Aside from commemorating the message of Islam as conveyed through the Messengers of Allah and the Prophet Muhammad , we chose the name Risala Foundation to also honor the works of Muslim scholarship all over the world - including the works of a righteous servant here in the history of our own country.

Bilali (Ben Ali) Muhammad was a Muslim slave in Georgia in the mid-nineteenth century who was the first American Muslim community leader and author of the first Islamic text written in the United States. His book, referred to as the Risala, was written in Arabic about Islamic beliefs and the rules on prayer and cleanliness. This Risala is now preserved at the University of Georgia along with other historical American texts. It is in the footsteps of such legacies, that our foundation hopes to continue the tradition of carrying and delivering the message of Islam here in America.