Institute for Muslim Advancement and Renewal- IMAR

📢 Save the Date for the inaugural IMAR Annual Symposium and the launch of our first journal, Mental Health: Beyond Industry Barriers and Biases.📢

The IMAR 2026 Symposium is a one-day public conference for people across faiths, traditions, and communities in Northern California who sense that modern approaches to healing are incomplete and narrow.

This symposium brings together thinkers, writers, researchers, clinicians, parents, educators, interested community members, and policy-minded people to explore wellbeing as a human question.

Register to secure your spot and share the invite with others who would like to engage through this platform. (Link in bio)

📢 New Publication!📢

The inaugural volume of The Journal of the Institute for Muslim Advancement and Renewal explores mental health beyond clinical categories, examining the multitude of forces shaping how we define wellness today.

Mental Health: Beyond Industry Barriers and Biases
🗓️ Releasing October 2026

Swipe through for a preview of the journal and pre order your print copy today (link in bio).

About the Journal

The Journal of the Institute for Muslim Advancement and Renewal is an annual publication dedicated to thoughtful engagement with the most pressing questions of our time. Bringing together scholars, writers, practitioners, and public thinkers, the journal seeks to revive principled Islamic thought and place it in meaningful conversation with contemporary issues of today. While rooted in the Islamic tradition, the journal welcomes thoughtful contributions from a range of disciplines, communities, and perspectives that can deepen this shared inquiry.

The intent of the journal is to create space for serious reflection beyond reactionary debate and shallow public discourse. Each volume gathers essays that examine the assumptions shaping our world and offers frameworks for renewal grounded in faith, wisdom and practical realities. The journal approaches faith-based thought as a living source of insight for human flourishing and civilizational renewal.

Thank you to everyone who has submitted work so far. We’re excited by the range of pieces being shared.

Submissions remain open through June 1, though earlier submissions are especially helpful as we begin the review process.

Featured artists/photographers will be notified by July 1!

The Institute for Muslim Advancement and Renewal (IMAR) is seeking artwork for our upcoming journal:
Mental Health: Beyond Industry Barriers and Biases.

We’re inviting local artists and photographers to submit work that reflects healing, the soul, and holistic well-being.

While one piece will be selected as the cover, additional artwork may be featured throughout the anthology alongside essays.

Deadline: June 1
Submit to: [email protected] with your full name, artwork file, and a description of your piece.

This is a volunteer opportunity. Selected artists will be credited and featured. Due to space limitations, not all submissions will be selected.

Behind the scenes of something we’re hoping will speak far beyond this room.

At IMAR, we’re working on a long-term project to bring longstanding moral and intellectual frameworks into public conversations in America without reducing them to slogans or soundbites.

This project is one part of that effort, where we take on the questions people are already asking, about politics, culture, and society, but try to approach them more honestly and with a willingness to challenge the mainstream, shallow talking points and scripts.

Everything we’re building at IMAR is connected.
The conversations inform the writing, the writing informs the outputs, the outputs push the conversations further.

Please keep the team members in your prayers, they’re absolutely incredible and talented.

A book can change how you see your life.
A movement can change how we see the world.

On May 1, Imam M. A. Azeez does both.

- Introducing one of his newest titles, “Harmony: The Making of a Good Life”
- Sharing the vision and current affairs of the Institute for Muslim Advancement and Renewal (IMAR)

Personal transformation meets intellectual renewal.

📍 MCC East Bay | 7PM

Scroll for more volunteer openings! We’re seeking passionate volunteers who are self starters and ready to launch with fresh ideas! The work has already begun and we’re at a point where the right volunteer can take things to the next level. Please share and reach out if you or someone know would be interested.

So it begins!

12 bright minds, alongside mentors and guest scholars, are embarking on an ambitious 2026 project that will culminate in a published anthology and a public symposium. Setting the stage for years of work to bring our community’s knowledge and ideas into the wider public conversation.

At our first meeting, Imam Azeez shared the story of Muslims who arrived in Indonesia centuries ago and, within generations, helped cultivate a society flourishing through faith-rooted principles.

The question before us: Is such a future possible here?

Grounded in the Qur’anic mandate of iʿmar (to cultivate, build, and cause to thrive), we are preparing for that kind of impact.

Follow along as this vision unfolds.
Visit www.imar.org and stay connected for updates on the anthology, symposium, and what comes next.

Support the Future of Muslim Thought in America (Link in Bio)

Your patronage powers IMAR’s research, publications, and public programs that bring principled, Qur’anically-grounded ideas to the center of American discourse. Choose the level that reflects your commitment, and be sure to adjust the quantity (not the dollar amount) in the box.

For example: selecting a quantity of 1 equals $5 for the Patron tier.