Zohran Mamdani to use Quran to be sworn in as mayor of New York City at midnight tonight

On January 1, 2026, mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani will become the first New York City mayor to take the oath of office with his hand on the Quran, Islam's holy book. The 34-year-old Democrat, a socialist and Muslim, is poised to use multiple copies of the Quran across two ceremonies, according to senior adviser Zara Rahim.

The New York Times reported that Mamdani will use his grandfather's and grandmother's Qurans for the public ceremony at 1 pm on the steps of City Hall, which is expected to draw up to 40,000 attendees accompanied by a block party along Broadway. US Senator Bernie Sanders, a socialist of Vermont and key political ally, will administer the oath, with opening remarks from Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY). 

Mamdani will also use the Schomburg Quran, a pocket-sized Quran dating back to the late 18th century, for a private swearing-in ceremony. This manuscript once belonged to Arturo Schomburg, an Afro-Latino historian and collector, and will go back on display at the New York Public Library shortly after the inauguration.
"It's a highly symbolic choice because we're about to have a Muslim mayor swearing in using the Quran, but also a mayor who was born on the African continent, in Uganda," NY Public Library curator for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies Hiba Abid told The Times. Rahim described the decision as correcting "a long deferred absence" of Muslims in the city's public life. Although US law does not require any religious text for oaths—many officials swear on secular books or nothing—most past NYC mayors have used the Bible. 

Mamdani, a former state assemblyman for Queens, won a landslide victory in November, defeating challengers including former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa. His rapid rise and progressive platform have drawn national attention, with outgoing Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat turned Independent, planning to attend the public ceremony despite a contentious campaign. As Mamdani assumes office amid high expectations for affordability and public safety reforms, his inauguration symbolizes a new chapter in New York's political and cultural landscape—one that has conservative and moderate voters concerned with his socialist platform.