Intro
This temple (Portland Rizwan Mosque) was opened in 1987, created via 3 doctors, Dr. Sajid Syed, Dr. Aftab and Dr. Tahir (3:25:30 time stamp). Mirza Tahir Ahmad came to the USA to inaugurate it.
In 1991, I was there for an Atfal camp.
In 2025, Rasheed Reno is working as the Jamaat President. Harris Zafar was the previous Jamaat President.
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1987
https://portland.ahmadiyya.us/
https://www.youtube.com/live/8Tdl2fgg21w?si=1t7QF1sBRh4H-XFm
This temple (Portland Rizwan Mosque) was opened in 1987, created via 3 doctors, Dr. Sajid Syed, Dr. Aftab and Dr. Tahir (3:25:30 time stamp). Mirza Tahir Ahmad came to the USA to inaugurate it.
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1991
In 1991, I was there for an Atfal camp.
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2025
In 2025, Rashid Reno is working as the Jamaat President.
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2026
https://www.oregonlive.com/living/2026/03/portlands-first-mosque-started-with-4-families-nearly-40-years-later-its-still-growing.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawQjvnxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe2j6nC-hP5wuARJL9_5tWju6YfoSjXBLKzefldnwRazuEc-dgAdQ0SWYw1as_aem_zCnmMYo9dRincoPspxacCA
Portland’s first mosque started with 4 families. Nearly 40 years later, it’s still growing – oregonlive.com
Portland’s first mosque started with 4 families. Nearly 40 years later, it’s still growing
Published: Mar. 14, 2026, 7:00 a.m.
Portland Rizwan Mosque
By Chiara Profenna | The Oregonian/OregonLive
At only 7 years old, Harris Zafar was already saving up his spare change to help his parents fundraise for the construction of Portland’s first mosque.
“When this project started and we were raising money, they brought their own piggy banks,” said Harris’ mother, Tayaba Zafar, about her two sons’ contributions. “They were so excited.”
Portland Rizwan Mosque
In May 1987, the foundation stone ceremony commemorated the placement of the first brick into the foundation of the mosque building. Photo courtesy of the Portland Rizwan Mosque.Portland Rizwan Mosque
The Zafar family moved from San Francisco to Portland in January 1986. Since there was no established mosque, they practiced their religion in fellow Muslims’ homes. By October 1987, the Zafars had become one of the four founding families of the Portland Rizwan Mosque.
“It was very historical, the first ever mosque built in Portland,” Tayaba said. “It was drawing everybody’s attention. So many guests came from all over the country” for the inauguration.
Forty years after the Zafar family’s arrival in Portland, the mosque they helped establish still stands and has plans to expand the space to accommodate a growing community. From four founding families, the mosque has grown to nearly 150 members, including many multigenerational families and converts to the Islamic religion. Of the founding families, only one other, the Luqman family, is still active in the community.
Portland Rizwan Mosque
Basharat Zafar and Harris Zafar pose for a photo outside of the Portland Rizwan Mosque in Southwest Portland on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. Basharat is a founding member of the mosque, the first and oldest in Portland, which opened in 1987. Sean Meagher/The Oregonian
In 1986, Portland had a small, but growing, Muslim population. The Muslim Community Center of Portland was founded in 1973, and the Islamic Society of Greater Portland was active, although neither had a mosque.
Muslims would gather at homes or in centers to practice. The Masjed as-Sabr, a house in Southwest Portland, was established in 1979 as a gathering place for many Sunni Muslims. While these centers were popular gathering places for Muslims, there was no established place of worship for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community — a sect of Islam founded in 1889 as a revival movement.
“We were thirsty to have a center,” Tayaba said. “A house of God, where we can go without any restriction, without anybody’s obligation.”
Portland Rizwan Mosque
Amena Luchman (left) and Tayaba Zafar in the women’s hall of the Portland Rizwan Mosque.Chiara Profenna
Today, Ramadan is woven into the mosque’s identity as a growing community that is open to everyone, Muslim or non-Muslim. During Ramadan — the holiest month in Islam — members of the mosque gather each Saturday evening to break their daily fast, pray and spend time with family and neighbors. For many at the Portland Rizwan Mosque, Ramadan is a time of reflection, generosity and strengthening community ties.
“We wait all year long for Ramadan, the blessed month, to come,” Tayaba said. “It gives us a lot of courage, because Ramadan teaches us patience and feeling the hunger of the poor and needy people, and it teaches us to help each other a lot.”
