The story of the Ottawa Mosque starts in the 1940s with the first few Muslim families in Ottawa. Surrounded by a different and new environment, the families sought to strengthen Islamic values and understanding in their children, as well as maintain their cultural awareness. To this end, the community rented out the basement of Northwestern United Church every Sunday to teach Quran, Islamic studies, and Arabic to the children, and then share a meal together.
As the community grew, the need for a Mosque in the city of Ottawa became prominent. While different options for locations and lands for this Mosque were considered, the two houses on Northwestern Avenue came with the wonderful benefit of remaining near our longtime friends and neighbors, United Church. And so, the Ottawa Mosque, the first in Ottawa and one of the first in Canada, was constructed in 1970.
The Ottawa Muslim Association (OMA) is a grass-roots, charitable Muslim organization governed by the guidance provided in the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) to serve Muslims in the Greater Ottawa region.
The Association is a non-profit and registered charity that was founded in 1965 with the purpose of strengthening fraternal bonds and brotherly relations among Muslims by acting as the focal point of the Muslim Community in the National Capital Region.
We shall work to establish and maintain the Muslim community within Canada by providing prayer and religious services, facilitating the learning of Islamic knowledge, providing social services, as well as operating and maintaining the Ottawa Mosque.