The Quran used by Zohran Mamdani at his swearing-in ceremony on January 1 is now on display in New York.
The 18th-century manuscript was one of two Qurans Mamdani placed his hand on when he was sworn in at the stroke of midnight to become the first Muslim mayor of New York City. The other Quran belonged to his grandfather. A third Quran belonging to his grandmother was used at his inauguration later in the day, when Mamdani took another oath at New York City Hall.
The centuries-old Quran was selected by Mamdani's Syrian-American wife, Rama Duwaji, who held the books as he took his oath alongside New York Attorney General Letitia James. It was on loan from the New York Public Library's Schomburg Centre for Research in Black Culture, named after Arturo Schomburg, a Puerto Rican historian whose collection documented the global contributions of people of African descent.
Now dubbed “the People's Quran”, it is on display at New York Public Library's main branch at Bryant Park, along with pictures from the swearing-in ceremony held at a decommissioned subway station under New York City Hall.
“The Quran is Islam’s most sacred text, believed to be the literal Word of God. Across centuries, wealthy rulers and bibliophiles have commissioned sumptuous copies, in which illumination and calligraphy transformed manuscripts into works of art, enhanced with precious materials such as gold,” reads a description accompanying the exhibit.
“This Quran, however, stands apart for its history and restrained simplicity. Copied in Ottoman Syria in the late 18th or early 19th century, it is written primarily in black ink, with red ink used to highlight the structural divisions of the text. The absence of opulent illumination suggests it belonged to an ordinary reader.”
Sharing the news on Instagram, Mamdani said the Quran “now belongs to all New Yorkers as part of our city's next chapter”.
Mamdani is the first New York mayor to use a Quran during his inauguration. Besides being the first Muslim mayor, he is also the first South Asian and first African-born person to hold the position.
“The significance of this Quran extends far beyond the beauty of its pages,” said Hiba Abid, curator of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at the New York Public Library. “It is a Quran close to the people, not only because of its simple craftsmanship, but also because it is part of the nation's largest public library system.
“Its importance lies not in luxury, but in accessibility, and we hope it inspires more New Yorkers to explore the rich diversity of our Middle Eastern and Islamic collections.”
