Support IHYA NYC

New York City · Est. 2025

Why IHYA Exists

IHYA was created to serve a community that is often overlooked — young Muslim professionals in New York City.

Our Story ↓

This probably sounds familiar.

You wake up before Fajr to catch the train. Spend 10 hours at work. Commute home after sunset. Eat dinner. Sleep. Repeat.

The local masjid's programming is built for families with young children. Your friends from back home are scattered across the country.

You're spiritually hungry. You want to grow. You want community that gets it. But where do you go?

"Between college MSAs and family-focused masajid, there's a massive gap. Young professionals — post-grad, pre-family or early-family, navigating careers and city life — are often left without a spiritual home."

IHYA was built for Young professionals who are:

Working demanding jobs in finance, tech, healthcare, consulting, education
Living far from family and childhood communities
Navigating the intensity and isolation of NYC
Wanting more than just Friday prayers
Ready to grow spiritually but lacking the space to do it

We saw this gap. We felt this gap. So we built something to fill it.

What We've Built Together

In just eight and a half months, alhamdulillāh, we have:

43+
Events Hosted
From weekly halaqas to major community lectures
5
Series Launched
Deep dives into Islamic knowledge over multiple weeks
1,000+
Lives Impacted In Person
Brothers and sisters who've attended our programs
200K+
Accounts Reached Online
Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and word of mouth
100+
Bi-Weekly Attendees
Consistent community at our regular programming
35+
Arabic Class Students
Learning Qur'anic Arabic systematically

Series That Shaped Us

The Four Rightly Guided Caliphs

Understanding leadership through Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali (رضي الله عنهم)

Life After Death

Exploring the akhirah, death, barzakh, and the Day of Judgment

Tafsir of Surah Al-Kahf

Deep study of this blessed surah's lessons and stories

Men of Character

Reflecting on the Sahaba and righteous predecessors

Ramadan Series

Special programming for brothers and sisters during the blessed month

This isn't about attendance numbers. It's about transformation.

Brothers who started with basketball now attend halaqas regularly. Students from Arabic class volunteer to help run events. Attendees from one-time lectures become core community members.

We're not just hosting programs. We're building a home.

How We Do It

We meet people where they are, then help them grow. Everyone's path back to faith looks different.

01
Our Foundation

Weekly Halaqas

Every Thursday at 7:30 PM, we gather behind Qahwah House in Astoria. Sometimes 20 brothers. Sometimes 50. Always consistent.

Led by Mufti Aminul Islam, with guests like Dr. Akram Nadwi, Mufti Tofael Nuruddin, and others.

No fluff. No performance Islam. Just real knowledge, real discussion, and real growth.

Sisters programming: Bi-weekly halaqas with similar depth and consistency.

"You can't build on inconsistency. Weekly programming creates habits. Habits create transformation."
02
Large-Scale Impact

Community Events

Once a month, we bring in prominent scholars for events open to the entire community — 200-300 person gatherings with scholars who rarely visit NYC.

Recent events:

  • "Where Hearts Find Rest" with Dr. Shadee Elmasry
  • "Before the Hour" with Dr. Shadee Elmasry
  • "Men of Character" lecture series
  • Qur'an Night — Ramadan preparation
  • Lectures with Shaykh Ismail Bowers (Oxford PhD)
"Sometimes you need a big tent to draw people in. Then you invite them to the regular gatherings."
03
Building Genuine Friendships

IHYA Socials

Not everyone's ready to walk into a masjid. But everyone can play basketball or go on a hike.

  • Weekly basketball pickup games
  • Group hikes in upstate New York
  • Coffee meetups for professionals
  • Arts and crafts nights
  • Volunteer activities
"A brother came to IHYA Basketball for months before he ever stepped into a halaqa. Now he's a regular."
"Faith doesn't grow in isolation. It grows in friendship."
04
For Serious Students

Academic Classes

Qur'anic Arabic — 35+ students learning systematic Arabic grammar, morphology, and structure. Not just vocabulary — actual understanding of how the language works.

Coming soon:

  • Fiqh fundamentals
  • Seerah deep-dive
  • Aqidah foundations
  • Hadith studies
"Some people are ready to go deep. They've moved past motivation and want real knowledge."

Learning from the Best

We've been honored to host respected scholars who bring traditional knowledge and contemporary understanding.

S

Dr. Shadee Elmasry

Founder of Safina Society

Frequent IHYA guest. Teaches on spiritual purification, Islamic history, and living a balanced Muslim life in the modern world.

I

Shaykh Ismail Bowers

Oxford PhD Candidate · Al-Qarawiyyin Graduate

Completed the prestigious 12-year ʿĀlimiyyah program at Al-Qarawiyyin in Fes. MA in Theology from Emory. Currently researching hadith and Islamic theology at Oxford.

A

Mufti Aminul Islam

Regular Scholar · Weekly Halaqa Leader

The consistent backbone of our weekly programming. Deep knowledge, practical fiqh, and a teaching style that makes complex topics accessible.

T

Mufti Tofael Nuruddin

Guest Scholar · Traditional Training

Regular guest speaker for our halaqas, bringing traditional Islamic scholarship to contemporary questions.

K

Shaykh Akram Nadwi

Oxford Islamic Scholar · Hadith Specialist

A world-renowned muhaddith. His lectures with IHYA have drawn hundreds and left lasting impact on attendees.

S

Shaykha Shamsun Nahar

Sisters Programming · Scholar

Leading our sisters' halaqas with depth, wisdom, and practical guidance rooted in traditional scholarship.

"We don't bring speakers for hype. We bring scholars for substance. Every speaker we host has traditional training, deep knowledge, and a commitment to serving the community with sincerity."

Sustain Our Mission

Your contribution isn't just a donation. It's an investment in every brother and sister who finds their way back to faith through this community.

Monthly sustainers help us plan ahead and grow our impact

IHYA means revival — and every generation needs one. This is ours.

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Attend

Join us at weekly Thursday halaqas in Astoria. Show up to monthly community events. Play basketball. Go on a hike. Enroll in Arabic class. You don't need permission. Just come.

View Events
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Support

Your contribution brings scholars, secures venues, and continues building meaningful community. One-time donation, monthly sustainer, or sponsor a program — every amount matters.

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Volunteer

We're volunteer-run and always need help — event logistics, social media, operations, teaching, or whatever you can give. Build this with us.

Get in Touch

A movement, not an organization.

Young Muslim professionals in NYC are navigating some of the most intense years of their lives. Career pressure. Financial stress. Social isolation. Spiritual hunger.

We built IHYA as a home for these people. A place where you can be ambitious AND spiritual. Professional AND practicing. Successful AND sincere.

Whether you attend one event or become a core community member — you're welcome here. Whether you donate $10 or $10,000 — you're part of this.

"Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves."
— Qur'an 13:11