Since the founding of America, Muslims had been immigrating here for a better life. However, many indigenous masajid and centers were lost or forgotten due to social and political reasons. By the time more Muslim immigrants from Asia and Middle East began to arrive, only a few indigenous masajid or Islamic centers had survived particularly in the rural and suburban America.

Thanks to the foresight and wisdom of the early Muslim leaders of North America and Canada who decided to revive the Prophet SAW’s sunnah of safeguarding Islamic centers’ properties, lands and assets from getting lost to social or political reasons, potential operational misconduct and legal liabilities, the North American Islamic Trust, Inc. (NAIT) was established as the first nationwide waqf/trust organization – a tax exempt 501(c)3 – a free service to the community.

Continuing the vision to facilitate our next generation become strong Muslims with a noble character, NAIT addressed the need for authentic Islamic literature. Thus in 1976, we established a subsidiary named American Trust Publications – dedicated to producing high-quality Islamic literature with a focus on books for adult, children, youth and a scholastic book series. In coordination with our oldest division, Islamic Book Service, NAIT published and sold over 2,600 book titles.

Our team knew that a strong financial standing of masajid and Islamic schools was vital for their preservation. For mutual benefit and sustainability, we launched the Islamic Centers’ Coop Fund (ICCF) – a uniquely designed, masjid focused, halal investment tool. ICCF pools community’s assets and helps protect Islamic centers from dependence on Riba-laden banks to save excess funds, and from losing their principal if invested in stock market. ICCF also extended millions of dollars in interest-free loans to needy entrusted masajid for critical projects.

Seeing the need for high quality Islamic audio-visual material, NAIT established the first Audio Visual Center in producing a large inventory of Islamic AV programs. In 1983, the AVC set up the largest Muslims-owned commercial audio cassette duplication facility in the world, with a production capacity of 1.2 million cassettes per year enabling us to carefully reproduce all tapes required for the Qur’anic albums and other audio recordings. After a much successful operations for many years, AVC was later closed as the new digital media arrived.

With the help of international and national Islamic finance experts and scholars, NAIT began to develop halal investment vehicles to address the financial needs of Muslim families, becoming the founding sponsor of Amana income fund. (Not associated with it anymore). Later, NAIT established the Dow Jones Islamic Index Fund – a mutual fund to help Muslims invest in halal manner. 

After a decade’s experience of designing and managing halal financial products, NAIT established another wholly-owned for-profit subsidiary, Allied Asset Advisors, to offer shariah compliant mutual fund called Iman Fund to help Muslim families secure their financial future without compromising their Islamic values.

To further help Islamic organizations run more smoothly and effectively, we launched a new comprehensive program as part of our Legal Services Section, the Dispute Resolution Program, with a legal team and scholars serving as mediators and arbitrators. The Program helps both entrusted save scarce funds in never-ending, disruptive conflicts or legal fights.

In response to the lost opportunities by masajid of incorporating valuable stock donations into their fundraising strategy, we launched Stock Donation Liaison Program – a free service for Islamic nonprofits and masajid to receive stock donations without worrying about setting up a system or managing them. NAIT serves as a liaison and guides them through the process. Growth on stocks potentially increases the value of a donation long term.

With a vision to help standardize halal certification and expand halal lifestyle options for the American Muslim community, NAIT established a subsidiary, American Halal Institute (AHI). AHI’s mission is to offer transparent and authentic halal certification, training, research and advocacy.

Alhamdolillah, as we moved our head office to a large building complex in Hometown, Illinois with a vision to expand our services to the local community, we established the Hometown Mercy Mosque to serve as the spiritual center for Hometown and surrounding suburban Muslims who didn’t have any mosque until now. With it own dedicated team and professional Imam, the mosque launched the Hometown Quran Institute in 2024 realizing our vision to nurture spiritual growth among Muslims.