2019 Iqra Library Fundraiser

Dr. Noor Ahmed
Dec 14, 2019
3 min read

From everyone at the Iqra library, we would like to say thank you to everyone that came to the Iqra library fundraiser! With your help and generosity we raised over $35,000 dollars this year, and inshAllah with your continued help and support we can continue to thrive and remain a strong part of the community for years to come. We hope to have the community's continued support for many more years to come, whether you support by donation of money, books, or simply your time. Thank you for your support in the past 10 years, and we look forward to the future.

We also would like to acknowledge that we could not do the work we do without the generous and tireless support of volunteers. There are not enough words to describe how amazed and grateful we are for the dedication of the volunteers who have taken time out of their day to help at the library. We would like to say thank you for your unwavering support and generosity. We will never be able to fully express our gratitude to you, thank you for your kindness, compassion, and caring. If you would like to be informed of future volunteer opportunities, or if you would like donate to help us continue our work, please email us at : iqra.library517@gmail.com

The Iqra Library’s goal and mission statement has always been “to educate, enlighten, and help eliminate misconceptions about Islam and Muslims.”

For the past 10 years the Iqra Library has aspired to offer all members of the community a safe, accessible and attractive place conducive to learning, research and enlightenment about Islam. It provides educational resources to foster a better understanding of Islam and Muslims. Programs such as, interfaith group meetings, Muslim and Jewish conferences, scheduled visitations by local schools, colleges, and churches (led by Maysa Albarcha and Aftab Ahmad), and weekly Saturday morning Quranic/Islamic group discussions, as well as a space for the Al - Salam Day School students. It is open seven days a week, managed by two part time dedicated employees, has nearly 10,000 cataloged items, nearly 1000 patrons, a power point projector with screen, and of course computers with free WiFi available.

In our American society when we want to learn about something new, or find archived documents about the past, etc., we go to the library. When American presidents leave office, they take on the task of creating presidential libraries to archive and document the events of their time in office. It is their legacy of what their efforts during their time in office left behind. Developing a state of the art library where we could document our path to the current point in our local St. Louis Muslim society and educate Muslims and non- Muslims alike became an obsession for Dr. Noor Ahmed (chairman of the Iqra Library). If records are not kept, the accounting of this journey will be lost.

It was Dr. Noor’s belief, that in order for the library to hold a place of importance, and best serve the St. Louis community, it had to be accessible as its own entity. It had to be a well thought out facility with well-organized space and maintain regular hours. It had to occupy a place of importance and prominence.

Dr. Noor believed that the community needed a facility where Muslims, non-Muslims and those interested in joining our faith would find the resources and help to guide them on their path. An Endowment Fund was established in 1997 for this purpose.

The Iqra Library operates under the umbrella of the Islamic Foundation of Greater St. Louis with both volunteers and employees. There are many people that believe libraries are outdated due to the digital revolution and the rise of a gadget-enamored society. The increase of use of technology is perhaps the reason why public libraries are important foundations for bringing together communities and providing a safe place where people can interact, learn and explore. The prophet Muhammad (SAW) commanded knowledge upon all Muslims, and urged them to seek knowledge as far they could reach, and to seek it at all times.