An imam at the Omar Mosque in Paterson, about 15 miles north of Newark, was leading prayer when the suspect, identified as Serif Zorba, 32, stabbed him multiple times in the back, police told NBC News.
“As they kneeled forward in the prayer, this person pulled out a knife and lunged at the imam, stabbing him multiple times in the back,” Abdul Hamden, a spokesperson for the mosque, told the outlet.
Congregants rushed the man and held him down until police arrived and took him into custody, NBC New York reported.
Zorba now faces a number of charges, including attempted murder.
Any motive in the stabbing was not immediately clear as of early Monday morning.
The attack occurred during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Police said Zorba had visited the mosque several times before to pray.
The Paterson Police Department and the Omar Mosque did not immediately respond to requests for comment from NBC News.
MNA/PR