The Qur'ans in Mayor Zohran Mamdani's oath

In the early hours of New Year’s Day, beneath the arched, tiled ceilings of the decommissioned Old City Hall subway station, a new chapter of New York City history was written in ink and stone.

Zohran Mamdani, at 34, took the oath of office as the 112th Mayor of New York, becoming the first Muslim, first South Asian, and first African-born individual to lead the Five Boroughs.

While the subterranean venue spoke to Mamdani’s roots as a transit advocate, the most profound symbolism lay in the books upon which he placed his hand.

Across two ceremonies—the private midnight oath and the public inauguration—Mamdani utilized three distinct copies of the Holy Qur'an, weaving together his personal lineage with the deep history of Muslims in New York.

The Schomburg Qur’an: A Legacy of Inclusion

For the official midnight swearing-in administered by Attorney General Letitia James, Mamdani used a centuries-old Qur’an on loan from the New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

This volume, likely produced in Ottoman Syria in the late 18th or early 19th century, carries immense weight.

It was once part of the personal collection of Arturo Alfonso Schomburg, the legendary Afro-Puerto Rican scholar who documented the global contributions of the African Diaspora.

Its choice was a deliberate nod to the intersection of Black and Muslim histories in America.

As NYPL President Anthony W. Marx noted, the book symbolizes a "story of inclusion, representation, and civic-mindedness," linking the city's new leadership to the intellectual heritage preserved in Harlem.

Family Heirlooms: From Kampala to Queens

Accompanying the Schomburg volume were personal heirlooms: the Qur’an belonging to Mamdani’s grandfather and, for the public ceremony on the steps of City Hall, the Qur’an belonging to his grandmother.

In his remarks, Mamdani thanked his family "from Kampala to Delhi," highlighting a journey that mirrors that of so many New Yorkers.

The presence of these family Qur’ans transformed a state ritual into a deeply personal act of Amanah (trust).

By using the scriptures of his elders, Mamdani signaled that his administration would be anchored in the values of those who came before him—immigrants who navigated the complexities of identity while building a life in a new land.

The Invocation: A Prayer for "Moral Imagination"

The spiritual weight of the day was further amplified by a moving invocation from Imam Khalid Latif, Director of the Islamic Center at NYU.

Addressing a crowd that included Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Imam Latif’s supplication focused on the "moral imagination" required to lead a city as complex as New York.

"We gather today with hearts shaped by this city, by its noise and its neighborhoods, by its subways and sanctuaries," Imam Latif prayed. "We thank You for a place that has taught the world how difference can become strength... and for a place that taught us that a young immigrant, democratic socialist Muslim can be bold enough to run and brave enough to win—not by abandoning conviction, but by standing firmly within it."

The Imam’s prayer served as a reminder that leadership is not just a political office, but a sacred responsibility to the "strangers who become neighbors."

A Historic Precedent

Mamdani’s choice to be sworn in on the Qur’an is a first for a New York City Mayor.

For the Muslim community, the sight of the Mayor taking an oath on the Qur’an in the heart of the city felt like a moment of civic reclamation.

As the Schomburg Qur’an returns to public display later this month, it stands as a witness to a moment when New York City embraced its full, diverse self.

Sources Used in This Report:

• The New York Public Library: "Schomburg Qur’an Selected for Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani's Swearing-In" (Dec 31, 2025).
• Fox News: "Socialist NYC Mayor Mamdani inaugurated alongside Bernie Sanders and AOC" (Jan 1, 2026).⁷
• The Statesman: "Zohran Mamdani takes charge as New York mayor, vows to govern 'audaciously'" (Jan 2, 2026).⁸
• CBS New York: "Zohran Mamdani inauguration | An invocation by Imam Khalid Latif" (Jan 1, 2026).⁹
• City Journal: "The Warmth of Collectivism Comes to City Hall" (Jan 2, 2026).

Interfaith Unity at NYC Inauguration