Nabeel Sait
Muhammad Naji is a full time employee working for American Islamic Outreach (AIO). He is the project manager for AIO events and projects. He also drives the Qur’an mobile from city to city in order to spread awareness of AIO and Islam. He has been the torchbearer for AIO’s daily activities and is constantly interacting with the general public through his work. One project, that has influenced many people, is the Qur’an stand. The stand is run by AIO, however, the literature come from the Furqan Foundation. I sat down with him to ask questions about the direction of outreach and to address some of the responses that he has received from the Qur’an stands.
When did AIO start the Qur’an stand project?
“The Qur’an stands started in June 2016. Since then, 61 business have requested to put a stand in their store. There are also eight other stands located in masajid across the Carolinas. There is a list of the business, which have the Qur’an stands, on the American Islamic Outreach website.”
Who maintains all the stands?
“Myself and volunteers of AIO keep a box of literature in our car. Weekly, we drive by the locations of the stand and restock as necessary. We are always looking for more volunteers who can help with such a noble cause. It does not require any effort than to put the books on the shelf.”
What do AIO volunteers do?
“Volunteers can help in any event or project that AIO is doing. Our current volunteers have helped maintain stands, manage dawah tables and some even help at our Free Clinic. All of our volunteers have come away with something positive and educational while also helping our causes of spreading goodness and Islam.”
What has been the response from the general public regarding the stands?
“Most people are thrilled to see the stands and are excited to learn about Islam. When the stand runs out of Qur’ans, we receive calls requesting to restock the stand. There has been about four or five shahadas, that we know of, done by business owners which were directly influenced by the the stands.”
What are the store owner’s experience with having a stand in their store?
“The store owners were mostly positive when I asked them about their experience. There was an instance where a non-muslim man walked into the store and grabbed a translation from the stand. He sat down and read the Qur’an translation for an hour in the store before he went up to the owner and said, ‘This is the truth!’, pointing at the translation. There has been another occurrence where an inebriated man started ranting about the owner and his choice of keeping a stand in the store. There has been some negative interactions, however, these only support the need for more stands.”
What kind of literature is offered on the stand?
“There are brochures and translations available in Spanish and English. We are working to expand the number of languages we carry on the stand.”
How has the stand influenced non-Muslims specifically?
“Many people call in daily, from all over the US and outside, asking for information about Islam. There have been requests for shipment of literature for their study group or for personal reasons. There was once a man who picked up a translation from the stand, took it home and showed it to his girlfriend. She ordered a shipment of translations the next day to use in her Bible study group. There has also been requests from Ontario, Canada for literature after one of our translations reached our northern neighbor.”
What are some goals that AIO has for 2017?
“We plan to install the Qur’an Stands all over North and South Carolina and beyond. This requires manpower, money and also passion about Islam. However, we believe, with the help of Allah, that we will meet and exceed our goals by the end of the year.”
What are some challenges that you see ahead for this project or for AIO in general?
“Currently, we are quite shorthanded when it comes to volunteers. We always look for inspiring individuals who can take charge and bolster our outreach initiatives with their passion. We are also in need of funds to support expensive projects like the Qur’an stand. Even if someone doesn’t have the time to volunteer with AIO, they can always make a huge difference by donating. No amount is too small in our eyes; we believe that every penny is a blessing and an encouragement to continue our good work.”
How can Muslims help support the AIO with the stand?
“Patrons can sponsor the construction of one stand by donating 200 dollars to AIO. This money will be used to construct a stand and place it where it can benefit the most people. People can also request to have a stand put in their business to help spread awareness in their area. We are always looking for people who are interested in outreach and community projects. We hope this becomes a national initiative in the near future.”
