Shia Association of North America was established in 1971 as one of the first Ithna Ashari Shia Islamic centers in the United States. Beginning with a handful of families, the facilities of the center, Bait ul Qayem, and the services offered to the community have burgeoned and flourished into a society that encompasses a broad membership of Momineen from the Tri-State area.

Bait-ul-Qayem has served the Shias in the Delaware Valley for over 25 years as a place to conduct religious, educational, charitable and cultural activities according to the Ithna-asheri Shia faith under fiqh-e-Jafaria (Jafari jurisprudence). Our mission is to promote religious learning and foster a sense of brotherhood and social consciousness.  We welcome Shias and others to learn about the Shia faith.

Bait-ul-Qayem wishes to promote unity and brotherhood amongst our Islamic adherents as well as the community at large.  Services are conducted in English and Urdu, but can also be conducted in other languages to accommodate our brothers and sisters of all backgrounds.

Mission

Baitul Qayem is committed to provide a place and the resources necessary to further the tenets of Islam and promote religious learning and foster social/human consciousness as prescribed by the Al-Mighty Allah (SWT) through Islam under the guidance of the Ahlul Bayt (AS).

SANA/Baitul Qayem holds true that:

• As congregants, we subscribe and believe that all mankind are born and created equal.
• All congregants shall respect all the major religions and their practices and shall not hold any religious fanatical beliefs against any religion or faith.
• This corporation shall not affiliate with any subversive organization, political organization or party.

History

By the grace of Allah (SWT), Baitul Qayem is proud to have served the Ithna-Asheri Shia community for over 25 years at their current location. Baitul Qayem is operated and administered by the Shia Association of North America (SANA; a non-profit, charitable organization that has been incorporated since 1971).

The Islamic Center is located in Delran Township (Burlington County, NJ), on 8.9 acres of land, and has grown from a humble 2-bedroom house into a multi-functional center with two congregation halls.  Our latest addition, completed in fall 2010, expands the current center and features a new men’s congregation hall, a reconfigured ladies’ congregation hall, as well as two dining halls, separate restrooms, and a fully-equipped, professional kitchen.