Shaykh Zakaria Abdelaziz is Canadian-born Somali. But those that know him say he lived in Tarim, Yemen for so long he is basically Yemeni. 

He comes from a lineage of scholars. His father, grandfather and great grandfather were all graduates of Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt. His family are descendants of the Shaykh and historian Abdur Rahman al-Jabarti. With this legacy in mind, Shaykh Zakaria’s father took his family to Egypt when Shaykh Zakaria was just 11 years old to learn Arabic and memorize the Qur'an. In Egypt, Shaykh Zakaria’s father met Habib Ali al-Jifri who recommended Shaykh Zakaria study at Dar al-Mustafa in Tarim, Yemen. 

By the age of 13, Shaykh Zakaria began his studies in Tarim, Yemen  at Dar al Mustafa. Starting at such a young age, he was often the youngest in the class.  He fondly remembers his interactions with the Habaib at a young age and yearning to be like them. He completed the 10-year degree program, which requires memorization of both the Qur'an and Riyadh as-Saliheen.

 

After 17 years studying abroad, Shaykh Zakaria returned to Canada with his family in 2021. He now teaches locally across the GTHA.

 

In this episode, he talks about how his father’s encouragement and his teachers’ generosity helped him stay motivated during the rigorous 10 years of study. He speaks about what it really means for knowledge to be sacred and the beautiful wisdom behind what scholars call "a burning beginning" for students of knowledge. 

His journey intersects with many familiar names: Habib Abdullah bin Ismail as-Saqqaf, Habib Omar, Habib Ali al-Mashur bin Hafidh, Syed Abdul al-Jifri, Shaykh Mokhtar Jamil, Shaykh Assad Ullah, and he also taught many of our other teachers in the West that studied in Tarim.

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Welcome to the Journey Podcast - a podcast where we hear from our blessed teachers and community members about their spiritual journeys. My name is Hebah Masood. I invite you to reflect on the trajectories of their lives, and the guidance and blessings provided by Allah swt, along that journey.

Shaykh Ahmed Saad Al-Azhari visited Toronto a few weeks ago to give a series of lectures about the life of his teacher Habib Abu Bakr al-Mashur, his reflections on post-modernism and Islam, and to provide an educational framework for Muslim families. These are all components of his PhD thesis, which he just completed recently from the University of Birmingham.

Dr. Ahmed Saad’s journey began in Egypt where he was born into a family of scholars who are descendants of the prophet muhammad pbuh. He memorized the Quran at the age of 10 and Riyadh as Salihin at the age of 15. In 2001 he graduated from Al-Azhar University with a bachelors in Islamic Sciences. 

He was mentored by Habib Abu Bakr al-Mashur and went on to to translate and teach his book Al Nubdha Al Sughra, which discusses the signs of the end of times. Shaykh Ahmed lives in the UK where he founded Ihsan Institute.

In this episode he reflects on his early life and upbringing in Egypt, the teachers that influenced him and the value of a traditional lifestyle.
His story intersects with many familiar names:
Shaykh Mohamed Saad, Habib Dr. Abu Bakr al-‘Adni b. Ali al-Mashhūr, Shaykh Shibl Matar, Shaykh Dr. Ali Gomah, Shaykh Dr. Abdel-Hamīd Al-Mubarak, Shaykh Ahmad Mawlūd b. Muhammad al-Mustafa al-Yaqūbi al- Shinqīti, Shaykh Dr. Ayman Suwaid, Shaykh Abdul-Fattah Madkour, Shaykh Ali Tawfīq al-Nahhas, Shaykh Abdul-Rahman al-Kittani, Habib Zayn b. Sumayt, Shaykh Abdel-Basit Hashim, Shaykh Yahya al-Ghawthani, Shaykh Ahmad al-Surti, Shaykh Yahya al-Mulla, Shaykh Dr. Ahmad Sharīf al-Manbiji, Shaykh Muhammad al-Baqqāli, Shaykh Muhammad Ibrahim Abdel-Ba’ith Al-Kittani.

