About us - Al-Rawdah Mosque
The Alrawdah Mosque is one of the establishments administered by theMuslim Association of Canada (MAC) which is a non-profit association and a charitable organization.
The Al-Rawdah Mosque brings together the faithful of the community to practice their faith, spirituality, learn and share.
Enlarged to accommodate more than 1000 people, the Mosque opens its doors for daily prayers, Friday sermons, courses, religious reminders and conferences in Arabic and French offered by our imams Ahmed Kandil and Mahdi Tirkaoui and specialized guests .
Reminders in Arabic and French:
Offered mainly by our veteran Imam Ahmed Kandil, the Arabic reminders cover a variety of religious topics: Islamic jurisprudence, hadiths, stories of the companions of the prophet and are offered mainly on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings and afternoons.
Imam Mahdi Tirkaoui presents Friday sermons and reminders in French at the mosque. He is also responsible for several educational activities aimed at young people.
The month of Ramadan:
The month of Ramadan is a special time of the year. A special program is offered during the days and nights of this blessed month. Night prayers (Tarawih and Tahajjod), reminders and lectures, community meals for breaking the fast (Iftar) and before dawn (Souhour), a spiritual withdrawal program (Ietikaf), a Quran memorization competition with estimable prizes, collection and distribution of compulsory alms (Zakat-ul-Fitr), programs for young people of all ages and also for women.
The Vision
To establish a permanent Islamic presence in downtown Toronto with a mosque and facilities to meet the religious, social and intellectual needs of Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
History
Masjid Toronto, became a mosque in January 2002. Prior to that date, the building was a commercial bank - a branch of the Royal Bank of Canada.
The history of the building goes back several decades. Since the 1940s, the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) operated a branch on 168 Dundas street west. In February 1987 RBC leased the adjacent lot, 160 Dundas street west in order to expand its operations. Shortly afterward, RBC started rebuilding its location over the two lots. The existing building represents the construction done by RBC on both land lots.
For many years, Muslims working in downtown Toronto have rented various spaces to perform the congregational Friday prayer. As the Muslim population grew, it became more challenging to find a space every week to accommodate the growing congregation. By the late 90's, efforts began to acquire a building to serve as a permanent prayer space for the Muslim community.
In early 2000 the Muslim Association of Canada (MAC) started negotiations to acquire the bank building on 168 Dundas St West. By January 2002, MAC was able to finalize a lease agreement with RBC and open the building to the public as a mosque (a Muslim place of worship). The mosque was called Masjid Toronto, which means Toronto Mosque in Arabic. Payments for the building were completed in 2008.
Today, Masjid Toronto is one of the busiest mosques in the city. Large numbers of worshipers attend the mosque as it is strategically located in the downtown core, in close proximity to the Toronto financial district (Bay Street), the Discovery district, four local hospitals (Princess Margaret, Mount Sinai, Sick Kids, Toronto General) , U of T and Ryerson University.