Canadian Islamic Union

What Canadian Islamic Union does

Canadian Islamic Union, operating as Azhar Canada College and CIU Azhar Institute, is a private non-profit religious organization established in 1954. Its primary physical footprint is the Jamia Mosque in New Orleans, USA, with a website domain (ciucanada.ca) referencing an additional Canadian presence, though the address disclosed on the website points to U.S. operations. The organization's functional role is that of a community center and Islamic educational institution serving local Muslim congregations with daily prayer services, religious education, and lifecycle services.

The service portfolio spans three layers. First, educational offerings include Quran classes (Tajweed, translation, learning), Arabic, Fiqh (Islamic Law), Aqidah (Theology), Hadith Sciences, and a 2025-launched Online Summer Classes program aimed at children and youth ages 9+. Second, community and lifecycle services include Community Service, Special Child Care, Matrimonial Service, Funeral Service, Health Camps, and Cultural Party organization. Third, facility and charitable services cover Building/Masjid Upgrades, Mosque Renovation, Kurbani Service, and active fund-raising campaigns targeting rural Kenya education and housing for the homeless. Underlying technology is a standard WordPress/Elementor CMS with audio plugin assets; there is no proprietary platform, app, API, or AI capability.

The business model is donation-based and entirely non-commercial: educational services are free, and contributions are solicited via the website at preset tiers of $50, $100, $150, and $200. The organization generates no product or service revenue and has no disclosed funding rounds, investors, or paid contracts. Customer segments are persona-based: local Muslim community members seeking religious services, and children/youth aged 9+ enrolled in online Quran and Islamic studies. Geographic reach is North American for the congregation and transnational (including Kenya) for charitable causes. Day-to-day operations are led by Sheikh Makdoom (Founder & COO) alongside Islamic scholars Sharuf Hamnam and Sharif Hammam.

Name

Canadian Islamic Union

Legal name

Canadian Islamic Union

Website

https://ciucanada.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Canadian Islamic Union is a non-profit community center and Islamic educational institution, established in 1954 and operating primarily at Jamia Mosque in New Orleans. It delivers Quran classes, Arabic, Fiqh, and Hadith education, plus community, lifecycle, and charitable services to local Muslim community members and children aged 9 and older.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Education Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (81311)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG), Islamic Colleges & Sharia/Fiqh Institutes (EDAHAKAI)

Keywords

• Islamic education services
• Quran studies programs
• Community mosque services
• Religious education classes
• Charitable community campaigns

Headquarters

HQ city

Mississauga

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization relies on donations from community members to fund its operations, educational programs, and charitable campaigns. Donation options range from $50 to $200 for specific causes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Canadian Islamic Union operates an Islamic community center and mosque that delivers Quran, Arabic, Fiqh, Aqidah, Hadith, and Tajweed instruction, online summer classes, and a range of community support services including special child care, matrimonial services, funeral services, Kurbani, health camps, and mosque renovation. The organization also runs donation-funded charitable campaigns such as Educate Rural Kenya and Houses For Homeless.

