Building Project
In the Name of Allah (SWT), the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
As-Salaam Alaikum Dear Followers of the Ahlul Bayt,
With great pleasure, Islamic Ahlul Bayt Association of the Triangle (IABAT) would like to share a remarkable milestone on the path to building the first Shia Ithna Ashari Muslim center in North Carolina. By the Grace of Allah (SWT) and with the support of our ever-growing community, we have purchased 3.2 acres of land in the city of Durham. This is significant as we have reached a point where the size of our community and the lack of appropriate rental spaces necessitates our own space to accommodate our growing populous. During the recent first 10 days of Muharram, we reached a peak crowd of 350+. Our weekend school had almost 90 students in attendance last year. At this rate, it is critical to have our own building to maintain and expand our community.
Since its inception in 1999, the IABAT community strives for and has been blessed with one of the most diverse mix of followers in the USA, reflected by multiple countries and languages of origin (e.g. English, Urdu, Farsi, Arabic, etc). Despite challenges of a diverse community and limited resources, we have managed to gain a Resident Aalim (Sheikh Dr. Mehdi Hazari), invite prominent national and international speakers, participate in local charity work, have a weekend school with a full-fledged curriculum, and emphasize English as the primary language in our activities. In the weekend school, we are actively trying to cultivate a Muslim American identity in the youth. We aim to foster a deeper, religious connection to each other, regardless of ethnic or racial background, and preserve and expand the legacy of the Ahlul Bayt in the American context.
IABAT has all the necessary enthusiasm, passion, dedication, and resources required to build and run an Islamic Center in the NC Triangle region. However, a $425k gap is preventing us from proceeding forward in our building project. We understand that many religious, social, or non-profit organizations struggle to meet their financial needs. But, as a part of the greater ummah, this is our sincere request to you to support your fellow community. On the next page, you will find further details about our organizational structure, our building project, and how to contribute. We need your HELP to bridge this $425k gap in funding this blessed project.
“You will never attain piety till you spend from that which you love. And whatever you spend, truly God knows it.” (Al-Qur’an, 3:92)
Our elected Board of Directors, Board of Trustees and fundraising committee are working diligently to turn our dream of having a permanent Islamic Center for the followers of the Ahlul Bayt (as) into a reality. Listed are a few of our major accomplishments to date:
After 18 months of preliminary planning, applications, and regulatory procedures, we received approval from the City of Durham to start construction (this approval has an expiration, so we must begin construction before that time).
InshAllah, we are targeting groundbreaking for the 15th of Shaaban (mid-April 2019).
A formal contract has been signed with a professional and licensed architectural firm which is donating 33% of its income from this project towards IABAT’s building fund.
We have also received approval from the City of Durham for a 300-grave cemetery on the property, which sets us apart from many other religious centers across North America. This would be the first Shia Muslim cemetery in the state of North Carolina.
To date, we have spent about $400,000 to purchase the land, which has been fully paid.
Based on current cost estimates, our total budget is $1.2M. We have split the project into Phase I and Phase II.
The budget estimate for Phase I is $900,000. We have already collected about $475,000 from our community, and have generated another $160k in the form of additional pledges from within the community.
We have permission from Imam Mahdi Association of Marjaeya (I.M.A.M.), which is the liaison office of Grand Ayatullah Sistani (may Allah grant him long life) and other marajae’, to accept Khums. In addition, we also have 501c designation, which would allow all the donations to be tax deductible for US Citizens/permanent residents. Upon receipt of your donations, IABAT will issue a tax receipt for your records.
Donations can be made as follows:
- Online: Gofundme
- Online: Donation link on www.iabat.org ; PayPal (account: IABAT)
- Check to be mailed to: PO Box 16206 Durham, NC 27704 (checks made out to IABAT)
Tax ID: EIN 311-639875
May Allah SWT guide us to follow the path of the Ahlul Bayt and reward you for your donations.
JazakAllah Khair