Please view his full bio here: https://www.ihsaninstitute.sg/about-shaykh-ahmed-saad

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Shaykh C Hamzah Wald Maqbul shocked not only me, but also the barista when he ordered in fluent Uzbek at a coffee stand outside the Registan Square in Samarkand a few years ago. That’s when I knew we were in the best possible hands in Uzbekistan with Shaykh Hamzah leading our Muslim Legacy tour group. 

Shaykh Hamzah learned Uzbek while doing  a double major in Biochemistry and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at the University of Washington. While he initially intended to go to med school he was also drawn to his faith and was actively looking for a path to study Islam. 

During his undergrad years, the doors opened for him when he was able to do a combined independent study and study abroad trip to Mauritania. He was able to study with scholars in Mauritania and the UAE. He then went to study for four years in Pakistan at Jamia al Madaniya. 

Currently he works with Imam Ghazali Institute, teaching aqidah intensives across the country as well as organizing heritage trips to explore Muslim history in Turkey, Uzbekistan, Sicily and Bosnia. He also founded Ribat and teaches locally in the Chicago area. 

In this episode, he discusses the value of connecting with Muslim history and tradition in an immersive way, connecting with the layman as a scholar, and the importance of zuhd and detaching from one’s wealth.

His story intersects with many familiar names:

Murabit al-Hajj, Murabit Haddamin, Murabit Ahmad Fal, Mufti Abdul Wahid, Syed Nafees Hussaini, Mawlana Abdul Haleem Chishti, Dr. Imam Zijad Delic Delic; he has also worked closely with Shaykh Mohammed Amin Kholwadia's Darul Qasim College, Musa Sugapong, and HFSAA Midwest.

After over a year-long hiatus, I'm very excited to be posting this episode. Please note, it was recorded in May 2023. 

Please note this episode was recorded in May 2023. 

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At age 16, Ustadh Omar Popal was an extremely homesick madrasa student in Campertown, South Africa. He was far from home, his family and friends. He was struggling to adjust to life at Madrasa In’aamiyya, so different from his public high school and life as he knew it in Fairfax, Virginia. He found his way to the madrassa library, and there he found a mentor in Maulana Muhammad Abbas Omar, who befriended him and took him under his wing. In the same library he found three books which awoke a thirst for knowledge within him and were his introduction to tasawwuf: Protecting Yourself from Whisperings of the Devil, the Path to Perfection, Ma’arif Al Mathnawi. After completing two years in South Africa, Ustadh Omar returned to Virginia and continued studying the Islamic Sciences and completed high school as one of the first students at Mufti Yusuf bin Yaqub’s school, Madinatul Uloom. After high school, he was looking for the next opportunity when his father heard about Tarim, Yemen. He had met someone whose daughter was studying at Dar al Zahra, the girls madrassa in Tarim, and so he decided to send Ustadh Omar and his sister to Yemen as well. Ustadh Omar spent two years in Tarim at Dar al-Mustafa, the boys madrassa, including one year at a campus in Ai’nat. The Ai’nat campus was even more remote, academically rigorous and challenging, and he was the only Westerner there at the time. Despite the challenges, he grew fond of his unique time in Ai’nat and refers to it as the best year of his life. After returning home, he continued his studies at Darul Qasim in Chicago with Shaykh Amin Kholwadia and later with Dr. Recep Senturk in Turkey. Ustadh Omar is now the founder of the Tanwir Institute in Fairfax, VA. where he is attending to the educational and spiritual needs of Muslims in his hometown as well as the DMV area (District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia) at large. In this episode, he discusses both the struggle of adjusting while studying overseas as well as the many distractions and difficulties that come with seeking knowledge while staying in the West. He gives heartfelt advice to students of knowledge on humility and setting priorities. His story intersects with many familiar names: Habib Umar bin Hafiz, Maulana Haroon Abbas Omar, Maulana Muhammad Abbas Omar, Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Mufti Yusuf bin Yaqub, Shaykh Yahya Rhodus, Maulana Ibrahim Muhammad, Maulana Ridwaan Desi, Shaykh Amin Kholwadia, Dr Umar Faruq Abd-Allah, Shaykh Khaled Al-Kharsa, Dr. Hamza al-Bakri Dr. Mahmoud al-Masri, Shaykh Faisal Matadar, Shaykh Hamzah Wald Maqbul, Shaykha Mariam Sheibani, Dr. Recep Senturk

