Islamic Center of America

What Islamic Center of America does

The Islamic Center of America (ICA) is a Shia Muslim religious nonprofit organization headquartered at 19500 Ford Rd, Dearborn, Michigan. Founded in 1949 by Sheikh Muhammad Jawad Chirri under the original name "Islamic Center of Detroit," it operates as the largest mosque in North America and serves as the primary house of worship for the Shia Muslim community in the Metro Detroit region, with multi-generational ties to local immigrant populations. Its service portfolio spans five daily congregational prayers (Fajr, Zuhr, Asr, Magrib, Isha), multiple Friday Jummah prayer timings, funeral and memorial services, and a comprehensive age-tiered educational curriculum including a Saturday Arabic School for ages 4-15, Islamic Studies for ages 16+, Teen Talk for ages 14-17, Qur'anic studies and Tafsir, a Senior Program, and contemporary-topics discussion forums. The center also runs recurring Du'a (supplication) programs and community devotionals.

The organization has no disclosed technology platform or proprietary digital infrastructure beyond a content website (icofa.com), a PayPal-integrated donation system, and a Google Calendar event listing. It runs no mobile application, has no AI or machine learning capabilities, and operates no commercial product lines. Charitable activity extends internationally through humanitarian initiatives in Syria, Iraq, Kenya, and Lebanon (including the Lebanon Relief Fundraiser), alongside a domestic capital campaign (MAYA) for mosque expansion.

The business model is donation-dependent: all religious, educational, and community services are provided free of charge, with revenue sourced entirely from voluntary congregant contributions and fundraising campaigns. There is no pricing model, no subscription or membership fee, and no disclosed headcount or institutional donor base. The leadership team comprises Sheikh Mohammad Ayad (Founder & CEO), Sheikh Ahmad Hammoud (Founder & COO), Sheikh Dr. Ibrahim Serhan Elamely (Volunteer Islamic Scholar), and Islamic Scholars Sayed Mohammad AlSaabari and Sayed Mahdi AlAmeen. Distribution is entirely through the single Dearborn physical facility, with no geographic expansion or branch network.

Name

Islamic Center of America

Legal name

Islamic Center of America

Website

https://icofa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Islamic Center of America is a Shia Muslim religious nonprofit founded in 1949 in Dearborn, Michigan, operating the largest mosque in North America to provide daily prayers, Friday Jummah services, age-tiered Islamic education, funeral services, and community charitable programs to the Metro Detroit Shia community, funded entirely by voluntary donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious and Community Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (81311)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites) (BPAGAJAL)

Keywords

• Religious services
• Mosque services
• Islamic education
• Community worship
• Charitable programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Dearborn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization operates primarily on donations from the community. Multiple fundraising campaigns are conducted including MAYA Capital Campaign, Lebanon Relief Fundraiser, and ongoing charitable initiatives supporting communities in Syria, Iraq, and Kenya. The center offers a donate button via PayPal on its website.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Islamic Center of America operates as a Shia mosque providing five daily congregational prayers (Fajr, Zuhr, Asr, Magrib, Isha), Friday Jummah sermons, and funeral services. It delivers religious education through programs including Saturday Arabic School (ages 4-15), Islamic Studies (ages 16+), Qur'anic Studies, Qur'an Tafsir, and ethics/contemporary topic discussions. The center also runs community programs for teens and seniors, hosts lectures and workshops, and conducts charitable initiatives supporting communities in Syria, Iraq, Kenya, and Lebanon.

Product overview

The Islamic Center of America operates as a religious and community center offering a unified set of services centered around Islamic worship, education, and community support. The core offerings include daily congregational prayers (Salah), Friday sermons, funeral services, and charitable initiatives. Educational programs span Arabic language instruction for children (ages 4-15), Islamic studies for teens and adults, Qur'anic studies, and specialized topics like Contemporary Topics and Ethics & Discussion. The center also provides devotional programs including various Du'a (supplication) sessions and conducts fundraising campaigns for capital improvements and humanitarian relief. The organization leverages basic digital tools for donations (PayPal) and event management (Google Calendar integration).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Daily Prayers (Salah) Five daily congregational prayers offered at the Dearborn facility, including Fajr, Zuhr, Asr, Magrib, and Isha, for the local Muslim community.
• Friday Sermon & Prayer Weekly Friday (Jum'uah) sermon and congregational prayer with multiple prayer timing options to accommodate large attendance.
• Funerals & Memorial Services Funeral and memorial services provided in accordance with Islamic tradition for the community.

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR): The largest U.S. Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Not a direct service competitor, but adjacent to ICA's community ecosystem as a national Muslim-American institution that mosques and congregants frequently interact with.

Direct peers

• Mosque Foundation: One of the largest Shia mosques in North America, located in Chicago's Bridgeview area. Directly comparable to ICA as a large Shia congregation offering daily prayers, education, and community programming to a Midwestern immigrant community.
• Al-Khoei Foundation: A major Shia Islamic center in New York providing religious services, education, and community programs. Comparable to ICA as a Shia institution serving a diaspora community with comprehensive prayer, schooling, and charitable offerings.

Emerging players

• Zaytuna College: The first accredited Muslim liberal arts college in the U.S., offering Islamic studies and Arabic language programs. Comparable to ICA's educational programs (Arabic School for ages 4-15, Islamic Studies for 16+) but operates at a higher-education, credential-granting level.
• AlMaghrib Institute: A North American Islamic education provider offering weekend seminars, Arabic, and Quranic studies. Comparable to ICA's Saturday Arabic School and Qur'anic Sciences programs in subject matter, though delivered through traveling seminars rather than a fixed facility.
• Bait-ul-Ilm / Al-Qalam Institute: Shia-focused Islamic seminaries and educational institutes serving the North American community. Comparable to ICA's adult Islamic Studies and Qur'anic Sciences programs, though operating as dedicated seminaries rather than part of a larger congregational center.

Broad incumbents

• Islamic Society of North America (ISNA): The largest umbrella Islamic organization in North America, headquartered in Indianapolis. Comparable to ICA as a large-scale Islamic institution serving the U.S. Muslim community, though Sunni-affiliated and operating at a federated rather than single-mosque level.
• Islamic Center of America (NYC area) / ICNA: Islamic Circle of North America operates a network of mosques and community programs across the U.S. Comparable to ICA in providing community-driven prayer, education, and charitable services at scale, though Sunni-oriented and decentralized.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/icofaorg
• Facebookfacebook.com/icofaorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/icofaorg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Islamic Center of America