Imam F. Qasim ibn Ali Khan of Masjid At-Tawhid calls his visits ‘dawah’, religious outreach to align businesses with Islamic principles, stressing owners’ legal rights while warning of protests. Snopes confirmed the September 2025 clips are real, targeting only Muslim-run stores with no reports of actual demonstrations or forced changes. Texas leaders like Gov. Greg Abbott and Sen. Ted Cruz condemned the actions as un-American, citing state bans on Sharia; Khan’s mosque defends it as protected free speech.
A Houston imam has stirred up debate by visiting Muslim-owned convenience stores and asking them to stop selling items considered forbidden in Islam. Imam F. Qasim ibn Ali Khan from Masjid At-Tawhid started this effort earlier in 2025.
Videos from September show him talking to store workers about alcohol, pork products, and lottery tickets.
Khan calls his work dawah. That means religious outreach. He tells owners they have the legal right to sell anything. But as Muslims, he says, they should follow Islamic rules.
In the clips, he warns that if they keep selling these haram items, people from his mosque might protest outside.
Some videos show small groups holding signs. The signs say things like alcohol, gambling, and pork are forbidden. They accuse owners of not caring about the community.
Snopes looked into the videos in September 2025. They confirmed the clips are real. Khan posted many on his own TikTok account. The visits only went to stores run by Muslims.
No reports came out of big protests or anyone forcing changes. Some fake pictures spread online too, but those were AI-made and not connected.
Khan leads Masjid At-Tawhid in Houston’s Fifth Ward. The mosque has ties to the Nation of Islam. He says the campaign targets businesses in poor Black neighbourhoods. He feels they disrespect the faith by selling these products for profit.
The story went viral quickly. Right-wing sites and social media called them “Sharia patrols”. They worried about religious rules overriding U.S. laws.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott spoke out. He reminded people Texas has laws against using foreign legal systems like Sharia in courts.
He said no one should fear pressure like this. Senator Ted Cruz called it outrageous harassment. He said Sharia has no place in America.
Some groups pushed back. The Council on American-Islamic Relations said Khan’s actions are protected speech. They compared it to other faiths, urging members to follow rules.
An opinion piece in the Dallas News argued the imam has First Amendment rights. It noted no laws were broken.
Houston has a large Muslim community. Over 200,000 people. Many own small stores like gas stations and corner shops. These places often sell beer, cigarettes, lotto tickets, and snacks, including pork items. It’s common for convenience stores everywhere.
Not all Muslims agree with Khan’s approach. Some online comments from Muslims said selling haram is allowed if you don’t use it yourself. Others supported the message but not the public pressure. The local Muslim community seems split.
No charges were filed against Khan or his group. Police have not reported problems from the visits. Stores kept operating as usual.
This fits into bigger talks in Texas about religious freedom and state laws. Abbott signed bills in recent years to block what he calls Sharia influence. Like rules against certain housing developments following religious codes.
Khan has not given new interviews since the videos spread. His mosque did not respond to questions from fact-check sites.
People in Houston talk about it in community groups. Some see it as internal faith matters. Others worry it fuels misunderstandings about Islam.
As 2025 wraps up, the campaign seems to have quieted down. No large protests happened. Stores still sell the same items. But the debate lingers online and in politics.
Stories like this show tensions when religion meets business in diverse cities. Houston keeps growing with people from all backgrounds. Convenience stores remain a big part of neighbourhood life.
Khan continues leading his mosque. He posts about other topics too, like community events. The haram sales effort brought attention he might not have wanted.
Texas leaders watch closely. They often highlight laws protecting state rules over others.
In the end, no big changes came from the visits. But it got people talking about faith, free speech, and community standards in Houston.
