Halal food, mosques and Muslim life in Massachusetts
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Guides
Before Fajr This Week: How to Watch the Orionid Meteor Shower From Massachusetts
Dust from Halley's Comet peaks overnight Oct. 21 to 22. In Boston the moon sets before 3 a.m., leaving a dark window that runs right up to dawn and Fajr. Here's when and how to look, and why Orion's stars carry Arabic names.
Read article →Food & Restaurants
Silk Road's Owner Is Bringing Hand-Pulled Uyghur Noodles to Watertown
Adila Sadir, who opened Greater Boston's first Uyghur restaurant in Cambridge, plans Badam Uyghur Cuisine on Mt. Auburn Street this November. Here's the menu, her story and what to ask about halal.
Read article →Events & Culture
A Palestinian Novelist's Debut Arrives in English, and Comes to Cambridge on Nov. 19
Booker-longlisted writer Ibtisam Azem, a Harvard Radcliffe Fellow this year, will discuss The Sleep Thief with Harvard's William Granara at Porter Square Books. Here's who she is, what the book is about and how to go.
Read article →Guides
Why Massachusetts Muslims Face Northeast to Pray: The Science of the Qibla
On a flat map, Mecca looks southeast of Boston. On the globe, the shortest path points northeast. Here's the math, the history of a real American debate, and how to find the qibla at home, at work or on the road.
Read article →Guides
Medicare Open Enrollment Runs Until Dec. 7: A Plain Guide for Massachusetts Muslim Families
Through Dec. 7, people on Medicare can switch health and drug plans for 2027. Here's what to check, where Massachusetts families can get unbiased help in their own language, and how to avoid the scam calls that come with the season.
Read article →Events & Culture
How We See: Ibn al-Haytham's Discovery About Light, and the 1572 Copy of His Book Kept in Harvard Yard
A thousand years ago, a scholar born in Basra showed that we see because light enters the eye. Here's the story of that discovery, what it says about faith and the search for truth, and where Massachusetts families can find his book.
Read article →Guides
100 Years of Apples in Stow: A Fall Day Trip to Honey Pot Hill, With Halal Mandi in Marlborough
The family orchard celebrating its centennial this year is still open for picking. Here's how to plan a day of apples, donuts and hayrides, then pray and eat halal just down the road.
Read article →Guides
Help With Winter Heating Bills Is Open Now: A Plain Guide for Massachusetts Families
Massachusetts HEAP fuel assistance is open for winter 2026-27. Who qualifies, how to apply free, and how state law limits winter shut-offs.
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Early Voting Starts Saturday: A Plain Guide for Massachusetts Muslim Voters
Massachusetts early voting runs Oct. 17–30, 2026. Key deadlines, how to vote by mail, and what's on the Nov. 3 ballot, in plain words.
Read article →Food & Restaurants
Boston's Cult Halal Platter Just Broke Out of the City: Chicken & Rice Guys Hits Worcester and Woburn
The food truck that started with one truck in 2012 is now serving weekday lunch in downtown Worcester and setting up a new northern hub in Woburn. Here's where to find your platter.
Read article →People & Community
Fall in Massachusetts: Foliage, Farm Days and Earlier Prayers
The leaves are turning, the days are getting shorter, and the clocks go back on Nov. 1. Here is how mid-October changes Muslim life in the Bay State, from the prayer schedule to apple picking to Halloween at school.
Read article →People & Community
Cambridge: A Masjid on Prospect Street, Where Student Prayers Grew Into a Community
Our daily town series reaches Cambridge, where Muslim students from Harvard, MIT and other schools formed the Islamic Society of Boston in 1981 and opened the city's first mosque on Prospect Street in 1995, and where Muslims today find campus musallas, a mayor's community iftar, halal food and nearly 400 years of history.
Read article →Guides
Where Massachusetts Muslims Can Find Mental Health Support
From the state's free 24/7 Help Line, which offers interpretation in more than 200 languages, to Naseeha's Muslim helpline, ISBCC's volunteer counselors, Worcester Islamic Center imam office hours and Muslim therapist directories, here is where to turn when you or someone you love is struggling, and what to ask before you book.
