WASHINGTON – US Senate will witness Michigan’s newly elected Senator Abdul El-Sayed take his oath of office on Holy Quran on January 3, as he rewrites history in US midterm elections 2026.
El-Sayed prepares to enter United States Senate following his victory in November 3 elections, where he defeated Republican candidate Mike Rogers. Speaking to American media, the senator-elect confirmed that he intends to use Quran during his ceremonial swearing-in, although he has yet to decide which historic copy will accompany the occasion.
One of two options being considered is historic copy of Holy Quran once owned by Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States and one of the country’s founding fathers. The centuries-old copy is preserved at the Library of Congress and holds special place in American political history.
In 2007, Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to the US House of Representatives, used Jefferson’s Quran during his ceremonial swearing-in, creating a historic moment for Muslim Americans.
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El-Sayed is also considering ancient Quranic manuscript preserved at University of Michigan. While the final choice remains undecided, he has made it clear that his faith will be represented during the ceremony.
He mentioned that US Constitution guarantees religious freedom to every American, regardless of their beliefs, and that true importance of oath lies not in the religious book used during the ceremony but in the solemn commitment an elected representative makes to protect and uphold the Constitution.
His remarks have drawn attention to the longstanding tradition of using the Bible during American political ceremonies, even though the Constitution does not require elected officials to swear on any particular religious text.
Under Article VI of the US Constitution, no religious test can be imposed as a qualification for public office, allowing individuals of different faiths to serve in government. The official Senate oath is administered separately, while religious books may be used during ceremonial swearing-in events.
The development comes nearly two decades after Keith Ellison became the first Muslim elected to Congress in 2006 and subsequently used Thomas Jefferson’s Quran during a ceremonial oath-taking event in 2007.
