The Nejashi Community Center of Atlanta was established on November 26th, 1999, and its roots trace back to Ethiopia. But where does the name “Nejashi” originate from? It finds its source in a historical figure – King Nejashi – who once ruled Abyssinia.

During the reign of King Nejashi, despite numerous appeals and delegations from the court, he chose to support Muslims. This was a significant decision given that, at the time, he was a Christian monarch, and many people of his era held strong prejudices against Muslims and the Islamic faith. Nevertheless, King Nejashi, upon hearing the teachings of Allah, ultimately embraced Islam by taking the shahadah (the Muslim declaration of faith). It is this historical transformation that inspired the name of our community center.

In its early days, our community faced the challenge of not having a suitable gathering space, which led us to hold house gatherings for approximately 2-3 months. Later, we moved to a two-bedroom apartment in Clarkston, where we operated for about a year. Subsequently, the community center relocated to an office building next to an auto body shop in Decatur. After several years of moving from one location to another, on November 26th, 2006, the Nejashi Community Center of Atlanta finally found its permanent home in Clarkston. We acquired a 1.24-acre property that had previously belonged to the Islamic Community of Bosnians of Atlanta, officially making it our facility on December 1st, 2006. This was a momentous achievement for our community, marking a journey of growth and progress. We extend our deep gratitude to Allah SWT for granting us this property, which we now proudly call home. It serves as a valuable resource for our community’s activities and endeavors as we use it for:

Wedding Celebrations

Ramadan (Iftar (the breaking fast) Taraweeh (after Salat Tul Isha prayer)

Nikkah ceremonies (Islamic marriage ceremony)

Graduations

Hakikahs (Celebration of birth)

Quran classes/Evening gatherings

BBQs

Sports Tournaments

Eid (Eid al Fitr & Eid al Adha)

Fundraising events

Meetings

And many more!