“One of the ways in which Ismailis have expressed their identity wherever they have lived is through their places of prayer, known today as the Jamatkhana. Other Muslim communities give their religious buildings different names: from ribat and zawiyya to khanaqa. And, in addition, there are other places where Muslims of all interpretations can come together, such as non-denominational mosques. What we dedicate today is what we identify as an Ismaili Centre – a building that is focused around our Jamatkhana, but which also includes many secular spaces… And soaring above it all is the great crystalline dome that you have observed, through which light from the prayer hall will provide a glowing beacon, symbolising the spirit of enlightenment that will always be at the heart of the Centre’s life.”
Mawlana Hazar Imam, Opening Ceremony of the Ismaili Centre, Toronto, September 12, 2014
During the earliest years of Islam, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) and the Muslim community living in Mecca had no special place of worship and the arrangements for communal worship were informal.
