The Yaqeen Institute, also known as the Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research, is a Texas-based Islamic think tank and research institution that seeks to promote Islamic religious practice and respond to questions and doubts about the Muslim faith. ¹ During the 2023 war between Israel and Hamas, the Yaqeen Institute’s founder and president, Oma Suleimani, promoted debunked anti-Israeli propaganda spread by the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas while referring to the terror attacks committed by Hamas against Israel as, “the current escalation of Israeli aggression and Palestinian resistance. ^{2 3}

History and Activities

The Yaqeen Institute was founded in 2016 to make Islamic scholarship mainstream and acceptable to the general public. ⁴ “Yaqeen” is an Arabic word meaning “certainty.” ⁵

Yaqeen Institute operates as a think tank and research organizations that seeks to answer doubts about Islam and responds to the causes of Islamophobia, nurtures conviction and religiosity among Muslims, and inspires Islamic orthodoxy. ⁶

Yaqeen hosts “Ask Yaqeen,” an online platform for viewers to submit questions about Islam and about Yaqeen’s methodology and approach. ⁷ Yaqeen responds to questions through short-form videos. These include videos countering the idea that Islam leads to regression or backwardness ⁸ and videos on why Yaqeen rejects the idea of reforming Islam and instead calls for “revival.” ⁹

Yaqeen also publishes a wide array of articles, blogs, books, and translations promoting Islam. In these, Yaqeen president Omar Suleiman and Ovamir Anjum have stated that Israel is “an apartheid, colonial-settler state” and that the Palestinian territories are “worse than an open-air prison” where Palestinians face a regime that “periodically massacres them” in line with its “genocidal intentions.” ¹⁰ The Institute also published writings rejecting left-of-center LGBT policy, saying that “Islam’s prohibitions of homosexual acts is categorical, and its teachings on gender relations and sexual norms are foundational.” ¹¹

Yaqeen Institute also produces an array of podcasts, including Dogma Disrupted to help listeners recenter their worldview around Islam; ¹² Qur’an 30 for 30, which reflects upon each chapter of the Quran; ¹³ and Holistic Healing, which explores the cross-section between Islam, psychology, and mental health. ¹⁴

Additionally, Yaqeen Institute provides resources for those hosting conversations in Islam, for educational curricula on the Muslim faith, and for speakers on Islamic religious topics. ¹⁵

Funding

The Yaqeen Institute rejects funding from government or political entities and receives its funding from undisclosed private individuals and organizations. ¹⁶

In 2021, the Yaqeen Institute spent $891,887 publishing academic and peer-reviewed research papers; $746,838 promoting Islam through infographics, animations, and live action videos;  and $724,640  supporting local mosques, Islamic centers, Islamic schools, and Muslim student associations. ¹⁷

People

The founder, president, and CEO of the Yaqeen Institute is Omar Suleiman. Suleiman is an adjunct professor of Islamic Studies in the Graduate Liberal Studies Program at Southern Methodist University. ¹⁸ Following the October 2023 Hamas terrorist attack against Israel, Suleiman refused to condemn the terrorist organization and released an article referring to the attack as, “the current escalation of Israeli aggression and Palestinian resistance.” ¹⁹ In addition, Suleiman promoted several pieces of debunked anti-Israeli propaganda online, including one claim that Israel bombed a Christian hospital in Gaza killing 500 people and used chemical weapons to kill children. ²⁰ The alleged bombing of the hospital was later revealed to have been the consequence of malfunctioning Palestinian militant weapons fired from Gaza. ²¹ Suleiman also claimed that President Joe Biden had “blood on your hands” for failing to uncritically accept claims of casualties presented by Hamas-controlled health authorities during the 2023 Israel-Hamas war. ²²

1. “About Yaqeen.” Yaqeen Institute. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://yaqeeninstitute.org/about-us/our-mission#about_us.
2. Dr. Omar Suleiman Tweet 12:41pm, October 17, 2023. Twitter. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://twitter.com/omarsuleiman504/status/1714335831375102257.
3. Mauro, Ryan. “Hamas’s American Allies: Other American Islamist Endorsers.” Capital Research Center, October 25, 2023. https://capitalresearch.org/article/hamass-american-allies-part-2/
4. Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research. Return of an Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990). 2021.
5. “Yaqeen.” Quranic Names. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://quranicnames.com/yaqeen/.
6. “About Yaqeen.” Yaqeen Institute. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://yaqeeninstitute.org/about-us/our-mission#about_us.
7. “askyaqeen.” Yaqeen Institute. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://yaqeeninstitute.org/askyaqeen.
8. “What is the Goal of Yaqeen Institute?” Yaqeen Institute. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://yaqeeninstitute.org/askyaqeen#what-is-the-goal-of-yaqeen-institute.
9. “Is Yaqeen trying to reform Islam?” Yaqeen Institute. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://yaqeeninstitute.org/askyaqeen#is-yaqeen-trying-to-reform-islam.
10. Anjum, Ovamir and Omar Suleiman. “The Palestinian Struggle Through the Prophetic Lens.” Yaqeen Institute. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://yaqeeninstitute.org/read/paper/the-palestinian-struggle-through-the-prophetic-lens.
11. “Islam and the LGBT Question: Reframing the Narrative.” Yaqeen Institute. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://yaqeeninstitute.org/read/paper/the-palestinian-struggle-through-the-prophetic-lens
12. “Listen.” Yaqeen Institute. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://yaqeeninstitute.org/listen.
13. “Qur-an 30 for 30.” Yaqeen Institute. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://yaqeeninstitute.org/listen/quran-30-for-30-season-4.
14. “Holistic Healing.” Yaqeen Institute. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://yaqeeninstitute.org/listen/holistic-healing.
15. “Learn.” Yaqeen Institute. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://yaqeeninstitute.org/learn.
16. “Who funds Yaqeen?” Yaqeen Institute. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://yaqeeninstitute.org/askyaqeen#who-funds-yaqeen.
17. Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research. Return of an Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990). 2021.
18. “Dr. Oma Suleiman.” Yaqeen Institute. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://yaqeeninstitute.org/team/omar-suleiman.
19. Mauro, Ryan. “Hamas’s American Allies: Other American Islamist Endorsers.” Capital Research Center, October 25, 2023. https://capitalresearch.org/article/hamass-american-allies-part-2/
20. Dr. Omar Suleiman Tweet 12:41pm, October 17, 2023. Twitter. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://twitter.com/omarsuleiman504/status/1714335831375102257.
21. Berg, Matt. “NYT admits error in Gaza hospital report.” POLITICO. October 23, 2023. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/23/gaza-hospital-new-york-times-00122986.
22. Dr. Omar Suleiman Tweet 3:12pm, October 25, 2023. Twitter. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://twitter.com/omarsuleiman504/status/1717272969238442155.