Constitution

Organization

 

The Constitution of ISLAMIC CENTER OF GREENSBORO

ARTICLE 1

 

Name

Section 1

            The name of the organization shall be Islamic Center of Greensboro, abbreviated as ICG, and hereinafter referred to as the Center. It shall be a religious (non-profit) organization in terms of Section 501(c)(3) of Internal Revenue Code 1986.

Section 2

            The location of the Center shall be in Greensboro, North Carolina.

ARTICLE II

 

Functioning

Section 1

            In conducting its functions and affairs, the Center shall follow and abide by the rules of the Qur’an and Sunnah, the tradition of the prophet Mohammed, son of Abdullah (peace be upon him), to the understanding of Ahle-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah (the followers of Qur’an and Sunnah).

Section 2

            No article of the Constitution and of the Bylaws shall be in contradiction with Qur’an and Sunnah, the tradition of the prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him).

ARTICLE III

 

Aim and Purpose

Section 1

            The purpose of the Center shall be to advance the cause of Islam and serve Muslims of the Greensboro area and to enable them to adopt Islam as a complete way of life. Towards this end, the Center shall:

  1. Carry out worship and religious services, charitable and other Islamic activities;
  2. Strengthen relations among Muslims;
  3. Promote friendly relations and understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims;
  4. Promote cooperation with other Muslim organizations;
  5. Do, in general, any and all activities and exercise any and all powers, which may now or hereafter be lawful for the Center to adopt and execute for accomplishing the purposes of the Center.

The aim and purpose of the Center shall confine to religious, charitable and educational activities in accordance with Islamic teachings and in compliance with Section 501(c)(3) of Internal Revenue Code, as amended. The Center shall not carry out propaganda, or otherwise attempt to influence legislation, participate or intervene in, including distribution of statement, any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.

Section 2

            All activities shall be carried out with the approval of the Executive Committee. The Activities Coordinator shall coordinate all such activities.

ARTICLE IV

 

Affiliation

Section 1

            The Center shall be affiliated with Islamic Society of North America (ISNA).

Section 1.1     

            The Center shall not undertake any activity that violates the Islamic standards of the Constitution and By-laws of ISNA. 

 

Section 1.2

            ISNA shall have the option to send a representative to monitor the elections.

 

Section 2

All real properties of the Center shall be registered in the name of North America Islamic Trust (NAIT).

ARTICLE V

 

Membership

Section 1

            Any Muslim, of Greensboro area, may become member of the Center, who:

  1. Has attained an age of 16 years.
  2. Endeavors to practice Islam as taught by the Qur’an and Sunnah.
  3. Agrees to abide by and respects the Constitution and Bylaws of the Center.
  4. Pays the membership dues as prescribed in Section 1 of Article III of the B

 

ARTICLE VI

 

Organizational Structure

Section 1

            The structure of the Center shall be as follows:

  1. The Shoora Council
  2. The General Assembly

 

Section 1.1

            The Shoora Council shall comprise of:

  1. The Executive Committee
  2. The Board of Trustees

Section 2

            The executive committee shall comprise of the following:

  1. President
  2. Vice President
  3. Treasurer
  4. Secretary
  5. Activities Coordinator
  6. Imam

Section 2.1

            The Executive Committee, headed by the President, shall be responsible for carrying out day-to-day activities of the Center.

Section 2.2

            The President and Vice President shall be elected for a term of two (2) years, by the General Assembly according to the procedure outlined in Section 2 of Article I of the Bylaws.

Section 2.3

            Within two weeks of the election, the President and Vice President shall present to the Board of Trustees, the names of the three (3) members, who meet the qualifications stated in Section 3 of Article I of the Bylaws, to fill the positions of Activities Coordinator, Secretary and Treasurer of the Executive Committee for approval.

 

Section 2.5

The members of the Executive Committee shall carry out the responsibilities mentioned in Sections 1-6 of Article II of the Bylaws.

Section 2.6

The Board of Trustees shall appoint the Imam according to the procedure described in Section 4 of Article I of the Bylaws.

 

Section 2.7

            The Imam shall be responsible for the religious activities of the Center. He will ensure that no activities are held in the Center against Article II of the Constitution. In giving his opinion he shall rely on Qur’an and authentic Sunnah of Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him). The Imam shall carry out overall responsibilities as described in Section 6 of Article II of the Bylaws.

 

Section 2.8

            The Executive Committee shall meet on the prescribed schedule, as stated in Article VII of the Constitution.