Read article →Guides
How to Pray at Boston Logan Airport: Our Lady of the Airways Chapel
Logan has no dedicated musallah, but Our Lady of the Airways, the country's oldest airport chapel, between Terminals B and C on the arrivals level, keeps Muslim prayer rugs on the rear pews. Here is how to find it, what is pre-security, and when to pray at the gate instead.
Read article →People & Community
Quincy: A Masjid on the Hill Above the Shipyard, in the City of Presidents
Our daily town series moves to Quincy, where Lebanese and Syrian shipyard families opened the Islamic Center of New England's first masjid on South Street in 1964, and where Muslims today find Jumuah, halaqas, halal food, Adams family history, granite quarries and Wollaston Beach.
Read article →Food & Restaurants
The Halal Guys Brings American Halal to Needham Street in Newton
The Halal Guys opened at 55 Needham St. in Newton with a grand opening on April 18, 2026, bringing chicken, beef gyro and falafel platters from the New York-born chain to MetroWest. It's operated by Imran Asghar and Jamal Bourote. Confirm hours and ask what "halal" covers when you order.
Read article →Guides
Halal Home Financing in Massachusetts: Your Options in 2026
You can buy a home in Massachusetts without an interest-bearing mortgage. Guidance Residential, UIF and Devon Bank all say they finance homes here, and the nonprofit Ijara CDC structures lease-to-own deals nationwide. We explain co-ownership, murabaha and lease-to-own in plain words, list each provider's Massachusetts license and contact, and share five steps to take before you sign.
Read article →Guides
Which Halloween Candy Has Gelatin? A Halal Candy Guide for Massachusetts Families
With Halloween 18 days away, we checked candy makers' own ingredient lists to see which popular candies list gelatin, plus a 30-second label check and tips for Massachusetts families.
Read article →Food & Restaurants
The Spot Brings Halal Bowls and Smash Burgers to Methuen
The Spot (listed on delivery apps as The Halal Spot) opened in early July 2026 at 4 Broadway in Methuen, serving halal bowls, smash burgers, chicken, loaded fries and Sweet Spot desserts.
Read article →Events & Culture
This Saturday in West Springfield: Free CAIR-MA and MCAD Know Your Rights Workshop
CAIR Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination host a free Know Your Rights workshop Saturday, Oct. 17, 6–8 p.m. at the Islamic Society of Western Massachusetts in West Springfield, with dinner provided. Register free on Eventbrite.
Read article →People & Community
Sharon: A Lake, a Revolutionary Heroine and a Masjid on an Old Horse Farm
The first stop in our daily town series: how the Islamic Center of New England put down roots on 55 acres in Sharon in 1993, the Chase Drive school that followed, and the lake, trails and Deborah Sampson history that make the town worth a visit.
Read article →People & Community
Islam 101 at ISBCC: A Free Saturday Class on the Five Pillars, Open to All
A free Saturday class at Roxbury's ISBCC walks new Muslims, interfaith neighbors and the curious through the Five Pillars of Islam from Oct. 3 to Nov. 7, 2026, and walk-ins are welcome.
Read article →Food & Restaurants
Arwa Yemeni Coffee Brings Haraz Beans to Coolidge Corner
Arwa Yemeni Coffee at 1333 Beacon St. in Brookline serves Jubani, Qishr, Adeni tea and Yemeni lattes steps from the Green Line C.
Read article →Food & Restaurants
Holy Burger Brings Certified Zabiha Burgers to Beverly
Holy Burger, a New York halal chain, serves certified zabiha burgers, chopped cheese and peri peri chicken at 131 Rantoul St. in Beverly, a short walk from the commuter rail.
Read article →People & Community
Nuba Cafe Brings African Diaspora Halal Near Northeastern
Ismail Samad and Yusuf Yassin opened Nuba Cafe at 742 Columbus Ave by Northeastern, serving African diaspora and Caribbean meals that are all halal and made from scratch.
