Zohran Mamdani to use Quran at swearing-in: First NYC Mayor to do so; will feature 3 unique Qurans

Zohran Mamdani will make history on January 1 as the first New York City mayor to place his hand on the Quran during his swearing-in ceremonies. Mamdani, who represents a range of demographics not seen before in the mayor’s office—South Asian, millennial, and Muslim—will use at least three unique Qurans for his ceremonies, according to senior adviser Zara Rahim.

For his private swearing-in early Thursday, he will use his grandfather’s Quran and one that belonged to Arturo Schomburg, the Black writer and historian, lent by the New York Public Library. For the public ceremony at City Hall, he will use his grandfather’s and grandmother’s Qurans, reported The New York Times.




Hiba Abid, the library’s curator for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies helped Rahim and Mamdani’s wife, Rama Duwaji, select a Quran for the inauguration. “It really brings together here elements of faith, identity and New York history.”

The Schomburg Quran will be publicly displayed for the first time at a special exhibit at the New York Public Library beginning the Tuesday after the inauguration.

Although elected officials are not required by law to use a religious text when taking the oath of office, most past mayors have used a Bible. Mamdani, whose faith was a defining feature of his campaign, said it was especially important to display both a family-owned Quran and one belonging to a noteworthy New York figure. Rahim said the decision will correct “a long deferred absence” of Muslims in the city’s public life.

“This moment will mark a turning point in the civic history of New York City, and it belongs to every New Yorker whose lives shaped this city quietly, without ever being reflected back to them,” she said.

Past mayors have also used personal heirlooms or historical artifacts during their oath ceremonies. In 2021, Eric Adams took his oath with one hand on his mother’s Bible and the other on a framed photo of her image in a brandy snifter. Bill de Blasio used a Bible that once belonged to President Franklin D Roosevelt.

Mamdani will join a small group of American elected officials to use a Quran for their swearing-in. Keith Ellison, Minnesota’s attorney general, first did so in Congress in 2007, followed by Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota. In New York, Shahana Hanif was sworn into the City Council in 2022 with a family Quran. Hanif said Mamdani’s choice “represents this example of extending solidarity to the Muslim community in New York City and, really, abroad.”