Section 3

The Board of Trustees shall comprise of five (5) members, elected according to Section 5 of Article I of the Bylaws, plus the President of the Executive Committee.

Section 3.1

The Board of Trustees shall be responsible for the long-term projects of the Center.

Section 3.2

            The members of the Board of Trustees shall have a term of four years. In order to give continuity to the Board, half of its members shall be replaced after every two years. The retiring members shall be eligible to be re-nominated.

Section 3.3

The Board of Trustees may elect the following officers:

  1. Chairman
  2. Secretary
  3. Treasurer

Section 3.5

The officers of Board of Trustees shall carry out their responsibilities mentioned in Sections 7-9 of Article II of the Bylaws.

Section 3.6

            The Board of Trustees shall meet on the prescribed schedule stated in Article VII of the Constitution.

 

Section 4

            The Shoora Council shall be responsible for overseeing the functioning of Executive Committee as well as the Board of Trustees.

Section 4.1

The Shoora Council shall meet on the prescribed schedule stated in Article VII of the Constitution.

 

Section 4.2

The Chairman Board of Trustees shall also be the Chairman of the Shoora Council. The Secretary of the Board of Trustees or the Secretary of the Executive Committee shall record the minutes of the Shoora Council.

 

Section 4.3

            The Shoora Council shall be authorized to make decisions (including appointments of suitable persons for certain jobs) in the best interests of the Center.

 

Section 4.4

Any member of Shoora Council found violating the Constitution shall be removed from his position by two-thirds majority vote of the Shoora Council.

Section 5

            The General Assembly shall comprise of all the members of the Center.

Section 5.1

            The General Assembly shall meet as prescribed in Article VII of the Constitution.

Section 6

            The quorum for different organizational bodies of the Center shall be as under:

Executive Committee             Two-third members

Board of Trustees                   Two-third members

Shoora Council                       Two-third members

Women’s Affairs Committee Two-third members

Ad-hoc Committees                Two-third members

General Assembly                  One-third of the members

The decisions of the bodies of the Center shall be arrived at through simple majority vote.  In case of a tie, the Presiding officers mentioned in the Section 2 of Article VII shall cast the deciding vote.

Section 6.1

The quorum of the General Assembly for the purpose of elections referred to in Sections 2.2 and 3 of Article VI, and amendments referred to in Article X of the Constitution shall be one half of its members.

 

ARTICLE VII

 

Meetings

Section 1

            The organizational bodies of the Center shall meet on a regular basis to discuss, plan, and execute their respective responsibilities. The minimum number of meetings shall be as follows:

  1. Shoora Council:          Every two months or as needed
  2. Executive Committee: At least once every month
  3. Board of Trustees:      Every quarter or as needed
  1. General Assembly: At least once a year. Additional meetings of the General Assembly may be called for by two-thirds of the Shoora council or by a petition signed by one-fourth of the members of the Center.

 

Section 2

            The following officers shall chair the meetings of the organizational bodies of the Center:

  1. Executive Committee President, Executive Committee
  2. Board of Trustees Chairman, Board of Trustees or, in his

absence, President, Executive Committee

  1. Shoora Council Chairman, Board of Trustees or, in his

absence, President, Executive Committee

  1. General Assembly President, Executive Committee
  2. Women’s Affairs Committee Chair, Women’s Affairs Committee
  3. Ad-hoc Committees Chairman, Ad-hoc Committee

Section 3

            The meetings shall be conducted in an Islamic way and in accordance with the established rules of conducting business meetings. The Secretary of the respective body(s) shall record the minutes of the proceedings of the meetings. Every member of the respective body shall have the right to express his/her individual opinion(s) on different issues and matters. However, the respective body shall adopt the final decision based on simple majority.

Section 4

            No member of an organizational body of the Center shall reveal proceedings of the meeting or the individual opinions to unauthorized persons. Any member of the Shoora Council violating this provision shall be removed from the Council.

 

Section 5

            Only the Secretary of the respective body(s) shall be authorized, in case need arises, to communicate with concerned individuals or the organizations on the specific issues discussed and decided in the meeting.

 

Section 6

Any member of Board of Trustees, Executive Committee, Shoora Council or Women’s Affairs Committee missing three meetings without a valid excuse shall be replaced according to the relevant provisions of Article I of the Bylaws of the Constitution.

 

ARTICLE VIII

 

Committees

Section 1

The Shoora council may have two types of functional committees as follows:

  1. Women’s Affairs Committee
  2. Ad-hoc Committees

 

Section 1.1

            Women’s Affairs Committee shall comprise of 3-5 female members of the Center, elected according to the procedure outlined in Section 7 of Article I of the Bylaws.

