Most of Mamdani’s predecessors were sworn in on a bible, although the oath to uphold the federal, state and city constitutions does not require the use of any religious text.
Incoming Mayor Zohran Mamdani will take his oath of office on a centuries-old Quran, marking the first time a mayor of New York City has used the book to be sworn in and underscoring a series of historic firsts for the city.
When the 34-year-old Democrat becomes mayor shortly after midnight in a long-closed subway station beneath City Hall, he’ll be the first Muslim, first South Asian and first African-born person to hold that position.
These milestones — as well as the historical Qurans he will use for the ceremony — reflect the Muslim population in the nation’s most populous city, according to a scholar who helped Mamdani’s wife, Rama Duwaji, select one of the books.