In 1962, Imran, a young scholar from Lahore, arrived in College Park, Maryland, to pursue graduate studies in political science. Pakistan was barely fifteen years old then, a new nation grappling with its own identity. Imran carried with him a deep sense of mission: to study governance and democracy in America, then return home to help shape his country’s future.
He came with a single trunk, that had a few clothes, a worn copy of the Qur’an gifted by his mother, and a volume of Iqbal’s poetry. Those books became his anchors. He would often quote Iqbal to his classmates, sometimes with little explanation, as if to remind himself of the connection between intellect and spirit.
At the University of Maryland, he found himself caught between two currents. On the one hand, the lectures and debates about freedom, civil rights, and global politics were invigorating. On the other hand, he faced the struggle of being different, of praying in hallways, eating vegetarian meals because halal meat was nowhere to be found, and constantly explaining why he didn’t drink alcohol at parties.
It was in the student union lounge, however, that Imran found something transformative. A small group of Muslim students, Egyptians, Syrians, Iranians, and a few Pakistanis, met once a week to share tea and conversation. They were diverse, sometimes even disagreeing passionately about politics back home, but they shared a bond: the conviction that Islam gave them dignity in a world that often overlooked them.
Imran was the one who suggested they formalize their gatherings. With his careful handwriting, he drafted the first constitution for what would become the Muslim Student Association (MSA) at College Park. It wasn’t grand, just a few articles about prayer, study circles, and mutual support. But it gave shape to something that would endure far beyond his student years.
Decades later, Maryland would see MSAs in every major university, vibrant hubs of worship and learning. But in those early days, it was just Imran and a handful of peers, carving out a space where none existed before.
Imran never forgot his promise to his family, he returned to Pakistan after his PhD. But the seeds he planted in Maryland started growing. His quiet initiative became part of the broader story of Muslim students in America, showing how scholarship was not only about books and degrees, but also about building communities that lasted long after graduation.