ICNA on January 27-29, 2023 welcomed a weekend filled with brotherhood and sisterhood, and spiritual uplifting for 250 core team members in the annual general assembly meeting in Houston, Texas. This was the first in-person meeting after COVID. In this assembly members are given an opportunity to gather on a national level to review the work of ICNA and its plans. The meeting was presided by Dr. Mohsin Ansari, who was re-elected by the members of general assembly for 2023-24. The members also felt motivated by seeing five former presidents of ICNA in this in attendance. The major highlights of the meeting were yearly reports, oaths taken by the newly elected president and MGAs*. The members also got the opportunity to network, share ideas, vision and strategic plans. The attending members felt that ICNA was able to achieve all the goals with the help of Allah SWT. In the past few years the North American Muslim communities have become more vibrant than ever before, ICNA had 100,000+ participants in different events nationwide to enhance interfaith collaboration, civic engagement and a platform with unique programs and services for the Muslim community by imparting Islamic knowledge, promoting community services like social, educational, matrimonial, family, youth development, relief, social justice, career building, networking, spiritual etc. The main event was ICNA-MAS National Convention 2022, attended by more than 25,000 people. The convention offered many social and outreach programs and services, provided networking opportunities, fostered interaction and encouraged civic engagement through services. One of the other events was Dallas Muslim Festival where 25,000 came to enjoy the event with their family and friends. One of the highlights of the meeting were a session to “Honor our Elders”, where founders and lifelong members of ICNA shared enlightening stories with moral lessons. With every passing year, ICNA will continue to help develop a dynamic and involved Muslim American identity that is true to the Quran and Sunnah, and encourage collaboration with people of other faiths, and serve as a unifying voice for Muslims. ICNA has maintained its vitality in leadership and service by learning from experience and sharing best practices for sustaining strong religious communities in an ever-changing environment. The members of ICNA were reminded to strive to make their families a role model to the society at large by following the teachings of Prophet Mohammad SAW. *MGA – Member of General Assembly

ICNA CSJ Published On: Sat, 14 January 23 Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) was a revolutionary during the struggle for civil rights amongst Black Americans. A popular figure whose impact is known throughout the country, culminating in a national holiday, MLK’s legacy is one that has been washed down in its intensity and intention. The American project has oft used Black revolutionaries and leaders to create an appeasement with American-ness. Figures like MLK and Rosa parks are evoked to signify peaceful protest. Although peaceful protest is a park of the legacy that MLK leaves behind, his views on civil rights, his misquoted speeches, and his radical views later in life are left out of the conversation on a day that claims to remember him. Martin Luther King Jr., during his life, was not a revered figure amongst white Americans. In 1966, a Gallup poll measured his approval rating at 32% positive and 63% negative. In December of that year, a Harris poll concluded that 50% of whites felt that King was hurting “the negro cause of civil rights,” while 36% felt that he was helping. When he was assassinated in 1968, three out of four white Americans did not approve of him. MLK was not that sanitized figure that the establishment parades today – rather, he was a radical. He fought against police brutality, advocated for a universal basic income, and condemned those against equality. Continue Reading

‎السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَ رَحْمَةُ اللّهِ وَ بَرَكَاتُهُ ‎Since it’s inception in 1968, ICNA and it’s membership have worked tirelessly for the well being of American Muslims. ICNA has several thriving entities working in various spheres such as ICNA Relief, HHRD, ICNA’s Council for Social Justice, YM Brothers, YM Sisters, WhyIslam, ICNA Sisters, MCNA, Gain Peace, ILF, and multiple Islamic Centers, Masajid and schools. With every passing year, ICNA aims to benefit the Muslim American community and to tackle the new challenges we face in our constantly evolving environment. Our goal is to help develop an authentic Muslim American identity that is true to the Qur’an and Sunnah, serve as a unifying voice for Muslims, and encourage collaboration with people of other faiths. ICNA recognizes the difficulty that COVID caused in these past two years, especially in our community. With masajid, Islamic Centers, and various religious organizations closing due to the pandemic – we knew that, our community was missing the environment of togetherness. With this in mind, we aimed to bring Muslims from across the United States together, all across the country, through conventions, Muslim Family Days at various theme parks, and other events. To sum up our events in the past year: ICNA New Jersey hosted Muslim Family Day at Six Flags with more than 18,000 participants, the Dallas Muslim Festical was held at Southfork Ranch with over 25,000 participants, the Chicago Festival had 18,000 participants, and the ICNA Muslim Family Day in Maryland had 5,500 participants. Adding on to that, various conventions were held this year. The ICNA National Convention in Baltimore gathered over 22,000 participants, the Houston garnered over 4,000 participants, and the ICNA Mid Atlantic convention was attended by over 6,000 individuals. In past few years, the North American Muslim community has become more vibrant than ever before. Recognizing that, ICNA hosted various events in the spirit of bringing our community together to learn. Hence in the past six months, the total attendance for these events has exceeded over 100,000 people. ICNA hopes to continue its mission in engaging with other faith communities and interfaith organizations, and pursuing its commitment to building a Muslim community that is active and visible in the greater society. We ask that you join hands with us in helping us work for the Deen of Allah swt, to be Witnesses for Justice, to preserve our moral and family values and above all to seek the pleasure of Allah SWT. Your brother in Islam, Dr. Mohsin AnsariPresidentIslamic Circle of North America Photo Credit: Najam Abbasi, Asim Mushtaq https://youtu.be/Y1Fp-ISyaGQ Become a “Friend of ICNA”

