“Dawoodi Bohra is a community and religion,” she said. “It is a combination of Islam and Shia Muslim.”
The community was established in 2016 in McKinney after Saifuddin’s brother, Prince Malekul Ashtar Shujauddin, considered many local locations to build the Masjid, which is what the Dawoodi Bohras call a mosque. Rashida said Shujauddin chose the location on South Tennessee Street in McKinney for multiple reasons including demographics, and what he believes the area will be like in the future.
“The Masjid is not just a compilation of bricks and ductwork, but instead is ... a representation of the collective good we can do and will continue to do when we come together,” Aliasger Rasheed said.
Rashida, who is the community outreach and public relations lead and president of the women’s association of this community, said there was a need for a local place of worship.
“The social aspect is a big part of the religion, the community,” Rashida said. “The Masjid is the central place where people come together. They share meals, worship together, listen to sermons together and do a lot of outreach together.”
Although construction on the Dawoodi Bohra Community’s Masjid is not complete, that has not deterred the nonprofit organization from making a difference in Collin County. They sewed masks for health care workers during the pandemic, administered flu vaccines, donated blankets during the winter storm, held backpack supply drives and more. They routinely partner with local nonprofit organizations, such as McKinney Little Free Pantry and Samaritan Inn, to collect and distribute food and other items for those in need, she said.
When the Dawoodi Bohra Community of Collin County was established five years ago, they had 47 families. Now they have 87 families who live throughout Collin County.
Rashida said that if all goes as planned, before the end of 2021, Saifuddin will come to Collin County from India, along with thousands of Dawoodi Bohras, for a celebration to open the Masjid.
Dawoodi Bohra Community of Collin County
1410 S. Tennessee St., McKinney
682-230-5560
https://usa.thedawoodibohras.com/communities/collin-county