Section 1.2

            In order to carry of its responsibilities, the Women’s Affairs Committee in their meeting may elect the following officers:

  1. Chair
  2. Secretary

 

Section 1.3

            The Women’s Affairs Committee shall plan, develop, and conduct programs for the sisters. Such programs may include workshops, seminars and study groups and shall be developed in consultation with the Executive Committee and approved before their execution.

Section 1.4

            The Chair of the Women’s Affairs Committee will act as a liaison between the Committee and the Executive Committee. 

Section 2

The Shoora Council may appoint an Ad-hoc Committee for a specific assignment and may nominate its chairman. The terms of reference of such an assignment, including any expenditure involved, shall be precisely defined by way of a memorandum. The chairman of the ad-hoc committee shall be authorized to select qualified persons to be the members of such ad-hoc Committee.

Section 2.1

            The tenure of the Ad-hoc Committee may vary, from a fraction of an hour to more than a year, depending upon the nature of the assignment.

Section 2.2

The Chairman of Ad-hoc Committee, upon completion of the assignment shall submit its report to the Shoora Council.

 

ARTICLE IX

 

Finances

Section 1

The Center shall finance its activities through donations, membership dues, fund raising or other activities approved by the Shoora Council.

 

Section 2

No part of the net earnings of the Center shall incur to their benefit of, or to be distributed to its members, trustees, officers, or other private persons, except that the Center shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distribution in furtherance of the purposes set forth in this Article.

Section 3

            A complete record of all income and expenditures shall be maintained in accordance with Article IV of the Bylaws. The accounts of the Center shall be subject to an annual audit. The Shoora Council shall select the auditors.

ARTICLE X

 

Amendments

Section 1

            Subject to Section 2 of this Article, the General Assembly shall have the right to amend, change or delete any article, or part thereof of the Constitution or of the Bylaws, in accordance with the procedures described in Article V of the Bylaws.

Section 2

            The General Assembly shall not have right to amend Article II of the Constitution.

 

ARTICLE XI

 

Dissolution

Section 1

If the situation arises which makes the dissolution of the Center inevitable, the Shoora Council of the Center shall call upon the Executive Committee of ISNA to handle the process of dissolution. Any surplus assets, after meeting all liabilities, shall be distributed to an Islamic organization(s) exempt under Section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code in the following order:

The assets shall be distributed to North American Islamic Trust, Inc. as the first priority. In case North American Islamic Trust, Inc. does not exist the assets shall be transferred to the Islamic Society of North America, Inc. (ISNA). In the absence of ISNA, disposal shall be made to one or more of the affiliated Islamic organizations.

Any of such assets not shown as disposed of, shall be disposed of by the Court of Common Pleas of the county, in which the Principal Office of the Organization is then located, exclusively for such Islamic organizations, as said Court shall determine.

 

ARTICLE XII

 

Arbitration

Section 1

            In the event of any conflict in the organization, ISNA may send a representative to arbitrate.  The decision of the ISNA representative will be the final solution that would be accepted for the purposes of the organization.

ARTICLE XIII

 

Communication with ISNA

Section 1

The organization will keep the ISNA informed of any changes in our leadership or constitution and bylaws in writing within 30 days of such changes taking place.

BYLAWS

 OF

 THE CONSTITUTION

OF

ISLAMIC CENTER OF GREENSBORO

ARTICLE I

Election Procedures

Section 1:

            An Election Committee consisting of three members of the General Assembly and two members of the Board of Trustees, as observers, shall conduct the elections for the President and the members Board of Trustees. The election committee members shall neither nominate a candidate nor shall be eligible for the positions open for election.

Section 1.1

            The Election Committee shall seek nominations for the vacant positions, using forms provided in the Standard Forms Manual.

 

Section 1.2

            The Election Committee shall verify the nominations in view of the qualifications stated in Article I of the Bylaws and it shall seek the consent of the nominee(s).

Section 1.3

The election shall be carried out through secret ballot during a session of General Assembly with the required quorum of half of its members.

Section 1.4

            The nominee with the highest number of votes shall be elected to the position.

Section 2: The President and Vice President

            The following procedure shall be adopted to elect the President and Vice President.