JAMAICA, New York (December 20, 2022) – All Praises are for Allah Lord of all that exists and peace and blessings of Allah be on His final Messenger and his household. The Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) National Election Committee announced that Dr. Mohsin Ansari has been elected for a second term as the President of ICNA for the years 2023-2024. Dr. Ansari has been associated with ICNA in different capacities for three decades and has previously served as the Chairman of ICNA Relief and Helping Hand for Relief and Development (HHRD). He has also served on the National Shura ICNA since 2003, and has been associated with Islamic work for over 4 decades. Dr. Ansari is a Pediatrician and a Neonatal specialist. He completed his medical training at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Ansari is currently licensed to practice medicine in several states. He is also author of multiple research papers published both in national and international medical journals. He lives in Maryland with his wife and five children. We pray that Allah (swt) grants him strength, steadfastness and guidance to fulfill this responsibility, Aameen.

All Praises are for Allah Lord of all that exists and peace and blessings of Allah be on His final Messenger and his household. Saqib Attique popularly named as “Wonder of HHRD” and “One Man Army” by his colleagues and friends was born on Sep-1974 in Pakistan. With the philosophy of “do good until I no longer can,” Saqib Attique continued his humanitarian work and fulfilled his role as Assistant Director of Development team, HHRD Helping Hand for Relief and Development, USA until his last days even with a series of serious health setbacks. Moreover, he was Program Manager of Children with Disabilities and Physical Rehabilitation, facilitator of HHRD operations in Haiti Lead, Regional Manager New Jersey, Promotional Manger of Marketing and National Conference Lead. Upon reflection on how one man could make such a positive difference in so many lives, those who knew him best identify qualities that were interwoven in the fabric of his being. A tireless work ethics that seemingly allowed him to bend space and time. An unshakable faith in Allah who calls us to a life of service to others. Saqib Attique had an uncanny ability to find happiness in his daily activities and his pleasant personality was contagious to everyone he met. A warmth and kindness that when you spoke to him, he made you feel like you were the most important and beloved person in the world. He wasn’t trying to win any popularity contests but lived a life of purpose by helping distressed humanity through welfare work.  He was making difference and changing lives of many by dedicating his life for Islamic movement, supporting fund raising activities, collecting donations, organizing refugee camps. His positive work has inspired a lot of younger generations and motivated them to participate in community services. One of his biggest achievement was starting 1st Mid Atlantic Regional convention as his everlasting charity. At the age of 48, on Dec 9, 2022 the Muslim community mourned the tremendous loss of Saqib Attique who fought a courageous battle of kidney failure.  Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi Raji’oon. To Allah we belong and to him we must return. Although, he battled chronic and debilitating illnesses for several years but he rarely talked about his challenges and always showed courage and patience. He left a legacy of Islamic Movement workers which is filled with selflessness, unconditional love, courage, commitment, compassion, standing for truth and pure dedication. He will be remembered forever for his everyday acts of kindness, commitment to working in the path of Allah SWT and in the service of those in need. He dedicated his life as a giver and more importantly he was extremely generous. One cannot describe the extent of loss that the Muslim community has felt with his departure. He will always be surrounded in the special prayers by the loved ones and they will continue to honor his legacy.  Although he left this world but his loving heart has left a beacon of light for all Muslim Community.

