Imam Mahdi Association of Marjaeya (I.M.A.M.)

Imam Mahdi Association of Marjaeya (I.M.A.M.) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit religious organization serving as the official liaison office of the Supreme Religious Authority, Ayatullah Sayyid Ali al‑Sistani, for Shia Muslims in North America. Guided by Islamic principles and the teachings of the Marjaʿeya, I.M.A.M. is committed to advancing the religious, spiritual, educational, and social well-being of Muslim communities across the United States and Canada.

I.M.A.M.’s mission is implemented through five core functions. It offers comprehensive religious services, including jurisprudential guidance, marriage and divorce facilitation, family counseling, Islamic will preparation, and the issuance of religious rulings tailored to the realities of Muslim life in the West. Its religious education initiatives support Islamic literacy, identity, and faith-based values through seminars, publications, and scholarships for hawzah students. In managing charity and religious dues, such as Khums, I.M.A.M. ensures proper authorization, collection, and distribution of funds to support religious, educational, and humanitarian efforts across the continent. As a hawzah liaison, I.M.A.M. strengthens connections between North American communities and central Islamic seminaries by facilitating scholarly exchange, inviting senior scholars for public engagement, and communicating the guidance of the Marjaʿeya to address contemporary challenges. Finally, its community cohesion efforts focus on fostering interfaith and intrafaith dialogue, building partnerships between places of worship, organizing conferences and forums, and mediating communal disputes to promote unity, understanding, and shared solutions.

Through these programs, I.M.A.M. strives to nurture a vibrant, informed, and collaborative Muslim presence rooted in faith, integrity, service, and responsible citizenship within the fabric of North American society.

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