The Mainstay Foundation is a 501(c)(3) service-oriented, nonprofit organization dedicated to strategic initiatives that serve the advancement of the Muslim community in the United States. Established in 2012, the Foundation was born from the efforts of a collective team of committed individuals with a shared passion for empowering and uplifting their community. With experience across a variety of institutions and organizations nationwide, this founding team brought together their talents and vision to create a sustainable and impactful foundation.

The name “Mainstay” reflects the organization’s purpose: to serve as a vital source of support—an essential pillar in helping the community not only exist but thrive. Believing in the power of collective action, the Foundation focuses on nurturing individual growth and strengthening institutions through organized, collaborative efforts.

The Foundation’s vision is guided by a core philosophy outlined in its evolving document, A Community in Motion, which invites community leaders and members to engage in shaping a stronger, more united Muslim society.

Rooted in the teachings of the Holy Qur’an and the Ahl al-Bayt, as interpreted by qualified jurists during the occultation of the twelfth Imam, the Foundation draws its guiding principles from deep theological and scholarly traditions. These principles affirm the sacred right to life, the importance of preserving human dignity, and the responsibility to safeguard all communities.

Mainstay promotes a strong sense of identity through a firm understanding of Islamic creed and encourages active participation in the wider society. With a local focus, national reach, and global mindset, the Foundation works to ensure that the values of compassion, justice, and coexistence remain integral to the evolving narrative of American Muslim life.

Contacts

Address: The Innovation & Leadership Center, 15170 N. Commerce Dr., Dearborn, MI 48120, USA

Phone: +1 (313) 264 4655

Email: info@mainstay.us

Website: https://www.mainstay.us/

Author: Liyakat Takim

Published in: Journal of South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, Vol. 43, No. 4 (Summer 2020), pp. 6-27

Publisher: Villanova University

This article will examine the foundations and evolution of this genre of authority and will argue that there was much disputation among the Shi‘i scholars as to the nature and scope of the ‘ulama’s’ authority. It will further demonstrate that the authority of the scholars was asserted and enhanced in response to the changing socio-economic and political milieu of the times.

State patronage and the appropriation of several titles precipitated multivariate forms of juristic authority. After the occultation of the twelfth Imam in 940 C.E., the socio-political environment of the Shi‘i community in Baghdad ameliorated considerably when the Buyids came to power in 945 C.E.. The favorable political conditions enabled the Shi‘i jurists to speculate on the possible genre and extent of authority that they could wield. As, will be demonstrated jurists living in the Safavid (1501-1736) and Qajar (1794-1925) eras were able to assert and expand the scope of their authority to a much greater degree than the Buyid scholars had envisaged. This was, in many cases, in response to the socio-political vicissitudes that later jurists encountered.

 Read the full article here.

About the Author

Liyakat Takim is Professor, the Sharjah Chair in Global Islam at McMaster University in Canada. He is a prolific writer and speaker he has authored more than one hundred and thirty scholarly works which have been published in various journals, books, and encyclopedia. He has written on a wide range of topics such as reformation in Islam, the role of custom in shaping Islamic law, Islam in the western diaspora, Islamic fundamentalism, Islamic mystical tradition, Islamophobia, the treatment of women in Islam law and many other topics.

Source: JSTOR