Walking the Red Path in Islam Anthropologists and archaeologists are generally unified in their view that Native Americans (Red Indians) were the original inhabitants of the Western hemisphere. The ancestors of modern-day Native Americans are uniformly heralded as the “First Americans,” whether the hypothesis is that migrants arrived in the Americas when the South American and African continents were physically joined, or that a mass migration came from eastern Asia across the Bering Straits to the southern-most regions of South America. Evidence of Islam among Native Americans during the pre-Columbian period is mostly sketchy as there is relatively little research on the subject. Notable exceptions are the works of a few individuals including Shaykh Abdullah Hakim Quick, Dr. Jerald Dirks, and Kambiz Ghanea Bassiri. Further historical documentation of indigenous people embracing Islam through their interaction with Muslim Malian explorers in the Americas in the early 1300s, as well as the Natives’ synergy with runaway Muslim African slaves in the United States, holds the promise of validating and building upon preliminary research in this recent field of study. While there is abundant historical research about the relationships between Europeans and Native Americans, and Europeans and Africans in America, definitive works about the relationships between Native Americans and Africans in America, from the 15th to the 19th centuries, have yet to be written. Dr. Carter G. Woodson, heralded as the “Father of Black History,” in 1920 referred to the absence of research in this area as, “…one of the longest unwritten chapters in the history of the United States.” The interaction of Natives and Africans in America is exemplified by a number of well-known historical figures. Crispus Attucks is recognized as the first martyr of the American Revolution. He was fatally shot by British troops during a street fight between American colonists and British soldiers in 1770. Tensions ran high due to the heavy taxes imposed by Britain. The incident became known as the Boston Massacre. Attucks was a Black Natick (Nantucket) Indian. Similarly, the father of the Back to Africa Movement, Paul Cuffee, was of Black and Indian (Dartmouth) parentage. He was a successful shipowner in Massachusetts, and in 1815 he transported and resettled in Sierra Leone 38 Black freedmen and former enslaved Blacks. Another example, one of the most notable and effective abolitionists of the mid-19th century, was Frederick Douglas, also of mixed Native American and African American ancestry. Following two previous failed attempts at freedom, Douglas escaped from a Baltimore plantation to New York, eventually settling in Massachusetts where he became known as a brilliant orator, author, and compelling abolitionist voice. Continue Reading…. Being Native American and Muslim I prefer being referred to as Native American. When someone says “Indian,” most people think it refers to a person from India. It’s more accurate to say Native American or Indigenous. My family is from South Dakota and growing up in Oglala in the southwest of the state, you are used to being around Native Americans every day, and everybody is related to you in some way. Both my mother and my father are Lakota (Sioux) Oglala. Being Native American and Muslim is a balancing act that is interesting because you know your heritage yet now you must learn new and different traditions. Some Muslims told me that you must turn your back on your native culture once you become Muslim. I wasn’t going to do that. Our family’s history goes back to the days of traveling with Crazy Horse, one of the most famous of the Oglala Lakota war chiefs. Both sides of my family fought at Little Big Horn, then they branched out with Red Cloud. We have a proud history that I can never ignore.My grandparents were very strict in religion. They were Christian. My grandfather knew the Old Testament backward and forward. It was rather difficult growing up with my grandparents because they would not allow certain things in the house. They insisted that Native Americans shouldn’t eat pork. I discovered that Muslims don’t eat pork and do several other things in a similar way as my grandparents. My grandparents and my mom lived in Oglala, South Dakota and my uncle lived in Wolf Point, Montana. We would spend part of the time in South Dakota and the other time in Montana. Growing up in two different states was interesting and fun. Coming to Islam I started to do research about Islam in 2005. I wanted to find out about Shariah law and what it meant. I was on a hunt to learn everything I could about Islam. I met online a brother from Egypt and he taught me a lot about the Islamic religion and being Muslim. When I asked him questions that he wasn’t sure about, he would tell me to keep the questions until I go to the mosque to take shahadah (declaration of faith). I eventually took my shahadah in 2007 at the mosque. Continue Reading….

