Conceived by Muslim American students of Rutgers University in the 1970s, the ISCJ began functioning as an Islamic center in the early 1970s with modest facilities and infrastructures. Over the last thirty years, the ISCJ has become one of the most diverse and distinguished Islamic centers in America. Congressmen, Senators and Governors visit ISCJ regularly and praise it as an outstanding institution!
Apart from the five daily prayers, Ju’ma, Taraweeh and Eid prayers, the ISCJ additionally offers religious education, matrimonial burial services and so much more. With an open door policy, the ISCJ regularly invites its neighbors for Open Houses, and hosts Interfaith gatherings. Congregations from churches, synagogues and temples routinely visit ISCJ, as do students from schools, colleges and universities such as Rutgers and Princeton.
Since it's inception, the ISCJ has been educating Muslim children a year in the fundamentals of the Islamic faith in a Weekend School. Since 1993, the ISCJ has been hosting in its premises a full-time Islamic School, the Noor-Ul-Iman School. Noor-Ul-Iman School students have been accepted at prestigious colleges such as Rutgers University, The College of New Jersey, Bryn Mawr, New York University, Barnard College (Columbia University), University of Pennsylvania, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Princeton University. ISCJ also has a Qur'an Academy and Learning Islam Together (LIT) educational program.
The Muslim American community in central New Jersey has grown exponentially. The existing ISCJ facilities are inadequate to cater to the needs of this expanding community. Sixteen years after the original application in 1991, in 2007 the local South Brunswick Township approved ISCJ’s Expansion Project, which includes the expansion of the present masjid, additional parking spaces and facility exits, a school building, an income-generating commercial building and a burial preparation facility. In 2021 South Brunswick Township's Zoning Board approved 42,449-square-foot, two-story school addition, a 44,880-square-foot sports facility and 24 senior housing units.
Your Sadaqa Jaria will ensure that Muslim American children will have a beautiful place to learn their Islam, we will have senior housing and a sports facility!
May Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala bless you!
PROJECT HISTORY - In 1991, a planning firm was commissioned to develop a facility master plan that would meet ISCJ’s need for future expansion. - In 2007, The South Brunswick Township Zoning Board approved the final master plan for expansion. - During the period it took to get the plan approved, ISCJ steadily acquired adjacent properties to support approval of the plan, with acquisition cost close to $1.5 million fully paid from community donations. The land currently owned by ISCJ is about 17 acres. - During the same period, ISCJ spent in excess of $1 million for engineering and legal fees to get the plan approved; all paid from community donations. - From the inception of the project in 1991 to the present time, the project has been managed by a group of volunteer professional engineers and financial advisers at no cost to ISCJ. - The completed segments of the project include the site plan, the school design, and the burial preparation home. - A contract was awarded in 2009 for the site infrastructure construction that includes additional parking lots and exits from the facility. - Phase one of the school construction started in July 2009.
In 2020 Masjid Expansion Phase 1 was completed and opened during Covid. This phase was built in front of the original mehrab area. We added new prayer space and functional space for youth/seniors with a 2nd Floor! 2021: South Brunswick Township's Zoning Board approved 42,449-square-foot, two-story school addition, a 44,880-square-foot sports facility and 24 senior housing units. 2024: Finished important infrastructure work related to stormwater management, basin, underground gas and water line utilities, light poles, stairs, curbs and repaving of the parking lot. 2025 -: Finish remaining infrastructure work, start Senior Housing, Sports Facility, NUI expansion, and finish Masjid expansion!
