By: Aaliyah Vahora
An Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) Relief chapter was established at the University of Maryland (UMD) and held their first general body meeting on Monday, Sept. 14, 2026.
Co-founders Rayn Ali and Haniya Khan collaborated in a joint effort with other interested students to form the ICNA Relief chapter at UMD this past spring to address a deficiency in the level of volunteer opportunities on campus, Khan said.
ICNA Relief is an Islamic humanitarian organization and part of the larger nonprofit, Islamic Circle of North America. The organization itself provides various aid to all types of people in need through services such as food drives, disaster relief, transitional housing, and free health clinics.
“Our campus also has a lot of disparities, and we have so many Muslims and non-Muslims [t]hat are always looking for opportunity services,” said Khan, the co-president. “[UMD ICNA Relief is here] to kind of bridge that gap and give people the opportunities.”
According to Khan, one of the club’s main goals is to help support the larger network of ICNA Relief, which has dozens of chapters across 22 states.
With advocacy, charity, and community building being central parts of the Islamic faith, Muslim students also found that to be a driving factor to the importance of ICNA’s presence at UMD.
“On the day of Akhirah (The Day of Judgment), I’m going to be questioned,” said Ali, the vice president and co-founder. “I want to have a good enough portfolio that I did something for the sake of Allah SWT.”
ICNA Relief also specializes in working with refugees and communities affected by humanitarian crises. Co-marketer of the club’s board, Hadija Yahya, of Uyghur descent, says this aspect of the organization has a personal connection to her own heritage.
Uyghurs are a predominantly Muslim Turkic ethnic group who reside in East Turkestan, a region occupied by China. Human rights organizations and the United States government have documented widespread human right violations against Uyghur Muslims by the Chinese government, alongside heavy restrictions against practicing their faith.
Yahya felt that as someone who comes from an oppressed minority group, serving ICNA helped her have a direct impact in helping those at a disadvantage. Muslims hold a certain degree of responsibility, she told Al-Hikmah, and it is part of their job to help people in need.
“If I can help even one person, that would make me happy,” said Yahya.
Image credits: Cover photo by Riona Sheikh for Al-Hikmah.
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