All Praises are for Allah Lord of all that exists and peace and blessings of Allah be on His final Messenger and his household. ICNA mourns the passing of one of the most renowned Islamic scholar of economics, Dr. Nejatullah Siddiqi on Friday, Nov 11th, 2022 at the age of 91. He was also a member of Jamaat-e-Islami India central executive. May Allah SWT grant him highest place in Jannatul Firdous! Dr. M. Nejatullah Siddiqi (born 1931, Gorakhpur, India) died this morning. He was a pioneer of Islamic economics and taught this subject in Aligarh Muslim University and King Abdul Aziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He was also associated with Islamic Development Bank, Jeddah.He was a prolific writer in Urdu and English and had 63 works in 177 publications. His works were translated into Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Indonesian, Malaysian, Thai, etc. His most widely read book is “Banking without interest” which was published in 27 editions between 1973 and 2000. He supervised dozens of PhD theses in Indian, Saudi and Nigerian universities.He was also associated with Jamaat-e Islami of India and was a founder-member of the All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat, an umbrella body of Indian Muslim organizations established in 1964.

All Praises are for Allah Lord of all that exists and peace and blessings of Allah be on His final Messenger and his household. ICNA mourns the passing of one of the most renowned contemporary Islamic scholars Dr. Yusuf Al-Qaradawi.  He was the Founding President of the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) and only recently stepped down from its presidency. He was 96. The death of Dr. Yusuf Al-Qaradawi is a great loss to this Ummah and particularly to Islamic Movement. The Ummah has lost one of the most brilliant minds. Dr. Qaradawi was honored in 1994 with the prestigious King Faisal International Prize, recognizing his exceptional service to humanity in religious scholarship. Then again in 2000, he was given an international award as the “Islamic Personality of the Year” in Dubai. He spent his entire life calling Muslims both leaders and followers to come back to the Hukm of Allah SWT. In the process he challenged rulers including of his own country where he was jailed three times and subsequently stripped of his Egyptian citizenship driving him to seek exile in Qatar. He had strong determination, insight and a pragmatic approach in dealing with the problems facing the Muslim Ummah; qualities that are not given to many. His goal was clear; to please Allah SWT. He was not preoccupied with criticism but was very focused in solving the issues of the Ummah. His thoughts will live with us in the 120 books which he authored and from which millions have benefitted. May Allah SWT grant him the highest paradise of Paradise and grant patience to his family.

Renowned Islamic scholar, former president of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umari passes away. New Delhi, 26 Aug. 2022: Renowned Islamic scholar Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umari, former president of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind and author of more than two dozen books died at Al Shifa Hospital in New Delhi at around 8.30 pm today. He was 87 years of old and is survived by two sons and two daughters. His funeral prayer will be held at 10:00 am tomorrow(Saturday, 27th Aug 2022) at the JIH Markaz mosque (Masjid Ishat-e-Islam), Abul Fazal Enclave, Okhla, New Delhi. Maulana Umari was born in 1935 in a village called Puttagram in the North Arcot district, Tamil Nadu, India. He has been the president (Ameer) of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind for the three consecutive terms from 2007-2019. He completed Alimiat and fazilat (Masters in Islamic studies) from Jamia Darussalam, Omerabad, Tamil Nadu. He obtained his baccalaureate (Munshi Fazil) in Persian from the Madras University. He also received a B.A (English) from Aligarh Muslim University. Maulana Umari associated with JIH during his student life. After completing his studies, he dedicated himself to its research department. He officially became its member in 1956. He served as the JIH city president of Aligarh for a decade. He was the editor of its Urdu monthly organ Zindagi-e-Nau for five years from June 1986 to December 1990. Later, he has become JIH Vice President, which he served for four consecutive terms from April 1990 to March 2007. Maulana Umari was rendering his valuable services as the chairman of the JIH Shariah Council. He was also Vice President All India Muslim Personal Law Board, a premier umbrella body of Indian Muslims. He was also the founder Editor of the quarterly Islamic research journal – Tehqeeqat-e-Islami since 1982. Being a noted Islamic scholar, educationist, researcher, orator, and author Maulana Umari has penned over 40 books in the Urdu language and contributed hundreds of research articles in various journals and magazines, on various topics including Islamic doctrines, Islamic jurisprudence, Dawah, Islamic social system, human rights, contemporary challenges and political issues. Later, a large number of books were translated into various languages. https://jamaateislamihind.org/eng/renowned-islamic-scholar-former-president-of-jamaat-e-islami-hind-maulana-syed-jalaluddin-umari-passes-away/