Read article →People & Community
Abdelrahman Hassan Built an Egyptian Halal Cafe in Harvard Square
At 23, Abdelrahman Hassan turned Darwin's old Mount Auburn Street flagship into Luxor Cafe, a family-owned Egyptian halal cafe in Harvard Square.
Read article →People & Community
3,070 Points in a Hijab: Springfield's Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir Still Owns the Massachusetts Record
Seventeen years later, Springfield's Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir is still the top scorer in Massachusetts high school basketball history, with 3,070 points.
Read article →People & Community
Shamso Ahmed Built the Salon Where Hijabi Women Can Finally Uncover
Somali-born Shamso Ahmed opened Shamso Hair Studio and Spa in 2019, a women-only salon in Boston built for Muslim women who wear hijab.
Read article →Events & Culture
Hope After Hardship Comes to Roxbury: Sudan Solidarity Night Oct. 23
Droplets of Mercy USA hosts “Hope After Hardship: The Believer’s Journey” Friday, October 23, 2026, 6:30–9:30 p.m. at BIEC, 58 Circuit St., Roxbury—an evening for Sudan and Sudanese refugees with speakers listed on Eventbrite. Tickets via Eventbrite; confirm price and time there.
Read article →People & Community
Neemz: Medford's Palestinian American Rapper, Model and Sneaker Designer
Raised on Arabic classics in a Medford carpool, Tusneem "Neemz" Abuhasan has modeled for Nike, Converse and Bodega, walked New York Fashion Week, performed at Boston Calling and turned a Palestinian-resilience shoe concept into a sneaker design career.
Read article →People & Community
From Chopped Champion to Kush: Chef Saba Wahid Duffy’s Somerville Table
Framingham native and Chopped: Martha’s Rules champion Saba Wahid Duffy, with sister and head chef Sara Wahid, runs Kush Modern Mediterranean—a 16-seat Union Square dinner spot with South Asian roots and halal options—at 5 Sanborn Court, Somerville.
Read article →People & Community
Dr. Omer Elrayah Brings the Sunnah of Miswak to a Modern Toothbrush
Sudanese American dentist Dr. Omer Elrayah, a BU and Tufts graduate who taught dental students in Boston, founded RemoBrush, a bamboo toothbrush with miswak-infused bristles. He says he hopes it can help fight oral care disparities here and in Sudan.
Read article →Events & Culture
AICP Massachusetts Hosts Oct. 31 Dinner for Danvers Center and School
AICP Massachusetts' fundraiser dinner is Saturday, October 31, at 7 p.m. at the Boston Marriott Peabody, supporting a $3.2 million expansion in Danvers with a masjid, a full-time Islamic school and community space, while the Revere center stays open.
Read article →Events & Culture
Sisters Potluck at ICNE Sharon — Sunday, October 18
A sisters-only potluck at ICNE Sharon, 74 Chase Drive, on Sunday, October 18, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., with Maghrib, a meet-and-greet, food and Isha. Boys under 8 may attend.
Read article →Food & Restaurants
Apna Bazar Opens a Large Route 9 Supermarket in Shrewsbury on Oct. 22
Apna Bazar Farmers Market opens its fourth Massachusetts store on Thursday, October 22, at 11 a.m. in the former Stop & Shop on Route 9 in Shrewsbury, with about 70,000 square feet of Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi groceries, including halal meat.
Read article →Events & Culture
Next Weekend in Roxbury: A Two-Day Halal Investing Workshop for Muslim Families
A hands-on Halal Investing Blueprint Workshop for parents and teens runs October 17–18, 2026, 1:30–5:30 p.m. both days at the Blackstone Islamic Education Collaborative in Roxbury. It costs $149 per family and is capped at 50 households.
Read article →People & Community
Maya Jamaleddine Brings Lebanese Family Recipes to Melrose with Shawbak
Melrose City Councilor-at-Large Maya Jamaleddine, who made history in 2020 as the city's first Muslim elected official, has opened Shawbak Lebanese Kitchen & Bakery. The Boston Globe calls it Melrose's first Lebanese, Middle Eastern or halal restaurant.
