Zohran Mamdani’s Oath Will Be Taken on Qurans That Carry Personal and Historical Meaning

When Zohran Mamdani officially assumes office, the moment will be marked not only by a change in city leadership but by a ceremonial choice without precedent in New York’s history. Mamdani will swear in using Islamic scripture, becoming the first mayor of the city to take the oath of office on a Quran.

The ceremony is scheduled to take place just after midnight in a decommissioned subway station beneath City Hall — a setting chosen to underscore transition and continuity. During the oath, Mamdani will place his hand on two Qurans: a family heirloom that once belonged to his grandfather and a compact historical manuscript preserved by the New York Public Library.

At 34, Mamdani is set to break multiple barriers simultaneously. He will be New York City’s first Muslim mayor, its first mayor of South Asian heritage, and the first to have been born in Africa — in Uganda — before building his political career in the United States.

A Ceremony That Reflects New York’s Muslim History

The decision to use Islamic scripture was shaped in part by consultations involving Mamdani’s wife, Rama Duwaji, and scholars familiar with the city’s archival collections. According to experts involved in the process, the choice of texts was intended to reflect both personal lineage and the broader history of Muslim communities in New York.

For generations, most mayors have taken the oath using a Bible, though the law itself requires only a pledge to uphold federal, state and municipal constitutions. Mamdani’s selection of the Quran signals a departure from tradition while remaining fully within legal and constitutional boundaries.

Throughout his campaign, Mamdani placed affordability and cost-of-living issues at the center of his platform. At the same time, he spoke openly about his Muslim faith, regularly visiting mosques across all five boroughs and mobilizing voters who had rarely seen themselves represented in citywide politics.

The Qurans Chosen for the Swearing-In

For the subway ceremony, Mamdani will use two Qurans. One is a personal family volume passed down through generations. The other is a small, centuries-old manuscript held by the New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

The historic Quran is believed to date back to the late 18th or early 19th century and is part of a collection assembled by Arturo Schomburg, a historian known for documenting the global contributions of people of African descent. While records do not show exactly how the manuscript entered his possession, scholars believe it reflects Schomburg’s interest in the intersections of Islam, Africa and the Black diaspora.

Unlike elaborately decorated religious manuscripts associated with royal courts, this Quran is modest. Bound in deep red leather with minimal ornamentation and written in clear black and red ink, it appears to have been produced for everyday reading rather than ceremonial display.

According to Hiba Abid, curator for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at the library, that simplicity is central to the manuscript’s significance. Its design suggests accessibility and personal devotion rather than wealth or status.

Because the text bears no signature or date, experts analyzed its binding style and script to estimate its origin. The manuscript is believed to have been produced during the Ottoman period in a region encompassing parts of today’s Syria, Lebanon, Israel, the Palestinian territories and Jordan.

For a second swearing-in ceremony at City Hall on New Year’s Day, Mamdani is expected to use Qurans that belonged to both his grandfather and grandmother, though additional details about those family heirlooms have not been made public.

Identity, Visibility and Backlash

Mamdani’s rapid rise in city politics has also drawn national attention — and, in some quarters, hostility. As his campaign gained momentum, anti-Muslim rhetoric surfaced online and in political commentary.

In a speech delivered shortly before the election, Mamdani addressed that hostility directly, saying it reinforced his determination to be open about his identity rather than retreat from it.

“I will not change who I am or the faith I’m proud to call my own,” he said. “I will no longer search for myself in the shadows.”

The decision to swear in on a Quran has since attracted criticism from some conservative figures. U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville reacted to news coverage of the inauguration with inflammatory language on social media. The Council on American-Islamic Relations has previously classified Tuberville as an anti-Muslim extremist based on earlier remarks.

Such controversies echo earlier moments in U.S. political history. In 2006, Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress, faced similar backlash after choosing a Quran for his ceremonial oath.

A Public Future for a Private Manuscript

After the inauguration, the historic Quran will return to public display at the New York Public Library. Abid said she hopes the attention surrounding Mamdani’s ceremony — both supportive and critical — will encourage visitors to engage more deeply with the library’s collections documenting Muslim life in New York.

Those archives include early 20th-century recordings of Armenian and Arabic music produced in the city, as well as firsthand accounts detailing experiences of Islamophobia in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.

“When this Quran was created, it was meant for ordinary readers,” Abid said. “Now it resides in a public institution where anyone can encounter it, learn from it, and place it within the broader history of this city.”