Product overview

Canadian Islamic Union operates as a community center providing Islamic educational services and community support. The organization offers a unified portfolio of educational services including Online Summer Classes for children and adults covering Qur'an with Tajweed, Hadees, Islamic History, Arabic, Fiqh, Aqidah, and Hadith Sciences. Additional services include community support programs (Community Service, Special Child Care), religious services (Quran Classes, Quran Tajweed, Quran Translation, Quran Learning, Kurbani Service, Funeral Service), facility services (Building/Masjid Upgrades, Mosque Renovation), healthcare services (Health Camps), and charitable services (Help Poor, Matrimonial Service, Cultural Party). The organization also runs charitable campaigns for causes such as education in rural Kenya, housing for homeless, and disaster relief.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Online Summer Classes Online Islamic education courses for children and young adults aged 9 and up, conducted Monday to Thursday 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM (CST). Covers Qur'an with Tajweed, Hadees, Islamic History, Islamic Beliefs, and Islamic Etiquette.
• Qur'an Classes Quranic studies with Tafsir (interpretation) instruction offered as part of the Azhar College curriculum.
• Quran Learning Comprehensive Quran learning programs for students seeking foundational to advanced Quranic literacy.
• Quran Tajweed Instruction in proper Quran recitation with the rules of pronunciation and articulation (Tajweed).
• Quran Translation Quran translation services and instruction to help learners understand Quranic meanings.
• Arabic Classes Modern Arabic language instruction as part of the offered curriculum at Azhar College.
• Fiqh Classes Islamic Law instruction covering jurisprudential studies as part of Azhar College curriculum.
• Aqidah Classes Theology instruction covering Islamic creed and beliefs as part of Azhar College curriculum.
• Hadith Classes Hadith Sciences instruction covering sayings and traditions of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as part of Azhar College curriculum.
• Community Service Rehabilitation facility and community support services for members, helping individuals through structured community programs.
• Special Child Care Specialized care services for children with special needs provided by the community center.
• Building/Masjid Upgrades Mosque facility renovation and upgrade services to maintain and improve community worship spaces.
• Mosque Renovation Mosque development and renovation services supporting expansion and improvement of mosque facilities.
• Health Camps Medical health camps providing healthcare services to the community.
• Matrimonial Service Islamic marriage and matrimonial services for community members seeking marriage in accordance with Islamic tradition.
• Funeral Service Islamic funeral and burial services for community members.
• Cultural Party Cultural events and community gatherings for community members.
• Kurbani Service Qurbani (animal sacrifice) services during Eid al-Adha performed in accordance with Islamic tradition.
• Help Poor Assistance programs for underprivileged community members, providing charitable support to those in need.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Mercy Without Borders: A small US-based Muslim humanitarian organization running cross-border charitable campaigns, comparable to CIU in scale and in the use of donation-funded international relief projects.
• Bayyinah Institute: Bayyinah provides online Arabic and Quran-focused Islamic education, overlapping with CIU's online Quran, Tajweed, and Arabic learning offerings.

Direct peers

• Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA): ICNA runs mosques, Islamic schools, youth programs, and humanitarian relief campaigns across North America, closely matching CIU's combination of prayer services, Islamic education, and charitable campaigns.
• Islamic Relief USA: Islamic Relief USA runs donation-funded humanitarian campaigns (water, education, shelter) globally, paralleling CIU's tube-well / rural Kenya / housing-for-homeless campaigns and donation-based revenue model.
• Zaytuna College: Zaytuna is a North American Islamic higher-education institution offering Arabic, Fiqh, Quran, and Aqidah coursework — directly comparable to CIU Azhar Institute's Arabic, Fiqh, Qur'an, Aqidah, and Hadith curriculum.
• Helping Hand for Relief and Development (HHRD): HHRD is a US-based Muslim nonprofit running donation-funded international humanitarian campaigns (water, shelter, education), directly comparable to CIU's rural Kenya education, housing-for-homeless, and water/filtration-plant campaigns.
• AlMaghrib Institute: AlMaghrib delivers Islamic seminars and coursework (Quran, Fiqh, Aqidah, Arabic) across North America, directly comparable to CIU's online Islamic classes and seminary-style curriculum.

Broad incumbents

• Islamic Society of North America (ISNA): ISNA is the largest umbrella Islamic organization in North America, operating mosques, conventions, and educational programs — directly comparable to CIU's role as a multi-service Islamic center with community, educational, and convention-adjacent activities.
• Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR): CAIR is the largest US Muslim civil-rights and advocacy organization, comparable to CIU's faith-based community-services positioning for American Muslim constituencies.

Regional players

• Canadian Muslim Congress: Canadian Muslim Congress is a Canadian Islamic advocacy/community organization, sharing CIU's Canadian-branded Muslim-community mandate and parallel organizational positioning in the Canadian Muslim landscape.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Canadian Islamic Union