His grandfather Dr. Sheikh Ramadan Deeb, one of the oldest living scholars in Damascus, is a renowned Syrian scholar who built important bridges between western and eastern scholarship. He grew up watching his father Shaykh Abdallah Deeb lead a Muslim community in Orlando, Florida. But, even though he was born into a family of Muslim scholars, Imam Ahmad Deeb struggled as a teenager seeking answers to fundamental questions about religion. It wasn’t until university when he began attending a local halaqa and listening online to Shaykh Hamza Yusuf that Imam Deeb felt his mind and his heart begin to find a connection to Islam. Upon graduation he turned his focus to seeking knowledge at a higher level. Shaykh Muhammad bin Yahya al-Husayni al-Ninowy, a family friend, invited him to join a Madina Institute pilot program he was starting in South Africa. Imam Ahmad Deeb spent a year at the Madina Institute in Cape Town. When he returned he continued studying with local scholars, including his father, and began a Masters in Islamic Studies at Bayan Islamic Graduate School in Claremont, California. Today, Imam Ahmad Deeb is the imam at Islamic Center of Greater Toledo, located in one of the oldest muslim communities in North America. He is the co-founder of Pillars Seminary alongside Shaykh Ismail Bowers, which focuses on teaching the foundational Islamic sciences to busy professionals, as well as the co-founder of Itqaan Institute, dedicated to developing love of God through a relationship and mastery of reciting Qur’an, with his father as the primary teacher and leader. In this episode he talks about Muslims who are seeking answers to fundamental questions about their religion. He advises them to seek out reliable teachers of Islamic knowledge and spend time reflecting on any potential barriers they may have to a relationship with Allah SWT. His story intersects with many familiar names: Shaykh Ramadan Deeb, Shaykh Muhammad bin Yahya al-Ninowy, Shaykh Abdallah Deeb, Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Dr. Sherman Jackson, Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad / Timothy J. Winter, Shaykh Jihad Hashim Brown, Shaykh Ismail Bowers, Ustadh Arthur Richards Jr., Dr. Ali Shahata, Imam Mohamed Masri.

Sidi Mustafa Davis’ timeline follows many in the ‘90s who took their shahada and travelled overseas seeking knowledge. He converted as an atheistic college student after finding clarity in Surah Mariam. Soon after, he met Shaykh Hamza Yousuf and his teachers in California. That led him on a journey to Mauritania, Spain, the UK, Syria, and eventually Yemen with his friend and travel companion Shaykh Yahya Rhodus. While in Tarim, Yemen, his path took a different direction. Habib Omar advised him that media production would be his path to Allah swt. And so he began his work with Habib Ali Al-Jiffri at Guidance Media and Tahbah Foundation. After returning to the U.S. in 2008 he started his own production agency called Mustafa Davis Studios, which he hopes to use to tell stories that would otherwise go untold. Today he is in Turkey studying with Shaykh Mokhtar Maghraoui, running his production studio and teaching a full-time film training program. In this episode, he takes us on a journey around the world, sharing advice from his experience as a student and an artist and how his work has become a means for him to seek nearness to Allah. He’s met many beautiful teachers and befriended many familiar names along his journey: Shaykh Murabit al-Hajj and his son Shaykh Abdur-Rahman, Shaykh Murabit Ahmad Fal and his son Shaykh Abdullah, Shaykh Khatri, Habib Omar, Habib Ali al-Jifri, Shaykh Mokhtar Maghraoui, Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Shaykh Yahya Rhodus, Shaykh Ibrahim Osi-Efa, Shaykh AbdulKarim Yahya, Shaykh Jamal Ud-deen Hysaw, Hassan Siddqui, Khalil Moore, Shaykh Jihad Hashim Brown, Shaykh Walead Mosaad, Shaykh Musa Furber, Imam Dawood Yasin, Tariq Suwaidan and Dr. Jonathan Brown. Photos courtesy of Sidi Mustafa: https://www.facebook.com/hebahpotamus88/videos/10208380184459931

