Politics
Newly elected first Muslim US Senator Abdul El-Sayed has expressed his intention to take his oath of office on the Quran, potentially making history as the first American senator to do so.
Newly elected first Muslim US Senator Abdul El-Sayed has expressed his intention to take his oath of office on the Quran, potentially making history as the first American senator to do so. However, he has yet to decide between a copy once owned by former US President Thomas Jefferson and an ancient Quranic manuscript preserved at the University of Michigan. Abdul El-Sayed, the senator-elect from Michigan, said he intends to take his oath of office on the Quran in January, becoming the first US senator to do so. However, he has not yet decided which copy of the holy book he will use.
Speaking to NPR (National Public Radio) correspondent Leila Fadel on the network’s Newsmakers program on Thursday, El-Sayed mentioned two possible choices: a copy once owned by former US President Thomas Jefferson and an ancient manuscript preserved at the University of Michigan. “I will most likely take my oath on the Quran. Which Quran has not yet been decided,” he said. “Thomas Jefferson owned a copy of the Quran. So, when Keith Ellison was sworn into Congress, he took his oath on that copy. Michigan also has one of the earliest copies of the Quran in the state. The University of Michigan preserves it. It is a very ancient manuscript, and that could be another option. So, I don't know yet, but I will take my oath on the Quran,” he added.
It is worth recalling that in 2007, Keith Ellison became the first Muslim elected to the US Congress. He made history by taking his oath as a member of the House of Representatives on a translation of the Quran that had belonged to Thomas Jefferson. The 1764 translation is preserved at the Library of Congress. Ellison was born in Detroit, Michigan, and grew up in a Catholic family before converting to Islam at the age of 19. Meanwhile, 42-year-old Abdul El-Sayed defeated Republican candidate Mike Rogers in Michigan's Senate race on November 3, becoming the first Muslim American elected to the US Senate. He will also be the first epidemiologist to serve in the chamber. He is scheduled to take office on January 3, 2027, and Vice President JD Vance will administer his oath of office.