In 2026, Ramadan began at sundown on Feb. 17 and ends at sundown on Thursday. Eid al‑Fitr, a celebration marking the end of Ramadan, takes place the following day. Eid al‑Fitr is one of two major holidays in Islam. The community plans to celebrate March 20 with a large prayer service and shared meal at the mosque.
Portland Rizwan Mosque
Members of the Portland Rizwan Mosque attend Friday prayer marking the start of Ramadan on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. Sean Meagher/The Oregonian
The Portland Rizwan Mosque is home to the Portland chapter of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. Ahmadis believe that founder Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was a prophet or promised messiah.
“The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is a bit unique from the rest of the Sunni and Shia world in some of its beliefs, its systems, its processes,” said Harris, who is an outreach coordinator and spokesperson for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. “People say that when they come to the mosque, it feels a little different compared to going to some other mosques, not to say that we’re better, but there’s a little different air.”
Many other Muslim communities hold that Muhammad was the final prophet. As a result, mosque leaders said, the Ahmadiyya community has faced religious persecution and discrimination throughout the Muslim diaspora. According to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, some governments restrict Ahmadi Muslims by banning them from openly practicing their faith, identifying as Muslim or calling their places of worship mosques.
“We believe in love for all, hatred for none,” Tayaba said. “Under that, we really love everyone who comes here and in our mosque. This is a house of God. It’s not ours. So, it’s open for everyone.”
Since the Portland Rizwan Mosque opened in October 1987, the space has been open to visitors and non-Muslims.
Portland Rizwan Mosque
An exterior shot of the Portland Rizwan Mosque in Southwest Portland on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. The mosque, which opened in 1987, is the first and oldest in Portland. Sean Meagher/The Oregonian
“Most of the neighbors have been to the mosque once or twice,” said Mirza Luqman, a founding member of the mosque and its longest-serving president. “We’ve always been inviting them. I personally have gone door to door.”
During the Friday evening Iftars — a weekly community meal during Ramadan when Muslims break their fast together — a handful of guests typically joins the congregants. The guests vary from curious neighbors to community partners.
Portland Rizwan Mosque
Mirza Luqman chats with fellow members of the Portland Rizwan Mosque in Southwest Portland on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. Luqman is a founding member of the mosque, the first and oldest in Portland, which opened in 1987. Sean Meagher/The Oregonian
“Islam is a controversial, misrepresented religion,” said Basharat Zafar, Harris’ father and a founding member. While some perceive it as a “narrow-minded” religion, he said, in fact “there’s a lot of freedom in Islam.”
Hoping to challenge misperceptions, the Portland Rizwan Mosque invites guests to observe prayer services and stay for community meals. With its welcoming culture, the mosque has been both a community center and spiritual escape for many members.
“I come very often here, just because I get a lot of inner peace and inner comfort,” Tayaba said. “This is the best source of peace and joy for me. Everybody feels that way.”
The mosque is planning an expansion of the current building to add a dedicated hall for men to gather, located next to the women’s hall. At present, men dine outside under a tented area.
“We’ve already started some analysis of it, so we’ll be able to see a larger version of this mosque,” Harris said. “It’s going to take several years. We finally have gotten to where this mosque is too small, especially on Eid.”
Portland Rizwan Mosque
A sign for the Portland Rizwan Mosque in Southwest Portland on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. The mosque, which opened in 1987, is the first and oldest in Portland. Sean Meagher/The Oregonian
For the children who shared their piggy banks and the families who helped build the mosque, the focus now is on ensuring that legacy continues.
“I feel that sense, passing of a baton,” Harris said. “As a child of the founders of the mosque and now being involved in the leadership of the mosque and the outreach, there’s a strange sensation of feeling that pressure … making sure that we can carry that legacy on, instead of letting anything fall down.”
Faith and cultural connections
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The Oregonian/OregonLive receives support from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust to bring readers stories on religion, faith and cultural connections in Oregon. The Oregonian/OregonLive is solely responsible for all content.
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Links and Related Essay’s
https://portland.ahmadiyya.us/
Richard Reno (@rasheedreno) / X
Who is Harris Zafar??? – ahmadiyyafactcheckblog
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Tags
#ahmadiyya #ahmadiyyafactcheckblog #messiahhascome #ahmadiyyat #trueislam #mirzaghulamahmad
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