Qur’an City: Get Lost to Be Found
A Unique Exhibition in Toronto.
I’ve walked through many exhibits in my life. But Qur’an City is not one you walk through. It’s one that walks through you
On May 3rd, MARC opened the doors to this living, breathing space — where every chapter is a building in this cityscape — built not of bricks, but of verses. Qur’anic verses. Seventeen suburbs, each grounded in a powerful theme. Each one a call to pause, to reflect, to reawaken.
This wasn’t spontaneous inspiration. Based on an original idea by Ummul Banin Merali, this version at MARC was three years in the making. A dream slowly turned real by the devotion of over 30 team members. And yes—some 30,000 emails and WhatsApp messages later, here we are.
This was not about spectacle. It was about soul.
At the opening, I stood before the visitors, many of whom had never experienced the Qur’an like this before, and said something I meant with every fiber of my being:
"I invite you to get lost. Get lost in the vastness of the Qur’an. Get lost in mercy. Get lost in awe. Get lost in meaning. And in that sacred disorientation—find yourself closer to Allah."
Because that’s the truth. The Qur’an is not a linear read. It’s a spiral. A return. A letting go.
A City of Sacred Invitations
The journey begins where it all began—Iqra. Read. But reading here doesn’t happen with your eyes alone. It happens with your feet. Your heart. Your being.
You walk through Viewpoint Terrace, where accountability becomes more than an idea—it becomes a lens. In The Energy Zone, Surah Al-Nur becomes momentum. Light isn’t static. It moves you. And in The Comfort Zone, the Qur’an speaks directly to the wounded heart. Al-Dhuha and Al-Inshirah reminded us that even on the darkest days— light always follows.
There’s a Women’s Corner—and it’s not symbolic. It’s scriptural. Rooted in Surahs Maryam, Al-Mujadala, and Al-Nisa. Women in the Qur’an are not background figures. They are leaders. Thinkers. Vessels of divine grace.
And then there is The Tawheed Centre—the anchor of the entire experience. The One in whom all meanings dissolve and re-form.
At the heart of it all floats a glowing dodecahedron—twelve pentagonal faces deeplys symbolic of DivineGuidance, manifesting human microcosm's ability to connect with the Divine Suspended in light. It’s not art. It’s axis. It’s our center.
Walking with Meaning
‘‘Every zone is a doorway into the Qur’an,” said Ummul Banin Merali. Walking with her through the exhibition floor is a journey in itself.
From Kaaba Corner, where unity becomes motion, to Muhammad Square, where the Prophet’s legacy is felt in every step, to Ambiya Annexe, where stories of the Prophets echo through time.
And then you reach Tawba Turn. A roundabout of return. The hardest U-turn you’ll ever take. And finally—Qiyama Close. Where the journey doesn’t end, but transcends
One guest looked at me after walking the path and said, “I’ve read these Surahs before. But today, I felt them.” That’s when I knew—we hadn’t just built something. We had opened something.
The Conversations Beyond the City
The next day, I moderared the first Qur’an City Symposium. It wasn’t a lecture hall. It was a circle of seekers.
In the morning, Qur'an scholars Ummul banin Merali and Marzia Hassan explored how today’s tools—design, storytelling, technology—can make the even more Qur’an accessible.
The afternoon turned academic—with heavyweights like Dr. Liyakat Takim, (McMaster University) Dr. Muhammad Sagha, and Dr. Payam Mohseni. (Harvard Divinity School) They reminded us how Qur’anic studies are addressed in the ivory towers—through conversations about justice and ethics.
This Is Just the Beginning
We’re not done. Not even close.
MARC will be Monthly Qur’anic Conversations—deep dives into each of the 17 zones. These aren’t sermons. They’re dialogues. Encounters. Reflections shared in community.
We’re also planning Quarterly Symposia—bringing together voices across disciplines, faiths, and cultures. Because the Qur’an is for all times. And all hearts
And as I reflect on what we’ve created, I return to the opening words I shared:
Get lost in awe. Get lost In meaning.
Because the Qur’an is not a place we visit.
It is a home we are always being called back to.
Exhibition Duration: May 2025 – May 2028
Admission: Free and open to all
MARC – Mulla Asghar Resource Center
9000 Bathurst Street, Thornhill ON L4J 8A7
Website: www.marcresource.org
Email: mamrc.library@gmail.com
Phone: 905 695 1015