‘Inshallah Has Become Alhamdulillah’ – First Muslim US Senator, El-Sayed Celebrates Victory

Democrat Abdul El-Sayed has made history as the first Muslim elected to the United States Senate following his projected victory in Michigan’s November 3 midterm election, defeating former Republican Representative Mike Rogers.

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The 42-year-old Egyptian-American expressed excitement and gratitude after the projected victory, describing his emergence as an honour and a privilege to represent the people of Michigan. His victory secured the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Senator Gary Peters, with El-Sayed expected to assume office when the new Congress convenes in January 2027.

Speaking to supporters on Tuesday night in a video shared by Fox News, El-Sayed explained the significance of his repeated use of the Islamic expression “Inshallah” during his campaign. The Arabic expression, which means “God willing,” became a familiar part of his remarks whenever he discussed the possible outcome of the election.

According to the senator-elect, his victory provided an opportunity to replace the expression with another popular Islamic phrase, “Alhamdulillah,” meaning “Praise be to God.” Addressing his supporters, he said: “My name is Abdulrahman Mohamed Sayed, and I am so proud and honoured to stand here as your senator-elect from the great state of Michigan.”

He added: “Up until right about now, you might have noticed I always say Inshallah or God willing whenever the outcome of this race was mentioned. But today, tonight, we can turn that Inshallah into Alhamdulillah.”

El-Sayed’s emergence followed a competitive Democratic primary in August, where he defeated Representative Haley Stevens to secure his party’s ticket for the general election. His projected victory over Rogers marks a historic milestone for Muslim representation in American politics and adds a significant chapter to Michigan’s political history.