Read article →Events & Culture
Free Youth Conference in Brookline on Oct. 24: Islamic Council of New England & USCMO
Free all-day Youth Conference Saturday, October 24, 2026, 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. (doors 8:30 a.m.) at BU’s Howard Thurman Center, 808 Commonwealth Ave., Brookline—hosted by the Islamic Council of New England and USCMO, with Eventbrite registration, transit tips and what we know (and don’t) about the program.
Read article →Events & Culture
At NEC on Oct. 27: A Free Day of Sound and Music in the Muslim World
Free one-day conference and evening concert at New England Conservatory’s Brown Hall on Tuesday, October 27, 2026—themes, speakers (including local NEC and Boston-area artists), transit tips, and how to register on Eventbrite.
Read article →Events & Culture
ICNA Relief’s New England Banquet Returns to Needham on Oct. 25
ICNA Relief USA’s New England Annual Banquet is Sunday, October 25, 2026, 5:00–10:00 p.m. at the Sheraton Boston Needham Hotel. Tickets, speakers (Dr. Suzy Ismail, Usman Habib, Shaykh Shamikh Sahadat), parking/transit tips, and how the night funds local pantries and services.
Read article →Events & Culture
At ICB Wayland on Oct. 17: Interfaith Book Club Marks 25 Years of Building Bridges
Free 25th-anniversary celebration of the Islamic Center of Boston’s Interfaith Book Club on Saturday, October 17, 2026, 2:30–4:00 p.m. at 126 Boston Post Road in Wayland—practical details on the long-running club, getting there, parking and how to follow up with ICB.
Read article →Events & Culture
At ISBCC This Thursday: 250 Years of Muslim American History on Film
On Thursday, October 15, 2026, UPF Executive Producer Jawaad Abdul Rahman presents selections from the PBS Route 66 documentary The Great Muslim American Road Trip at ISBCC in Roxbury—reception at 7:00 p.m., film program at 7:45 p.m.—with RSVP required via the Prayers Connect listing and local ties to Cambridge’s 2015 Talk to a Muslim stand.
Read article →Events & Culture
This Saturday in Somerville: The Center for Arabic Culture’s 12th Annual Festival and Book Fair
Free Arab American festival Saturday, October 10, 2026, from 3 to 8 p.m. at Somerville High School: dabke, CAC children’s choir, poetry, Egyptian folkloric dance, Akram Abdulfattah’s quintet, Interlink book fair, art, vendors, and Arabic food from Mona Restaurant. (The Andover Islamic Center cookout planned for earlier the same day was canceled.)
Read article →Guides
Faith and Food in the Pioneer Valley: A Guide to Muslim Life in Springfield, Amherst and Western Massachusetts
A practical guide to Muslim life in Western Massachusetts: masjids in West Springfield, Springfield and Hadley, Islamic school and weekend programs, and halal food from West Springfield's Main Street to Amherst and Northampton.
Read article →People & Community
From the Street Game to the Sideline: Muslim Kids and Soccer in America
Many Muslim families in Massachusetts bring a deep soccer culture from Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Lebanon and beyond. Here's how that love of the game meets America's youth club system, and what parents should know.
Read article →Guides
When a Loved One Passes: A Practical Guide to Muslim Funeral and Burial in Massachusetts
Who to call first, where Muslims are buried in Massachusetts, rough costs, and the state paperwork explained in plain words.
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Free Halal Groceries in Massachusetts: Where to Find a Halal Food Pantry, and How to Help
A practical guide to Muslim-run and halal-friendly food pantries across Massachusetts, plus Project Bread's free FoodSource Hotline and ways to volunteer or give zakat and sadaqah locally.
Read article →Guides
Jummah on a Workday: Where to Pray Friday Prayer in Downtown Boston and Cambridge
A practical guide to Friday prayer near work in Boston and Cambridge: Dar al-Islam downtown, ISBCC, ISB Cambridge, MIT Musalla, Masjid Al-Qur'an and Yusuf Mosque, with times, T stops and tips.
Read article →People & Community
"We Are Students, Celebrating a Holiday": A Harvard Muslim Leader Answers the Word "Captured"
Harvard Islamic Society co-president Moeen Razzaque answered a campus Republican group that called the society's Eid festival proof Harvard had been "captured." What happened, what he wrote, and what it means for Muslim students across Massachusetts.