 

Section 2.1

            Any member of the Center shall make nomination for the position of President and Vice President. The nominees shall meet the following qualifications:

  1. Shall be a member of the Center for at least two years prior to the elections.
  2. Ought to be known as an attendant of daily and Friday (Jumu’ah) prayer at the Center.
  3. Shall have demonstrated leadership ability and devoted time in the activities held at or sponsored by the Center.
  4. Must have demonstrated humility and patience at the time of challenge.
  5. Shall not be an activist of any local, national or foreign political party.

Section 3: Remaining Positions of the Executive Committee, except Imam

            The President and Vice President shall present to the Board of Trustees, names of members of the Center, for remaining positions of the Executive Committee as stated in Section 2 of the Article VI of the Constitution, except the Imam, who shall meet the following qualifications:

  1. Shall be a member of the Center for at least one year prior to the elections.
  2. Ought to be known to be an attendant of daily and Friday (Jumu’ah) prayers at the Center.
  3. Preferably ought to have participated in and helped in the execution of past activities of the Center.
  4. Shall have demonstrated leadership ability and willingness to devote time and effort for Islamic activity.

Section 4: The Imam

            The Board of Trustees shall adopt the following procedure for appointing the Imam for the Center.

Section 4.1

            The Board of Trustees shall select a suitable candidate who meets the following qualification.

  1. Have sound knowledge of Qur’an and Hadith.
  2. Fluent in Arabic and English.
  3. Be able to perform marriages and funeral ceremonies.
  4. Have demonstrated humility and patience at the time of challenge.
  5. Have proven leadership qualities.
  6. Shall not be an activist of any local, national or foreign political party.

Section 4.2

            The Board of Trustees shall present the name of selected candidate to the Shoora Council for approval.

Section 4.3

The Board of Trustees shall negotiate a compensation package with the candidate and present the package to the Shoora Council for approval.

Section 4.4

            The candidate shall be presented to the General Assembly for confirmation.

Section 5: Members of Board of Trustees

            The following procedure shall be adopted to elect the members of the Board of Trustees for the Center.

 

Section 5.1

            Any member of the Center shall make nominations for the position of member of Board of Trustees. The nominees shall meet the following qualifications:

  1. Shall be a member of the Center for at least three years prior to the elections.
  2. Ought to be known to be an attendant of daily and Friday (Jumu’ah) prayers at the Center.
  3. Shall have demonstrated leadership ability and devoted time in the activities held or sponsored by the Center.
  4. Must have demonstrated humility and patience at the time of challenge.

Section 6

            If any member of the Shoora Council becomes unable to perform his duties before the end of his term (e.g. leaves Greensboro area, becomes disabled, etc.), the President or Chairman Board of Trustees shall present to the Shoora Council the name(s) of other suitable members to fill the vacant position(s). Upon the endorsement of the Shoora Council the name(s) shall be presented to the General Assembly for confirmation by vote.

Section 7: Women’s Affairs Committee

            An Election Committee consisting of three female members from the General Assembly shall conduct the elections. The election committee members shall neither nominate a candidate nor shall be eligible for the positions open for election.

Section 7.1

            Any female member of the Center shall make nomination for the position of Women’s Affairs Committee. The nominees shall meet the following qualifications:

  1. She shall be a member of the Center for at least one year prior to the elections.
  2. She ought to have participated in and helped in the execution of past activities of the Center.

 

ARTICLE II

 

Functions and Responsibilities

Section 1

            The Functions and Responsibilities of the members of the Shoora Council shall include, but are not limited to, the following:

Section 2: President, Executive Committee

  1. Preside over the meeting of the Executive Committee.
  2. Be the official representative and spokesman of the Center.
  3. Manage, coordinate, lead and supervise the Executive Committee in accordance with the Constitution and the Bylaws of the Center and the decisions of the General Assembly so as to achieve the objectives of the Center in the best possible manner.
  4. Work with the Executive Committee to run the day-to-day affairs of the Islamic Center.

Section 2: Vice President, Executive Committee

  1. Preside over the meetings of the Executive Committee in the absence of the President.
  2. Assist the President in the execution of his duties.
  3. In case the President is unable to discharge his duties, or the position of President becomes vacant, the Vice President shall assume the position of President.

Section 3: Secretary, Executive Committee

  1. Prepare agenda and record the minutes of the Executive Committee meetings and/or Shoora Council meetings.
  2. Keep files, records and documents of the Center.
  3. Inform Committee members of the time and agendas of the meetings.
  4. Correspond with the members of the Center and as well as other Centers and organizations.

