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The assailant, 32-year-old Serif Zorba, turned and bolted for the door, but the worshippers -- without regard for their own safety -- quickly converged on the assailant and held him for police.
Elnakib, 65, sustained liver damage, a mosque spokesperson said, but he was expected to survive after being rushed into surgery at nearby St. Joseph's University Medical Center following the 5:30 a.m. April 9 attack.
Zorba, meanwhile, was being held in the Bergen County Jail, with a first court appearance scheduled for Monday in Paterson.
He's charged with attempted murder and weapons offenses, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes said.
Video shows the 6-foot-3-inch Zorba wearing a white hoodie and blending in with a few dozen congregants at a Ramadan prayer service during what is known as Taraweeh at the Getty Avenue mosque.
As they dropped to their knees and bowed in sujood, he stepped over two rows of congregants and lunged at the imam, stabbing him twice:
Although initially prone, the worshippers moved swiftly, the swarm essentially swallowing the assailant.
Zorba was taken into custody by New Jersey State Police troopers, who are in the Silk City as part of a temporary state takeover of the Paterson police department.
Worshippers said they didn't know Zorba or what his motive could have been.
Another imam who spoke outside the mosque on Sunday called it an isolated incident and said the house of worship would remain open for all congregants.
Police immediately increased their presence at the city's mosques, Mayor Andre Sayegh said.
"Paterson has the largest Muslim population in the state of New Jersey," the mayor said. "I just want to let people know we shouldn't have to be afraid to pray."
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