Ustadha Zaynab Mansour Ansari is the daughter of converts — an African American mother and a Lebanese American father. Her parents converted to Islam in the 1970s and met Imam Zaid Shakir during the latter part of the decade. The impact of Imam Zaid’s friendship with her parents was profound and their spiritual journeys became deeply intertwined. When Ustadha Zaynab was in her late teens, her parents wanted her to study Islam so the family moved to Iran for a few years, and later, at the advice of Imam Zaid and his wife, Umm Hassan, Ustadha Zaynab and her sister were enrolled at Abu Noor College in Damascus, Syria. She returned to the United States after over 4 years of study in Syria and enrolled at Georgia State University, where she earned degrees in history and Middle Eastern Studies. During this time, she started a family and was invited to volunteer for the pioneering SunniPath Answers Service. Ustadha Zaynab describes herself as a late bloomer. She felt intellectually and academically stimulated as a student in Damascus, but it wasn’t until her late 30s that she had a spiritual awakening — what she refers to as a Ghazalian moment of realization that what she was teaching was not necessarily being translated into her own life. Today Ustadha Zaynab is the women’s scholar-in-residence at Tayseer Seminary where she teaches and mentors students under the guidance of Shaykh Hassan Lachheb. She also offers presentations, workshops, and classes for a number of other organizations, including for the Ribaat program founded by her teacher, Anse Dr. Tamara Gray. In this episode, she opens up about and reflects on the tragic death of her husband over five years ago. She also discusses the benefits of having female-only learning spaces and the importance of female role models and spiritual guides. Her story intersects with many familiar names: Imam Zaid Shakir and his wife Umm Hassan, Zaheer (Sunni Path), Anse Dr. Tamara Gray, Shaykh Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, Shaykh Muhammad Sukkar, Shaykha Houda al-Habash, Ustadh Dr. Nadeem Siddiqi, Shaykh Hassan Lachheb

Imam Dawud Walid grew up south of the Mason-Dixon line in Chesterfield County, Virginia. It was commonplace to see Confederate flags and signs like “The South will rise again.” Like others of his generation, listening to hip hop, watching Spike Lee’s “X,” and the protests following the brutal beating of Rodney King and murder of Amadou Diallo played a huge role. They awakened in him not only an interest in social justice but also Islam. He wanted to learn Classical Arabic to better understand the Quran. At that time, the best place to learn Arabic in the U.S. was in Detroit, Michigan, and so he moved to the Midwest. His spiritual journey would take him from learning in Detroit to eventually traveling to Ghana, Mali and Senegal. Today, Dawud Walid heads Cair-Michigan. He has authored four books. Two titled “Centering Black Narratives,” a third titled "Towards Sacred Activism," and a fourth, coming out this February InshaAllah titled “Blackness in Islam.” In this episode, he sheds light on the importance of learning Black Muslim history and the relationship of tasawwuf with sacred activism and anti-racism work within our communities. His story intersects with many familiar names: Shaykh Ali Suleiman Ali, Imam Salim Abdulrahman, Dr. Sherman Jackson, Shaykh Abdullah Bin Hamid Ali, Shaykh AbdulKarim Yahya, Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, Sidi Ahmad Mubarak, Chris Abdur-Rahman Blauvelt. ***Pre-order his new book "Blackness in Islam" here: https://shop.ihrc.org/blackness-and-islam-dawud-walid***

