American Islamic College was incorporated in September 1981 as a private, not-for-profit, non-denominational Muslim Liberal Arts college in Chicago. Founded through a historic collaboration between members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (headquartered in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) and U.S.-based leaders of the Muslim American community, most notably the Warith Deen Muhammad community, AIC emerged with a global vision, a distinctly American character, and a timeless commitment to transformative education rooted in a belief that the pursuit of knowledge cannot be separated from the pursuit of justice and the liberation of the human spirit..
Among AIC’s distinguished founding Board Members were Herbert Jabbir Muhammad, long-time manager of boxing legend Muhammad Ali, and Dr. Akbar Muhammad, a leading scholar of Islam in Africa and the African Diaspora. The College’s inaugural president was the renowned Palestinian American philosopher of Islam, Dr. Ismail Raji al-Faruqi. Dr. T. B. Irving, author of the first American English translation of the Qur’an, served as Dean, and the distinguished founding President of the MSA, Dr. Ahmed Sakr, served as Vice President. Early faculty included prominent scholars such as Dr. Ghulam-Haider Aasi, historian of religion and interreligious studies, and Dr. Assad Busool, scholar of Arabic language and Islamic thought. Among his accomplishments, Dr. Busool translated the Qur’an into Hebrew. Together, AIC’s founders established an institution grounded in intellectual rigor, an appreciation of Muslim diversity, and a clear moral purpose.
Welcoming students of all faiths and backgrounds, American Islamic College (AIC) is now a fully accredited institution of higher learning grounded in Islamic values and steeped in Islam’s rich and diverse intellectual and cultural traditions. AIC promotes an appreciation for the scope and richness of Islamic history and civilization both in and beyond the classroom by means of significant research, impactful teaching, and informative public events highlighting Islam’s intellectual, artistic, and cultural expressions. Through rigorous scholarship and a commitment to social justice, the collective good, civic involvement, interfaith understanding, and intercultural engagement, AIC prepares students to become critical thinkers, visionary leaders, and responsible global citizens. AIC’s mission clearly states that the College seeks to serve the diverse American Muslim community and the nation as a whole as it offers rigorous and professionally sound programs that prepare students to take up educational, leadership, and policy-making roles in American society. The College also serves as a resource for American institutions and individuals seeking academically anchored and culturally competent knowledge about Islam and Muslims.
The faculty, staff, students, and supporters of the American Islamic College reflect the full diversity of the Muslim mosaic. The College’s inclusive Islamic identity animates, rather than constrains, the pursuit of knowledge, justice, and human flourishing.
AIC is dedicated to rigorous academic training and to the refinement and ennoblement of the whole person. Our educational model is student-centered and social justice oriented, combining intellectual excellence with ethical formation, civic responsibility, and commitment to the common good. We safeguard academic freedom and free expression as essential elements of honest inquiry, critical thinking, and academic integrity. So AIC fosters an environment in which diverse perspectives can be engaged with integrity and mutual respect.
AIC is home to the Hassan Institute for Interfaith Encounter, a cornerstone of the College’s mission and public engagement. The Institute advances sustained, principled dialogue, promotes peacebuilding and mutual understanding, and models how faith-rooted institutions can contribute constructively to society from a place of principle and strength.
The College is also home to the only academic Center for the Study of Islam in India, supporting research, teaching, and public engagement in this often overlooked area. CSII reflects AIC’s broader commitment to underrepresented fields of study and to expanding the horizons of Islamic and global humanities scholarship.
Today, AIC alumni serve as chaplains, educators, social workers, nonprofit professionals, and civic leaders. Others have advanced into fields such as healthcare, technology, and public service, fields where they carry forward the College’s mission of academic excellence, ethical leadership, and community engagement rooted in Islamic principles.
With Operating and Degree-Granting Authority from the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) since 2013, American Islamic College was granted Candidacy Status for Accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) in February 2020 and achieved Initial Accreditation in March 2024. These hard-won credentials make AIC’s degree programs recognized and valued across the United States and across the world.
American Islamic College is also a member of NC–SARA (State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement), which authorizes AIC to provide high-quality distance education to students across the United States and across the world. AIC remains Chicago-based, but our academic reach is now global.