Know about Holy Quran Zohran Mamdani used for swearing-in as NYC Mayor
In a historic first, Zohran Mamdani took oath as the New Mayor of The New York City using Quran – The Holy Book of Muslims
[Zohran Mamdani is sworn in as New York Attorney General Letitia James (L) and his wife Rama Duwaji look on in New York, on January 1, 2026. (Photo by AFP)]
New York: In a historic first, Zohran Mamdani took oath as the New Mayor of The New York City using Quran – The Holy Book of Muslims.
Zohran Mamdani, who goes by his full name Zohran Kwame Mamdani, is the son of Mahmood Mamdani, an Indian-Ugandan of Gujarat origin and postcolonial studies professor at Columbia University. Zohran's mother is National Award and Padma Bhushan-winning Indian filmmaker Mira Nair of Punjab descent.
Zohran Mamdani is the first Muslim and first Indian American to become the Mayor of United States’ largest city. Mamdani defeated Andrew Cuomo, a former Governor and billionaire in the high profile New York Mayor election.
Mamdani and Andrew Cuomo both are from the Democratic Party. Mamdani had defeated Cuomo in the New York Mayor Primary Elections. But, instead of supporting the party nominee, Cuomo contested against Mamdani as a rebel and independent candidate.
Mamdani won the election bagging more than 50% of the popular votes, and despite Cuomo pumping in a huge money and roping in U.S. President Donald Trump to campaign against the Democratic Party's official candidate.
Zohran Mamdani Swearing-in Ceremonies
Zohran Mamdani's term as New York Mayor begins from mid-night Thursday January 01, 2026. Mamdani took oath as the new Mayor of America's largest city in private as well as official ceremonies.
The private ceremony was held on Wednesday shortly before the start of New Year’s Day 2026 in the abandoned City Hall Subway Station under the Times Square, Lower Manhattan.
Zohran Mamdani's official swearing-in ceremony as NYC Mayor is scheduled to be held at New York City Hall Friday January 02, 2026.
Two Copies of Holy Quran
Zohran Mamdani used two copies of The Holy Quran for the private ceremony held at the decommissioned City Hall subway station beneath Lower Manhattan.
Mamdani, 34, placed his hand on two copies of Holy Quran, including a family heirloom that belonged to his grandfather and a centuries-old manuscript borrowed from the New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, marking a first for the nation’s largest city.
One copy of the Holy Quran used during the ceremony dates back to the late 18th or early 19th century and is part of the Schomburg Center’s collection. It was acquired by Arturo Alfonso Schomburg, a Black Puerto Rican historian whose work documented the global contributions of people of African descent.
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Schomburg was born in Puerto Rico in the 1870s to parents of German and Afro-Caribbean descent. He later immigrated to New York and was a key player in the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and 1930s – a period of intense cultural and intellectual flourishing within New York’s Black community, according to Al Jazeera.
The second Quran copy belonged to Mamdani’s grandfather and reflects his family’s personal history. For a subsequent public swearing-in ceremony at City Hall later on New Year’s Day, Mamdani is expected to also use a Quran that belonged to his grandmother.
"A Greater Story of Inclusion"
The New York Public Library praised Mamdani’s decision to use Schomburg’s Quran because of its connection to one of New York’s “most groundbreaking scholars and for its simple, functional qualities”.
The small size of the Quran copy, and its black and red ink suggest it was designed for everyday use, the library said. The edition is neither signed nor dated, but its “minute naskh script and its binding, featuring a gilt-stamped medallion filled with a floral composition, suggest it was produced in Ottoman Syria in the 19th century”, the library added.
“The significance of this Quran extends far beyond the beauty of its pages,” said Hiba Abid, curator of Middle Eastern and Islamic studies.
“It is a Quran close to the people, not only because of its simple craftsmanship, but also because it is part of the collections of the nation’s largest public library system”, she added.
Anthony W Marx, the library’s President and CEO, said the choice of Quran and its association with Schomburg “symbolises a greater story of inclusion, representation, and civic-mindedness”.
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