ISA Bylaws

Name and Location The name of the corporation shall be Islamic Society of Annapolis. The principal office for the corporation in Maryland shall be located in the County of Anne Arundel at 814 Brandy Farms Lane, Gambrills, MD 21054.

Description ISA is a non-profit, religious, charitable, and educational institution. This corporation is organized exclusively for one or more of the purposes as specified in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, including, for such purposes, the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.


Purposes The purpose and activities of ISA shall be to advance the teachings of Islam and to serve the Muslim community and community at large in the Annapolis-Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan area. Towards this end, it shall:

ISA shall maintain at least 2 places of worship, one of which shall be in or near the city of Annapolis, which shall be known as Masjid(s) (mosque(s)).

ISA shall maintain an office on its premises located at 814 Brandy Farms Lane Gambrills MD, 21054.

The ISA may be affiliated with any Islamic & interfaith organizations that are beneficial to its purposes.

ISA shall have one type of membership: Regular Membership. This membership may be granted to any Muslim residing in the Anne Arundel/Prince George’s area.

Each person wishing to be a member who meets the qualifications for membership shall notify the membership committee prior to the first election.

Membership fees are yearly:

The Executive Committee has the right to waive the membership fees as it deems necessary.

Holders of membership are entitled to vote, to nominate, to be elected, or selected to any elected post of ISA after they have completed six months of membership.


Any member may resign or withdraw his/her membership upon a written letter to the Executive Committee of ISA.


All members are entitled to ISA benefits.


The President may suspend the membership in any of the following occurrences with the recommendations of the Executive Committee.

The appeal of membership suspension: any suspended member has the right to appeal within 30 calendar days the Executive Committee. Its decision is final.

If the improper behavior continues a proper action will be taken to remove the person from the premises.


The executive committee shall be elected by the membership in an election according to the rules set forth in the section on elections.


The Executive Committee shall be a body of nine volunteers who are responsible for running daily operations of the ISA, who will oversee all aspects of the operation at the MLC and AM (Financial, Youth, Family, Interfaith, administration, public relations, and religious, and buildings and grounds).



The corporation shall have such other committees as may from time to time be designated by resolution of the Executive Committee.



Take over the duties of the President when the President is not available.


The Secretary shall be responsible for the following; the Secretary shall:



The board members shall be elected at a meeting of the general body set up for the specific purpose of holding elections, following the guidelines in section VI elections and voting procedures.



The term of the Executive Committee shall be two years.

The Executive Committee will appoint a person to fill any vacancies.


The Imam Shall be hired by the Executive Committee.


The Board of Religious Affairs is an advisory Board the purpose of which is to assist the Imam in performing the MLC/AM religious services.

The Board of Religious Affairs shall be appointed by the Executive Committee in consultation with the Imam.

This Board shall:


(to be implemented once a full-time school is established)

The Board of Education shall be appointed by Executive Committee and Imam, and shall perform the following duties:


Report to Executive Committee directly.


The Chairman of the Board of Education shall:


Provide progress reports periodically to Executive Committee

The General Assembly consists of all members of the ISA.


Simple Majority of all regular members shall constitute quorum in any legal meeting.


One-Third of the total ISA membership can call for a special meeting of the General Body.

Since the Imam is the primary authority on Fiqh issues he shall make decisions that relate to Fiqh and explain those decisions to the Executive Committee. However should there be a major dispute between the Imam and the Executive Committee, which can not be resolved amicable then it shall be referred to Islamic Society of North America (ISNA); Fiqh Council of North America, whose decision shall be binding.


All other major disputes, legal and otherwise, that are voted on and resolved by the Executive Committee, but are still disputed by a majority in the general body will be resolved by an Islamic arbitrator(s) agreed upon by both parties. The decision(s) of the arbitrator(s) will be final and binding to both parties.

The fiscal year of the corporation shall begin on the first day of January and end on the last day of December each year.


These by-laws may be altered, amended or replaced and new by-laws may be adopted by two-third of the total number of the Executive Committee with consultation with the General Body members.


