Islamic Khadijah Cultural Center 271 West 144th Street, Manhattan, New York 10030

Welcome to the Islamic Khadijah Cultural Center (KCC), a vibrant place of worship and learning located at 271 West 144th Street, Manhattan, New York. Founded by the esteemed Sheikh Mouhammadou Diaby, KCC stands as a beacon of Islamic knowledge and spiritual growth, deeply rooted in a rich historical lineage of the Diakhanke scholars.

Our founder, Sheikh Mouhammadou, comes from a distinguished family whose origins trace back to the city of Dia in modern-day Mali. His ancestors, under the guidance of the revered Al-Hajj Salim Suwari, embarked on a mission to spread and sustain Islam across West Africa through peaceful means of education, civic engagement, and cooperation. With a legacy spanning over 800 years, this lineage includes notable figures like Sheikh Mohamed Salim Gassama, who established the city of Touba in present-day Guinea as a center for Islamic learning during turbulent times.

At KCC, we continue the tradition of imparting Islamic knowledge with precision, covering both the dhahir (outward) sciences of the shar’iah (Islamic law) and the batin (inward) sciences of spiritual purification. Sheikh Mouhammadou, having received extensive training and ijaza (license) from esteemed scholars such as his father Sheikh Kemba Diaby, his uncle Sheikh Mohamed Salim Gassama, and his teacher Sheikh Oumar Farouq Diaby, has mastered various Islamic sciences including tilawat (recital), tajwid (pronunciation theory), nahw (grammar), sarf (morphology), balagha (rhetoric), fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), and tafsir (Qur’anic exegesis).

Our mission at KCC is to cultivate a new generation of scholars, enlightened by the teachings of Islam, who will offer transformative benefits to the world. By connecting to the enduring light of scholarship and an unbroken chain of knowledge, our students—God willing—will achieve the ultimate goal of knowing and pleasing their Lord.

We invite you to join us at the Islamic Khadijah Cultural Center, where tradition meets enlightenment, and where every moment is an opportunity for spiritual and intellectual growth.