Section 4: Treasurer, Executive Committee

  1. Prepare an annual financial report at the end of the fiscal year.
  2. Prepare a financial report including estimates of expected income whenever the Executive Committee requests it.
  3. Pay invoices in a timely fashion.
  4. Record dues & donations, and report it every six months and post it in the Center.
  5. Prepare an operating statement quarterly and post it in the mosque.
  6. Maintain books according to accepted accounting principles.

Section 5: Activities Coordinator, Executive Committee

  1. Coordinate different activities in furthering the Aims and Purpose of the Center stated in Article III of the Constitution.
  2. Coordinate with local mass media for coverage on Islam and Muslims.
  3. Follow-up with the newly reverted Muslims to meet their needs.

Section 6: Imam

  1. Lead five daily prayers, give Jumu’ah khutba (English and Arabic) and conduct Salat ul Eid including delivering Eid khutba.
  2. Perform marriages and conduct burials / funerals.
  3. Provide counseling.
  4. Lead Da’wah programs and teach new Muslims.
  5. Arrange for an alternate if he cannot be in the Center.

 

Section 7: Chairman, Board of Trustees 

  1. Preside over the meetings of the Board of Trustees as well as Shoora Council.
  2. Lead the Board of Trustees in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws of the Constitution and the decisions of its General Assembly on matters relating to the long-term projects of the Center.
  3. Coordinate the long-term projects of the Center.

Section 8: Treasurer, Board of Trustees

  1. Prepare an annual financial report at the end of the fiscal year.
  2. Prepare a financial report, including estimates of expected income whenever the Shoora Council requests it.
  3. Collect donations and pledges for long-term projects.
  4. Maintain books according to accepted accounting principles.

Section 9: Secretary, Board of Trustees

  1. Prepare agenda and record the minutes of the Board of Trustee meetings and/or Shoora council meetings.
  2. Keep relevant files, records and documents.
  3. Inform Committee members of the time and agendas of the meetings.
  4. Take care of correspondence between the Center and the concerned institutions, persons or organizations in the matters relating to the Board of Trustees.

ARTICLE III

 

Membership Dues

Section 1

            The membership fee is $10.00 per year for any Muslim of 16 years of age, $25.00 per family and $100.00 for Group Memberships.

 

Section 2

            The membership fee may be waived due to strained circumstances as decided by the Executive Committee.

 

ARTICLE IV

 

Finances

Section 1: Record Keeping

            The Treasurers of the Executive Committee and the Board of Trustees shall maintain records of all income and expenditure.

 

Section 2

            The bank accounts shall be interest-free and/or invested according to Islamic principles.

Section 3

            All funds collected for a specific cause shall be used for that cause only. Funds collected for the specific purpose of long-term projects of the Mosque / Islamic Center shall not be used for any other purpose.

Section 4

            Funds from accounts of the Center shall be withdrawn with the signatures of the following:

  1. Operating Account: Treasurer, Executive Committee and

President, Executive Committee or

Vice President, Executive Committee

  1. Project Account: Treasurer, Board of Trustees and

                                                            Chairman, Board of Trustees or

                                                            One member, Board of Trustees

Section 5

            The Treasurers shall be the bookkeeper for the different accounts.

Section 6

            The Treasurer of the Executive Committee shall present a financial report at the end of his term to the Executive Committee, or upon the request of the General Assembly.

Section 7

            The annual budget and financial report shall include all items of expenditure approved for the fiscal year.  The President is responsible for the proper implementation of the annual budget. However, the Executive Committee shall be responsible for its own duties collectively and individually as described in the Constitution and Bylaws and as they relate to the budget of the Center.

 

ARTICLE V

 

Amendments

Section 1

            One half of the members of Shoora Council or five percent (5%) of the members of the General Assembly may suggest an amendment in the Constitution or the Bylaw, except Article II of the Constitution. The proposed amendments shall be submitted in writing to the Secretary of the Executive Committee or Secretary Board of Trustees.

Section 2

            The Shoora Council shall discuss the proposed amendments and upon its approval call the General Assembly meeting. The proposed amendments shall be presented in the General Assembly meeting.

Section 3

            Amendments shall be approved by simple majority of the General Assembly present and voted at a meeting with a quorum of fifty percent.

Section 4

            If the quorum requirement as specified above is not fulfilled, another General Assembly meeting shall be called for the same purpose within one month after the adjoined meeting.  The quorum requirement shall be one-third of the General Assembly with a simple majority needed for approval.

 

Section 5

            A proposed amendment cannot be discussed or presented for vote more than two times during one term of the Executive Committee.