serving the spiritual, educational, and social needs of the thousands of Muslim families in our community. Guided by Islamic values, our team curates and delivers a wide range of programs and classes that nurture faith, strengthen identity, and actively support every stage of community life.
The Islamic Society of Toronto envisions a united, vibrant, and diverse Muslim community rooted in faith and service. As the community around us continues to grow, we remain committed to delivering excellence in all that we offer—inviting every member to join us on a shared journey of spiritual, social, and collective growth.
Join us in building a stronger, more united community as we continue our mission to serve and grow together.