The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught us that the body has rights over us — that caring for health is not separate from faith but woven into it. For nearly six decades, the Islamic Medical Association of North America has taken that teaching and built something extraordinary around it: a global network of Muslim physicians and healthcare professionals dedicated to bringing healing to those who need it most, wherever in the world they may be. When AMCF donors support IMANA, they join that mission at its most urgent and its most enduring.
Born in a Student Meeting, Built for the World
IMANA’s story begins in the fall of 1967, at the annual meeting of the Muslim Students Association in Columbus, Ohio. A small group of Muslim physicians — notably Dr. Mobin Akhtar and Dr. Amjad Ali — established what was then called the Muslim Medical Association as a branch of the MSA.
From those humble origins, the organization grew quickly. The following year, a separate entity called the Islamic Medical Association of the US and Canada was formed, and at its annual convention in New York City, the founders wrote a constitution, renamed it the Islamic Medical Association of North America, and obtained tax-exempt status. What had begun as a handful of physicians meeting at a student conference was now an institution.
Today, IMANA operates out of Fairfax, Virginia — and its reach extends across the globe. As one longtime leader reflected: “The real strength of IMANA lies in the dedication and commitment of the numerous members who over the past 40 plus years have provided endless hours of volunteer time to maximize the impact of IMANA in relief work and educational outreach.” That volunteer spirit remains IMANA’s engine to this day.
Medical Missions That Go Where Others Won’t
IMANA’s flagship program — IMANA Medical Relief — is what most people think of first when they hear the organization’s name, and for good reason. Its portfolio of medical and surgical missions spans the globe, each one named with the same prefix that says everything about the organization’s posture: Serve.
ServeSyria missions have delivered free medical care and medicines to Syrian refugees in and around Amman, Jordan since 2016, and over time have expanded to serve other refugee populations and local Jordanians as well. ServeYemen teams provide free primary care at camps around Aden for internally displaced Yemeni people who lack access to healthcare due to instability within the country. ServeRohingya — initially launched as an emergency response — has continued to provide vital healthcare in the refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh since 2017, because the need for quality health services persists for refugee populations even years after the initial crisis.
The same spirit drives surgical missions in Pakistan, Nepal, Mauritania, Palestine, and Guyana — each one tailored to the specific health needs of the community being served, from complex surgical procedures to cataract restorations to maternal health interventions. IMANA’s surgical teams bring operating-room-level care into communities where it would otherwise be entirely out of reach.
And when new crises emerge, IMANA responds. Today, their AidGaza and AidLebanon emergency relief programs are delivering medical care, medicines, and supplies to communities facing some of the most severe healthcare crises in the world.
The cumulative impact of nearly six decades of this work is staggering: 5,747,000+ patients treated, 438 medical and surgical missions completed, across 45 countries, with 30 health centers constructed — each one representing a community that now has a facility where before there was none.
Building the Next Generation of Muslim Healthcare Professionals
IMANA’s mission isn’t only international. It is also deeply invested in the future of Muslim healthcare in North America — building the pipeline of physicians, dentists, pharmacists, and allied health professionals who will carry this work forward.
IMANA’s scholarship program provides financial assistance to full-time students pursuing careers in medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, and allied health. Its mentorship program connects students and early-career professionals with established Muslim physicians across specialties — creating the kind of community and guidance that can be transformative for a young Muslim navigating an often difficult path.
IMANA is also accredited by the ACCME as a provider of continuing medical education, offering live and virtual CME activities including courses, conferences, and workshops — ensuring that Muslim physicians stay at the leading edge of their fields and are equipped to serve their patients with excellence.
And through IMANA Mental Health, the organization addresses one of the most underserved dimensions of Muslim community wellness — bringing culturally competent mental health resources to a community that has historically had limited access to faith-sensitive care.
In Their Own Words
“IMANA’s work is not only about delivering healthcare, it’s about restoring dignity, hope, and compassion to communities facing immense challenges around the world. For 60 years, IMANA has mobilized Muslim healthcare professionals to serve humanity beyond borders, bringing together volunteers who donate their skills, time, and hearts to care for those most in need. Every mission reminds us that medicine is more than treatment. It is service, human connection, and the responsibility to care for others regardless of background or circumstance.”
— Nida Saleem, Executive Director, IMANA
Why This Work Matters to the Muslim Philanthropic Ecosystem
There is something profoundly right about the fact that IMANA was founded by Muslim physicians who wanted to use their professional gifts in service of the Ummah and of humanity. It is a model of Muslim civic engagement at its most sophisticated — not charity for charity’s sake, but the intentional mobilization of professional expertise toward the relief of suffering.
For AMCF donors, supporting IMANA through a donor-advised fund or endowment is an opportunity to participate in nearly six decades of that tradition. Every gift helps send another medical or surgical team into a refugee camp, restore another person’s sight, or help a young Muslim medical student stay in school. The ripple effects extend far beyond any single mission.
The Muslim philanthropic ecosystem is strongest when it invests in institutions with the capacity, the credibility, and the commitment to serve humanity at scale. IMANA is one of those institutions — and it has been for nearly sixty years.
Support Organizations Like IMANA Through AMCF
Through your AMCF donor-advised fund, endowment, or giving circle, you can direct your charitable dollars toward organizations like IMANA — funding medical and surgical missions, scholarships, and mental health resources that bring healing to communities across the globe and here at home.