By the late 1990s, Al-Huda School had already established itself as a cornerstone of education in College Park. But Dar-us-Salaam’s leaders knew that Islamic identity could not be built only from September to June. Young people needed year-round guidance, and new Muslims needed immersion beyond Friday khutbahs. Out of this need was born the Al-Huda Summer Program.
At first, it was small, just a few weeks of Qur’an classes, Arabic lessons, and daily salah, hosted in the masjid. Parents enrolled their children to keep them busy during long summer days, but quickly realized the program was something more. It was not babysitting. It was training.
Each morning began with Qur’an memorization, followed by workshops on Islamic manners, prayer, and seerah. Afternoons included sports, crafts, and service projects, weaving joy into discipline. For many youth, it was their first taste of what a faith-centered summer could feel like, fun, friendship, and spirituality in harmony.
But the summer program was not only for children. Dar-us-Salaam soon opened it to converts and young adults. Many who had embraced Islam struggled with isolation, unsure how to practice daily rituals or find community. In the summer program, they found mentorship, peers, and structured learning. Some later said those weeks were the foundation that allowed them to remain steadfast in Islam.
The program’s reach grew. Families from Virginia, D.C., and even Pennsylvania began enrolling their kids, commuting long distances to give them what they couldn’t find elsewhere. Parents spoke of how their children returned home stronger, more confident in their faith, more disciplined in their habits, and more connected to peers who shared their values.
One participant later reflected: “It wasn’t just a summer camp. It was the first time I felt that Islam could be lived fully in America, with joy.”
Over the years, the Al-Huda Summer Program became a hallmark of Dar-us-Salaam’s model, an intensive, immersive experience that shaped not only students but also the broader community. It became a pipeline for future leaders, teachers, and volunteers, instilling discipline and vision in those who would carry Maryland’s Muslim institutions into the next generation.
The Al-Huda Summer Program proved a simple but profound truth: when faith and fun intertwine, identity is strengthened, and the seeds of leadership are sown.