The facilities and activities of the corporation shall be open to all interested persons without discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, or national origin, provided that these persons subscribe to and uphold the objectives of the corporation and abide by the rules and regulations established by the management of the corporation.


Upon the dissolution or winding up of the corporation, its remaining assets remaining after payment or provision for payment, of all debts and liabilities of this corporation shall be.

The Executive Council, except as otherwise provided in these Bylaws, may by resolution authorize any officer or agent of the corporation to enter into any contract or execute and deliver any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the corporation, and such authority may be general or confined to specific instances. Unless so authorized, no officer, agent or employee shall have any power or authority to bind the corporation by any contract or engagement or to pledge its credit or to render it liable monetarily for any purpose or in any amount.


All funds of the corporation shall be deposited from time to time to the credit of the corporation in such banks, trust companies or other depositories as the Executive Council may select.


The Executive Committee shall maintain a reserve account wherein the major cash of ISA is deposited.


Except as otherwise specifically determined by resolution of the Executive Committee, or as otherwise required by law, checks, drafts, promissory notes, orders for the payment of money and other evidence of indebtedness of the corporation shall be signed by the assistant Director of the Executive Council and co-signed by another member of the Executive Council.


No new accounts can be opened by the Executive Council without a written permission from the Executive Committee.


The Executive Committee may accept on behalf of the corporation any contribution, gift, bequest or devise for the nonprofit purposes of this corporation.


The corporation shall keep at its principal office:


Minutes of all meetings of the Executive Committee, indicating the time and place of holding such meetings, whether regular or special, and the names of those present and the proceedings thereof;

Adequate and correct books and records of account, including accounts of its properties and business transactions and accounts of its assets, liabilities, receipts, disbursements, gains and losses;

A record of its members, if any, indicating their names and addresses and, if applicable, the class of membership held by each member and the termination date of any membership.

A copy of the corporation’s Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws as amended to date, which shall be open to inspection by the members, if any, of the corporation at all reasonable times during office hours.

The board shall cause any annual or periodic report required under law to be prepared and delivered to an office of this state or to the members, if any, of this corporation, to be so prepared and delivered within the time limits set by law.


The Executive Committee may adopt, use and at will alter, a corporate seal. Such seal shall be kept at the principal office of the corporation. Failure to affix the seal to corporate instruments, however, shall not affect the validity of any such instrument.


If this corporation has any members, then each and every member shall have the following inspection rights, for a purpose reasonably related to such person’s interest as a member:


To inspect and copy the record of all members’ names, and voting rights, at reasonable times, upon written demand on the Secretary of the Executive Council, which demand shall state the purpose for which the inspection rights are requested.

To inspect at any reasonable time the books, records or minutes of proceedings of the members or of the board or committees of the board, upon written demand on the Secretary of the Executive Council by the member, for a purpose reasonably related to such person’s interests as a member. Members shall have such other rights to inspect the books, records and properties of this corporation as may be required under the Articles of Incorporation, other provisions of these Bylaws and provisions of law.

No substantial part of the activities of this corporation shall be the carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation (except as otherwise provided by Section 501(h) of the Internal Revenue Code), and this corporation shall not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements), any political campaign on behalf of, or in opposition to, any candidate for public office. Notwithstanding any other provisions of these Bylaws, this corporation shall not carry on any activities not permitted to be carried on (a) by a corporation exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or (b) by a corporation, contributions to which are deductible under Section 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code.


If there is any conflict between the provisions of these Bylaws and the Articles of Incorporation of this corporation, the provisions of the Articles of Incorporation shall govern. Should any of the provisions or portions of these Bylaws be held unenforceable or invalid for any reason, the remaining provisions and portions of these Bylaws shall be unaffected by such holding. All references in these Bylaws to the Articles of Incorporation shall be to the Articles of Incorporation, Articles of Organization, Certificate of Incorporation, and Organizational Charter, Corporate Charter or other founding document of this corporation filed with an office of this state and used to establish the legal existence of this corporation. All references in these Bylaws to a section or sections of the Internal Revenue Code shall be to such sections of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 as amended from time to time, or to corresponding provisions of any future federal tax code.