In a landmark moment for New York City, incoming Mayor Zohran Mamdani is set to make history by taking his oath of office on a Quran. This will be the first time a mayor of the city has used Islam's holy text in the swearing-in ceremony.
A Ceremony of Historic Firsts
The 34-year-old Democrat will be sworn in shortly after midnight on Wednesday 31 December 2025 in a long-closed subway station beneath City Hall. This unique setting will frame a series of personal milestones: Mamdani will become the first Muslim, first South Asian, and first African-born person to hold the office of New York City mayor.
While most of his predecessors took the oath on a Bible, the pledge to uphold the federal, state, and city constitutions does not mandate any religious text. Mamdani, who was vocal about his Muslim faith during the campaign, frequently appeared at mosques across the five boroughs, building a coalition that included many first-time South Asian and Muslim voters.
The Significance of the Sacred Texts
For the ceremonies, Mamdani will place his hand on three separate Qurans. Two are family heirlooms belonging to his grandfather and grandmother. The third is a particularly significant artifact: a pocket-sized manuscript dating to the late 18th or early 19th century, part of the New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.
Hiba Abid, curator for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at the library, explained the manuscript's importance. “It’s a small Quran, but it brings together elements of faith and identity in New York City history,” she said. Its modest design, with a deep red binding and simple floral medallion, suggests it was created for everyday use by ordinary readers, not ceremonial display. “The importance of this Quran lies not in luxury, but in accessibility,” Abid noted.
The manuscript was acquired by Arturo Schomburg, a Black Puerto Rican historian, and is believed to reflect his interest in the historical links between Islam and Black cultures globally. Scholars estimate it was produced during the Ottoman period in a region encompassing modern-day Syria, Lebanon, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and Jordan.
Identity, Backlash, and a Public Legacy
The meteoric rise of a Muslim democratic socialist mayor attracted national attention and, unfortunately, a surge of Islamophobic rhetoric. In an emotional pre-election speech, Mamdani addressed the hostility directly. “I will not change who I am, how I eat, or the faith that I’m proud to call my own,” he declared. “I will no longer look for myself in the shadows. I will find myself in the light.”
The decision to use a Quran has drawn fresh criticism from some conservative figures, echoing the backlash faced by Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress, when he used a Quran for his ceremonial oath in 2006.
Following the inauguration, the historic Schomburg Center Quran will go on public display. Abid hopes the attention, whether supportive or critical, will encourage more people to explore the library’s collections documenting Islamic life in New York. “This manuscript was meant to be used by ordinary readers when it was produced,” she said. “Today it lives in a public library where anyone can encounter it.”
