The Islamic Association of Raleigh strives to provide an inclusive environment for our community members with special needs and disabilities. There are several projects underway to make our masjid welcoming to everyone and we encourage your participation and feedback.

The main building has a wheelchair-accessible prayer hall and bathrooms, as well as elevator access to the upper floors. Alhamdulillah, with the support of our dedicated volunteers, IAR can say we are one of very few mosques in the country that offers a parent support group and Sunday school for special needs children. Please contact our Special Needs Facilitator, Sr. Arshiya Siddiqui, at [email protected] with any questions.

Does Disability impact your family?

IAR is working towards a Silver certification from MUHSEN for providing a friendly environment for special needs families. Muhsen (Muslims Understanding and Helping Special Education Needs) is a non - profit umbrella organization serving the Muslim community to establish a more inclusive "Special Needs Friendly" environment for our Brothers & Sisters living with Disabilities. Muhsen will advocate, educate, train and implement programs and services nationwide to improve access to Masajid for individuals with Special Needs as well as acceptance and inclusion by the community in all aspects.

As an ongoing effort to support Muhsen in its goal to recognize and learn the requirements for individuals with disabilities, IAR requests that if you have a family member with special needs to please fill out the Needs Assessment survey. Also, if you know anyone who has a family member with special needs, please send the link to the survey to them. All responses are confidential and will automatically be directed to Muhsen.

Support Group for Parents of Children with Special Needs

The SuperMoms is a support group for mothers with special needs children. The group was started in 2011, to provide support and resources to parents by parents of special needs children. The objective of the group is to provide a platform to share experiences, concerns and success stories in a safe and judgment-free zone.  Interested parents please contact Shazia Farooq or Arshiya Siddiqui at [email protected].

Sunday School for Special Needs Children

Al Furqan school is proud to sponsor the weekend school for special needs children. A group of dedicated volunteers teach Quranic alphabet letters, Islamic Studies and Quran memorization to children of all ages with disabilities. Please contact Latifa Derasmo or Arshiya Siddiqui at [email protected] for more details.

Special Needs Khutbahs

The following are several khutbahs on special needs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=dEbTBb4y1z4

https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=IXcm9w30oMk

https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=GYeogOHuRCM

https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=1vn-1nE5xxM

Events

Join us on Saturday, September 5th at 2pm for a training for parents who have kids with special needs. To get the link, follow @IARHealth on Facebook or @hopesistersnc on Instagram. If you have any questions, please email [email protected]