[3] Their daughter, Anmar el-Zein, who was eight months pregnant at the time, survived multiple stab wounds and managed to alert authorities despite severe injuries requiring 200 stitches.

[6] The incident sparked discussions about potential motives, which ranged from political retaliation due to al-Faruqi's outspoken views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to personal vendettas.

"[9] In May 1986, Victor Vancier, the head of the Jewish Defense League (JDL) in New York, called for violence against Arab-Americans and others perceived as adversaries of Israel.

"[10] On the evening of May 26, 1986, Ismail al-Faruqi attended an iftar meal with the local chapter of the Muslim Students Association (MSA) and returned home at around 11:00 PM.

[6] Initial theories suggested the murders might have been politically motivated due to al-Faruqi's outspoken views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and his association with the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.

[4][6] According to Hafez Malik, a professor of political science at Villanova University and a longtime friend, al-Faruqi had talked often of threats made against his life, stating, "He had been threatened, no doubt.

[12] Earlier, detectives in Montgomery County had received an anonymous phone call suggesting they compare the latent fingerprints found at the crime scene with those of Young.

"[7] Young, who had a criminal history and knew the al-Faruqi family, confessed to the crime during questioning by Philadelphia detectives, providing information that matched the evidence.

[15] During the proceedings, the prosecution presented substantial evidence linking Young to the crime, including his fingerprints on a glove found at the scene and testimony from surviving witness Anmar el-Zein, who recounted the traumatic events of the night.

[11] The defence argued that Young's confession was coerced and suggested possible accomplices, also citing extreme emotional disturbance to question his mental state at the time of the crime.

Following a separate sentencing hearing, the jury returned a verdict of death for each murder conviction, citing the aggravating circumstances that outweighed any mitigating factors.

[17] On May 30, 1986, nearly 4,000 mourners, including international dignitaries, gathered in the Masjid Muhammad mosque in West Philadelphia to honor al-Faruqi and his wife, Lois.

[25][26][27] During a conference at the International Islamic University Malaysia in 2008, it was revealed that al-Faruqi's father had made special supplications for him to become a great scholar and to die as a martyr (shahīd), which were ultimately fulfilled.