Shaykh Zane Abdo was born and raised in Liverpool, UK. From a young age, he was inspired by lectures from scholars like Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Shaykh Abdul-Hakim Murad and Shaykh Nuh Ha Mim Keller to study abroad and bring back scholarship to the UK. After studying in Tarim, Yemen, for just under a decade, Shaykh Zane returned to the UK in 2010 as the imam of the South Wales Islamic Centre in Cardiff, a port city which has its own unique history of Muslim migrants from Yemen and Somalia. He is now a Muslim advisor and university chaplain at the University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University. His course for university students, “Simplifying the Chaos,” is linked below. You can also find him at Spiritual Corner with Sheikh Zane. In this episode, he talks about Islam in the UK, the challenges with working with different Muslims groups and his experiences in dealing with extremists and radicalized Muslims throughout his life - both in Cardiff and then as a prison chaplain in Liverpool. He opens up about the importance of not just “copying and pasting” what he’s learned in Tarim, but adapting it in a way the suits the needs of the people he’s serving in the UK. And finally Shaykh Zane shares a touching story from his youth about an emotional moment with Shaykh Hamza Yusuf that brought Shaykh Hamza to tears. Habib Ali al-Jifri who was also present remarked that the young man had stirred something in Shaykh Hamza’s heart. That story has stuck with him all these years, leading him to inspire others the way Shaykh Hamza inspired him. His story intersects with many familiar names: الحبيب عمر بن حفيظ - Habib Omar, the late Mufti of Tarim Habib `Ali al-Mashhur bin Hafiz, Habib Abdullah Bilfaqih, Habib Salim al-Shatiri, Habib Ali al-Jifri English, Habib Abdur Rahman bin Ali Mashur bin Hafiz, Shaykh Umar Husayn Al-Khatib, Shaykh Nuh Ha Mim Keller, Shaykh Mohsen Al-Najjar, Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad / Timothy J. Winter, Shaykh Ibrahim Osi-Efa, Shaykh Haroon Hanif, Shaykh Adeyinka Mendes, Shaykh Yahya Rhodus, Imam Zaid Shakir, Sheikh Sa'id Hassan. Simplifying the Chaos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQMcTFuzeWCnpnOModFwxfDTi3W7MIOGi https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQMcTFuzeWCkHryYoAxm9wRgeGevvsP_P

Shaykh Abdullah Anik Misra prefaced his interview by saying he had nothing great to share. But as you’ll soon see, he has a heartwarming and inspiring story. He was born and raised Hindu. At the age of 18, he took his shahada and entered Islam. At the time, he was a student at the University of Toronto, and it was a combination of meeting his future wife, his circle of friends and reading books like “Islam in Focus” that led him to explore Islam and convert. After finishing his undergrad and unexpectedly being invited to perform Hajj, he knew deep down that what he really wanted was to study sacred knowledge. So he embarked on a journey to Tarim, Yemen or as he calls it, “the desert of love,” to learn Arabic. He then went on to study the Islamic sciences as well as spirituality with Shaykh Nuh Ha Mim Keller in Jordan. After 12 years there, he travelled to Trinidad and studied the books of Hadith at Darul Uloom and is currently in their iftah program. Because he's travelled all over the world he has an interesting insight into the different places of Islamic learning that exist today. His story has many lessons for converts and aspiring students of knowledge about the intellectual and emotional journey through the deen. His story intersects with many familiar names: Shaykh Nuh Ha Mim Keller, Shaykh Ashraf Muneeb, Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, Nader Khan, Dawud Wharnsby.

JazakAllah khayr and special thanks to Sister Mozynah Nofal and The Women's Circle at the University of Toronto for the opportunity to host this week’s event and interview Anse Dr. Tamara Gray where this episode was recorded! As a college student, Anse Tamara Gray became intrigued by the idea of the hijab. She had grown up Lutheran, but liked the protective nature of the hijab and so began wearing it. Within a week she purchased an English translation of the Qur'an. She was stunned to read verse 35 in Surah Al-Ahzab that addresses both men and women as equal believers. As someone with a feminist background, it caught her attention and she decided to take the shahada. In those early years as a Muslim, she found herself frustrated with the often confusing answers she was receiving to religious questions, so she realized she had to study sacred knowledge. She had heard of female teachers in Syria, which appealed to her. Her plan: marry a Syrian and study in Syria. She would end up spending 20 years in Syria, moving back to the United States in 2012. Today, most people know Anse Tamara Gray as the founder of Daybreak Press and Rabata, an organization dedicated to serving women's spiritual and educational growth. She talks about female scholarship, and the need for a women's organization by women, for women.

