A New Chapter, A Shared Responsibility- Eid Mubarak from Faiyaz

Eid al-Adha Mubarak!

A New Chapter, A Shared Responsibility-- Eid Mubarak from Faiyaz

salaam alaykum,

Eid al-Adha Mubarak. May this sacred occasion draw us closer to Allah (swt), and may He bless us all with the honor of performing Hajj, walking in the footsteps of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (s), next year and every year.

I pray this message finds you well and I pray your Eid is filled with joy, reflection, and meaningful moments that draw us closer to Gods pleasure.

I write to you today with a full heart one filled with deep gratitude, humility, and hope. As Imam Khalid shared last week, I have been entrusted with the responsibility of serving as the new Executive Director and University Chaplain of the Islamic Center at NYU, and blessed to continue to work with my colleague of many years, Amira Shouman, in her role as Senior Director of the IC. This is not a role I step into lightly. Rather, it is one I accept with reverence for those who came before me, and with a sincere commitment to serve you all with integrity, love, and steadfastness.

We owe a profound debt of gratitude to Imam Khalid, whose leadership over more than two decades has shaped our community into what it is today. I have been immeasurably blessed to learn under his guidance a mentor whose sincerity and wisdom have deeply influenced me.

In this new role, I am reminded of one of my favorite hadith, from Imam Ali (a):

"Whoever appoints himself as a leader for the people should begin by teaching himself before teaching others. His discipline should come through his actions before it comes through his words. The one who teaches and disciplines himself is more worthy of respect than the one who teaches and disciplines others."

I take these blessed words to heart as I begin this chapter, knowing that leadership is not about titles or recognition, but about being in service, being accountable, and striving constantly to be better for ourselves, and for those we serve.

I am excited and hopeful about all that lies ahead. The Islamic Center at NYU is not defined by one person or one position it is a living community that requires all of us. Your presence, your prayers, your service, your spirit these are what make this Center_what a community should feel like_. And on this blessed day of Eid, I ask you to continue on this path with me: as leaders, as volunteers, as visionaries and caretakers of something truly special.

Please know that I look forward to working with all of you to expand the opportunities for personal and spiritual growth for all students, and I want you to know that I am here to support you should you need a helper, listener, or a guide as you navigate your life on NYUs campus and beyond.

It is a great privilege and honor to serve this community. I humbly ask for your prayers for our collective success as we embark on this next chapter together.

- Faiyaz

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Faiyaz Jaffer, Ed.D.

Executive Director | Islamic Center at NYU

University Chaplain | New York University

AdjunctProfessor | Wagner School of Public Policy