Masjid Al-Farooq, also known as The Islamic Center of East Kentucky, is a Sunni mosque located in Prestonsburg, Kentucky. This mosque welcomes people of all backgrounds and primarily conducts services in English, making it accessible to a wide range of worshippers.
The mosque offers separate prayer spaces for men and women, ensuring a comfortable environment for all. Additionally, it provides Odhu facilities for women, allowing them to perform ablutions conveniently on the premises. Although the exact number of entrances is not specified, rest assured that there are ample access points for easy entry.
While specific information about wheelchair amenities is not provided, the mosque strives to be inclusive and accessible to individuals with mobility challenges. It is advised to contact the mosque directly for any specific needs in this regard.
The mosque holds daily prayers, focusing on the five obligatory prayers prescribed in Islam. It also conducts Jumu’ah prayers, which are special congregational prayers held on Fridays. Worshippers can rely on the Masjid Al-Farooq to provide a religious space for regular prayers and important congregational gatherings.
In summary, Masjid Al-Farooq is a welcoming Islamic center in Prestonsburg, Kentucky. As a Sunni mosque, it offers prayer services in English and ensures separate prayer spaces for men and women. With its dedication to serving the community, this mosque provides a comfortable environment for individuals to connect with their faith through daily and Jumu’ah prayers.
The Islamic Center of Eastern Kentucky (ICEK) has served the Muslim and surrounding communities of Easter Kentucky since 1995 and is located in Prestonsburg, KY. The prayer building is Masjid al-Farooq, named after companion of the Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings be upon him Omar al-Farooq. The idea for an Islamic center began with six local Muslims in 1995. Before Masjid al-Farooq was built, a local Muslim provided space for prayer in a house in the Prestonsburg area. The application for non-profit status was initiated at that time and was recognized by the IRS on January 31st 1996. In that same year land was purchased and donated to ICEK to begin the project of building Masjid al-Farooq. At that time, the land that the masjid was built upon had not yet been incorporated into the Prestonsburg city limits, but was included several years later. Chris McCoy, an architect who now specializes in designing masjids, took on the project of designing the masjid pro bono. This was his first masjid project and since then he has been employed in designing masjids all over the United States.
Construction on Masjid al-Farooq began at the end of 1996 and lasted approximately two years at the end of 1998. The street that leads from Big Branch of Abbot up to a number of houses that were eventually build above the masjid was registered with the Prestonsburg City as Masjid Ave. The masjid itself bears the address 8 Masjid Ave, Prestonsburg, KY 41653. The subdivision of houses bears the name Darussalam. The inauguration of the masjid was held at the end of March 1999/Dhul Hijja 1419 in which the Eid al-Adha prayer was performed. Roger Blair, a local builder, cleared the land and headed the construction of the masjid. A couple of years after the completion of the masjid, a Muslim cemetery was designated and completed on the top of a hill overseeing the masjid. Simultaneous to this, a school building was constructed and designated as the community Madrasah and was completed in 2000. The Madrasah housed a full-time homeschooling program that employed three local teachers. A vibrant weekend Islamic school program was run by local Muslim families. At its height there were as many as forty-five students in this weekend school. The homeschool program was a K-12 program that graduated around nine students from its high school.
Slowly the Muslim population of Prestonsburg and surrounding cities declined. This led to the closing of the homeschool in 2010. The weekend Islamic school kept going until Covid, closing in 2020. The masjid shura sought to repurpose the Madrasah due to declining use as a school. In 2016 an industrial kitchen was added to the Madrasah and several rooms were remodeled. This was meant to facilitate larger group events possibly from outside of Prestonsburg. One yearly program that has used the Madrasah is the gathering of Indonesian Muslims who hold an Islamic conference with social activities attended by as many as one hundred people. In 2022 several lots opposite the masjid parking lot were donated to ICEK which many in the future function as the site of additional buildings or an extended parking lot.
ICEK continues to be a center of Muslim life and worship in the larger Eastern Kentucky area. Over the past twenty years or so the attendance at the Friday prayer has remained relatively consistent despite the decline of Muslim families living in Prestonsburg. This is because the number of Muslims in surrounding cities has increased, particularly Pikeville, KY. This points to the sense in which ICEK is an Islamic center for the larger Eastern Kentucky area. ICEK regularly hosts students and guests at Masjid al-Farooq who come to learn about Islam.
