The 40th Annual Riyaadah was held in Atlanta, July 25, 2025- July 27, 2025. Riyaadah is an Arabic word that means “training”. The organizers of The Riyaadah have always emphasized the importance of developing the mind, body, and spirit. The role of the Riyaadah is to offer an infusion of iman (faith) to its participants.
The Riyaadah is coordinated by Al-Ummah, a coalition of Indigenous Muslim communities that evolved from the Darul-Islam Movement. The Community Masjid of Atlanta (communitymasjid.com) was this year’s host community. The Riyaadah is one of the largest gatherings of indigenous Muslims in North America and has taken place in various cities around the nation. Over the past 4 decades, in addition to Atlanta, the Riyaadah has been held in Philadelphia, Cleveland, Detroit & Flint, Michigan, New York, and Greensboro, North Carolina.
The events for this year’s Riyaadah were held at the Mohammad Schools of Atlanta and the Atlanta Masjid of Al-Islam in Atlanta, Ga. As the host community for this year’s Riyaadah, the members of the Community Masjid of Atlanta worked to present an event that addressed the needs of the entire family.
The Riyaadah consisted of athletic competitions, educational forums, and events specifically for sisters and children, offering an opportunity for worship, fellowship, knowledge gathering, and updates on local, national, and international issues.
Many Muslims and their families gathered together in the various venues during the Riyaadah. Muslims travelled from many cities to fellowship. The atmosphere was both festive and tranquil for the many Muslims in attendance during the weekend. The Riyaadah began with a Unified Jumuah, with attendees from around the metro Atlanta area and around the country, held at the Atlanta Masjid of Al-Islam. A memorable khutbah presented by Imam Kwame Thomas of the Community Masjid emphasized the importance of leaders making leaders. A reference to the importance of mentoring the next generation of leaders to come forward, and help to direct the growth of Islam in this country.
The activities for Saturday, July 26, 2025, were a mixture of educational sessions featuring well-known students of knowledge such as Muhammad Ali, Na’il Salahudeen, and Idrees Jawad. There was a host of athletic events for men, women, and youth. The sisters’ afternoon session, “Flourish” was a luncheon with conversations and presentations by Ustadha Shadidah Sharif, Anaya Salahu-Din, and the Village Auntie Sr. Angelica Lindsey-Ali.
The basketball competition is one of the favorite activities featured at the Riyaadah. This year the championship was won by the team representing Majid Mujahideen in Philadelphia. The participants were able to demonstrate sportsmanship and brotherhood even when engaged in heated competition.
Saturday evening was highlighted by the Screen On The Green, where families enjoyed an outside viewing of the movie “Mufasa”. On Sunday, July 28, The Riyaadah culminated with a citywide bar-b-que at the Community Masjid.
The Riyaadah is an important part of the culture of the indigenous Muslim community, and it offers the opportunity to fellowship with one another outside of the major Islamic events of Eids. It is more of a family reunion than a conference.
May الله سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى (God, may He be praised and exalted) allow the Riyaadah to continue to be a vehicle for Muslims to fellowship and learn. Next year’s Riyaadah will also take place in Atlanta, inshaAllah. Stay tuned for additional information by visiting https://riyaadahusa.com.
The following photo gallery features photography ©️ by Khalil Muhsin (https://kmdigitalphotography.com)
Imam Nadim Sulaiman Ali is originally from Chester, Pennsylvania and has resided in Atlanta, Georgia since 1979. He is the Imam Emeritus of the Community Masjid of Atlanta, the former Convener for the Metro Atlanta Majlis Ash-Shura, a founding member of MANA, and the current MANA Board Secretary. Imam Nadim works as a licensed professional & master addiction counselor and serves Muslims and the general community. Offering counseling services consisting of Pre-Marital, Marital, and Individual counseling. He is a therapist and consultant in Stress Management, Violence Prevention, and Tai Chi. He has authored numerous articles on counseling, and family matters, and he is also the co-founder of the Spoken word acapella Group Dawah Ensemble. He obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from Shippensburg State University, a Master’s degree in counseling psychology from the Georgia School of Professional Psychology, and is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Master of Addiction Counselor.
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