Read article →Guides
A Parent's Guide to Full-Time Islamic Schools in Massachusetts
From Al-Hamra in Shrewsbury to the Islamic Academy for Peace in Methuen, here are five of the state's full-time Islamic schools, what grades they teach, how to reach them, and what to ask on a tour.
Read article →Mosques
Visiting the ISBCC: A Guide to New England's Largest Mosque
How to visit Roxbury's Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center, from Jummah parking and the Orange Line to free tours, Islam 101 classes and the cafe.
Read article →People & Community
Faith, Food and Neighbors: Muslim Life in the Merrimack Valley and North Shore
From the old mill cities along the Merrimack River to the quieter roads of Topsfield, here is a guide to where Muslims north of Boston pray, learn and eat.
Read article →Events & Culture
Boston Palestine Film Festival Turns 20: Your Guide to Oct. 16 to 25
The 20th Boston Palestine Film Festival runs Oct. 16 to 25 at the MFA, Coolidge Corner, the Brattle, MassArt and BU. Here are the dates, highlights and how to get tickets.
Read article →People & Community
10 Massachusetts Muslims Making a Difference, From Springfield to Wakefield
Meet 10 Massachusetts Muslims, from Springfield to Wakefield, who are leading, healing, teaching and building community across the Commonwealth.
Read article →People & Community
Feeding Our Neighbors: Faith and Service at Boston’s Muslim-Run Food Pantry
Meet Roxbury’s Islamic Multi-Service Organization, where food assistance and volunteer service bring care to neighbors of different backgrounds.
Read article →People & Community
From a Crowded Staten Island Apartment to Cambridge City Hall: The Rise of Burhan Azeem
Pakistani-born MIT graduate Burhan Azeem became Cambridge's youngest-ever councilor and helped rewrite the city's housing rules. After a state Senate bid fell short, the vice mayor is still at work at City Hall.
Read article →Food & Restaurants
Chicken & Rice Guys Brings a Halal Lunch Plate to Downtown Worcester, and a New Base to Woburn
The Boston-born halal street-food company is testing weekday lunch at Cafe Nexus on Waldo Street for the next few months, while moving its kitchen hub north to Woburn in October.
Read article →Events & Culture
Boston Palestine Film Festival's Michael Maria to Interview Historian Assal Rad in Brookline
The festival's longtime programming director will talk with Rad about her new book on Sept. 30, a little over two weeks before the festival's 20th season opens at the MFA.
Read article →Food & Restaurants
At Beauty's Pizza in Inman Square, a Halal Menu and a Levantine Patio Called Jafra
Palestinian-born owner Ibrahim Abuhasan, who took over the Cambridge pizzeria in January, has added Jafra Cafe & Lounge, where the musakhan rolls are drawing praise.
Read article →Food & Restaurants
Shrewsbury Couple Bringing MOTW Coffee's Yemeni Chai to Boston's Financial District
Kader Kapadia and Salwa Zakaria, who run the Shrewsbury café, plan to open a new MOTW Coffee & Pastries at 45 Broad St. in mid-October.
Read article →Events & Culture
"Arab Massachusetts" Exhibit Makes Its Final Stop at the Museum of Worcester
A traveling show from the Arab American National Museum traces more than a century of Arab American life in the Commonwealth, opening Sept. 26 and running through Feb. 14, 2027.
Read article →Guides
A Message to Our Brothers and Sisters: Prepare Safely for a Possible Weekend Storm
A potential coastal storm could affect Massachusetts September 26–27. Prepare calmly, follow official updates and check on your neighbors.
Read article →News & Policy
A Stronger Voice for Muslim Families: Massachusetts Bill Offers Hope for Greater Inclusion
A proposed state commission could give Muslim communities a lasting voice in Massachusetts. Here is what S.2134 would do and where it stands.
Read article →People & Community
Newton’s Message of Welcome: A Hope for Muslim Families Across Massachusetts
A message of support for Newton’s Muslim residents offers hope for a more welcoming Massachusetts.
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