What We Do

Welcome to the Imam Mahdi Association of Marjaeya (I.M.A.M.), the liaison office of the Supreme Religious Authority, Ayatullah Sayyid Ali al-Sistani, in North America. To learn more about what we do, click on one of the five core functions listed below.

Religious Services

As part of its five core functions, I.M.A.M. offers religious services in the following areas. These services are in addition to religious prayer and commemoration services that are held throughout the year.

• Seeking religious edicts for new issues facing the North American community
• Answering individuals’ and communities’ jurisprudence questions
• Performing divorce by religious authority when other solutions have been exhausted

Religious Education

A second part of I.M.A.M.’s  five core functions is to promote Religious Education as in:

• Cultivating an Islamic lifestyle of strong faith and good citizenry for the North American community
• Providing Islamic education and practice through various mediums to the far reaches of our community
• Sponsoring ambitious students from our various communities to study in Hawzah Islamic studies.

Managing Charity & Dues

A third core function of I.M.A.M., and one of the most requested by the North American community, is the Managing of Charity & Dues, specifically:

• Accepting Khums and other religious dues
• Assisting Islamic Institutions in obtaining permission for accepting and utilizing Khums
• Distribution of charity and dues for religious needs and development in the North American community

Hawzah (Seminary) Liaison

A fourth core function of I.M.A.M. can be seen in its capacity as a Hawzah Liaison, namely in:

• Establishing a connection, by bringing the messages of the Marjayea to the North American Community
• Inviting senior scholars from the Hawzah to visit North America to gain a better understanding of our community’s daily challenges and issues
• Creating a platform between local scholars and experts with those in the Hawzah to exchange scholarly expertise in order to enhance religious and social development

Community Cohesion

The fifth core function of I.M.A.M. focuses on Community Cohesion, namely:

• Creating a nexus between the various places of worship to develop a cohesive support structure for each other
• Facilitating gatherings of scholars and experts to create unified strategies in order to address current issues facing our North American communities
• Mediating and arbitrating conflicts between different groups of believers and places of worship

This core function has been a cornerstone of I.M.A.M.’s activities throughout North America, by visiting Islamic organizations across the continent, hosting programs and conferences, and most notably, by conducting inter-faith and intra-faith meetings and project, as well as, supporting the Council of Shia Muslim Scholars in North America.