The daughter of Caribbean Immigrants who converted to Islam, Ustadha Nuriddeen Knight , began her own journey to seek knowledge at the Muslim Education and Converts Center of America in NYC. She completed classes at the Center offered to beginners by Imam Amin Muhammad. She went on to study privately with him along with other sisters. She then began supplementing these in-person classes with online courses from SeekersGuidance: The Global Islamic Seminary and Kiflayn. But she wanted more — she craved a deeper understanding of prophetic character and knew she needed to live in a place where Islam was not just studied but lived. So, she left to study in Jordan with Shaykh Nuh Ha Mim Keller, Shaykha Umm Sahl and other scholars. In this episode, Ustadha Nuriddeen discusses the importance of seeking knowledge as a woman and the value of having female teachers. She also talks about the beauty of the community in Jordan and how impactful suhba is when studying. She returned to the United States where her bold, and outspoken blog, "By the Fig and the Olive,” has become a must-read for many women of our generation. She has also authored "40 Hadith Of 'Aisha," a collection of Hadiths narrated by Sayyida Aisha that showcase her close relationship with the Prophet PBUH.

Shaykh Nuh Lavotte Saunders grew up in Philadelphia, a place he describes as having a lot of Muslims but very little Islam. As a teenager, he lacked good suhba, the right kind of friends. But one day, he heard a recording of a khutbah by Shaykh Abdur Rahman Sondalaani in his grandmother’s car and broke down in tears. Shaykh Abdur Rahman— whose grandfather was part of the first Muslim community in Philly— talked about the challenges of growing up as a young Muslim in the city, something Shaykh Nuh could relate to. A month later he met Shaykh Abdur Rahman, who became his mentor, teaching him aqidah, introducing him to Imam Amin Muhammad from Atlantic City, and taking him to meet Habib Omar during his 2011 visit to the United States. For the past eight years, he has been studying in Tarim, Yemen at Dar al-Mustafa. His kids are still there, while he is taking a break to study Quranic recitation in Lebanon. He also founded Dar Al Qurra, an online institute dedicated to connecting youth, particularly in the inner city, with the Qur’an. His plan once he returns to the United States is to expand it into a boarding school InshaAllah. In this episode he talks about the importance of meeting people where they are when giving da’wah, the tarbiyah (spiritual mentorship) of the scholars in Yemen and the need to instill prophetic character in children. His story intersects with many familiar names: الحبيب عمر بن حفيظ - Habib Omar, Habib Ali al-Jifri, Shaykh Munir Ba-Zahayr, Shaykh Ali Bafadal, Sayyid Ali Ba Alawi, Shaykh Bashar al Riz, Shaykh Samir al-Nass, Shaykh Abdur Rahman Sondalaani, Imam Amin Muhammad, Shaykh Yahya Rhodus, Shaykh Amin Buxton, Shaykh Musab Penfound, Suliman Yaseen, Ibn Ali Miller.

