مسجد Stichting Faried Ul Islam

Operating in the town of Zaandam in the North Holland region of the Netherlands, Moskee Stichting Faried Ul Islam serves a Muslim community originally rooted in the Surinamese Hindustani migration from the former Dutch colony of Suriname and later joined by families from Pakistan, India, and other lands. The Dutch Muslim community has grown steadily since the 1960s, with Surinamese migration adding a distinct layer in the 1970s as the colony moved toward independence. Zaandam itself lies just north of Amsterdam in an area historically known for its wind mills, shipyards, and chocolate factories, now an integrated part of the Amsterdam metropolitan region.

The name Faried Ul Islam, meaning the Unique or Matchless One of Islam, is a title of great esteem used in the Indo Pakistani tradition to describe a scholar or saint whose spiritual standing is considered exceptional. Calling the foundation by this name honours a chain of teachers, often ascetic in spirit, whose gentleness of character and devotion to the Qur'an drew generations of students into serious religious life. The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, taught his Companions, may God be pleased with them, that the scholars of his community would inherit his prophetic role as teachers of the believers, and every mosque honouring such a figure quietly renews that inheritance.

The premises are a converted community building adapted thoughtfully for Islamic use. A carpeted main prayer hall oriented toward the qiblah, a simple mihrab and minbar, separate ablution facilities for men and women, a women's prayer area, classrooms for weekend Qur'an and Urdu lessons, a small library of Islamic texts in Urdu, Sranan Tongo, Dutch, Arabic, and English, and a multipurpose hall used for community events round out the facilities.

Surinamese Hindustani, Pakistani, Indian, and converted Dutch Muslims gather here for the five daily prayers, for Jumu'ah delivered in Urdu with Dutch and Arabic elements, and for taraweeh during Ramadan, when community iftar meals feature roti, dhal, curries, and Dutch bread. On this page visitors to Zaandam and the Amsterdam region will find the current prayer times, address, and helpful notes to enable every pilgrim, visiting relative, student, or long standing local family to locate this cherished Dutch Surinamese masjid and share quietly in its steady, welcoming, and gracefully multicultural Amsterdam congregational life across the seasons.