Like many Afghans, Imam Yama Niazi's family left Afghanistan during the Soviet invasion. By the '90s, he was an 18 year old aspiring rapper in Santa Barbara, California, a typical American teen who knew little about the religion but made a dua that changed the course of his life. One day, perhaps in answer to that dua, a mysterious visitor stopped by the family business. The visitor, a convert and former rapper, befriended him. He taught him how to pray, the basic tenets of the religion and mentored him. Imam Yama gave up rapping, began practicing Islam and eventually sought sacred knowledge. Through an ISNA catalogue, he learned about Shaykh Hamza Yusuf and started driving five hours weekly to the take classes with Shaykh Hamza in the Bay area. The classes introduced him to other scholars including Shaykh Salek ibn Siddina and Shaykh Muhammad Yaqoubi and a whole new world. In this episode, Imam Yama narrates an emotional story of how Allah SWT guided him. He gives important and nuanced advice about dawah, the limits of interfaith work and the challenges of being an American Imam. He now lives in Vancouver, B.C., teaches youth classes at SeekersGuidance: The Global Islamic Seminary and runs the The Blessed Tree Foundation, a non-profit that focuses on spreading the beauty of Islam. His story intersects with many familiar names: Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Shaykh Salek ibn Siddina, Shaykh Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi الشيخ محمد اليعقوبي,,الحبيب عمر بن حفيظ - Habib Omar, Shaykh Yahya Rhodus, Shaykh Rami Nsour, Shaykh AbdulKarim Yahya, Ustadh Feraidoon Mojadedi, Shaykh Mufti Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf Mangera , Imam Zaid Shakir, Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, Shaykh Tameem Ahmadi

Sidi Saleh Clemons’ journey starts with the adhan. He first saw the word in a novel, then listened to a recitation on YouTube. He was struck by the beauty of the adhan (call to prayer). It would lead him to learn more about Islam and eventually take his shahada. A close Muslim friend taught him about the religion and offered “good” suhba, (companionship), helping him transition into Islam. He got on the path of Islamic learning initially through tapes from Sheikh Abu Yusuf Riyadh Ul-Haq, a Hanafi, Deobandi scholar based int he UK. He then met Shaykh Yahya Rhodus and other teachers and students who guided him to Tarim and studying with Habib Omar. He also studied in Egypt and Kenya with his wife and now teaches at the Sakinah Institute and Islamic Center of Ewing in New Jersey. In this episode, Sidi Saleh talks about how seeking knowledge can sometimes reveal our own faults, and the importance of being there for other Muslims through difficult times. His story intersects with many familiar names: الحبيب عمر بن حفيظ - Habib Omar, Habib Khadim As-Saqqaf, Habib Ali al-Jifri English, Shaykh Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul Haq, Mufti Muhammad Ibn Adam Al - Kawthar, Sh Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf, Shaykh Yahya Rhodus, Ustadh Abdul Qadir Wiswal, Ustadh Hasan Petrus, Shaykh Nuh Lavotte Saunders, Shaykh Hamdi Ben Aissa My sincere apologies for the poor sound quality for the first 20 minutes.

Shaykh Jamal Ud-deen Hysaw describes his childhood as nomadic. He moved across the United States, living in suburban communities where he often felt the effects of racism and isolation, and found it difficult fitting in with both his Black and white classmates. His journey to Islam began in college as he started exploring Black history and reading The Autobiography of Malcolm X. A few years after he converted, he was introduced to then translator Shaykh Nuh Ha Mim Keller who was visiting Atlanta at the time. He got his phone number and after months of almost daily phone calls, Shaykh Nuh and his wife Shaykha Umm Sahl suggested that he come to Damascus and study Islamic sciences full-time. He was in Syria for three years before becoming one of the first foreigners to be invited to Tarim by Habib Omar. He eventually settled there for five years to finish his studies. Shaykh Jamal is a natural storyteller. This is a four hour interview, but he keeps the listener engaged from beginning to end with stories from his life and beautiful descriptions of his time in Hadhramaut. He talks about what it was like seeking knowledge in the '90s with scholars like Habib Omar and Shaykh Nuh. There's also great advice here about the importance of humility throughout one's spiritual journey. While Shaykh Jamal may not be a household name, he was instrumental in guiding many on their path to knowledge. Shaykh Jamal Ud-Deen Hysaw describes his childhood as nomadic. He moved across the United States, living in suburban communities where he often felt the effects of racism and isolation, and found it difficult fitting in with both his Black and white classmates. His journey to Islam began in college when he started exploring Black history and read The Autobiography of Malcolm X. A few years after he converted, he was introduced to then translator Shaykh Nuh Ha Mim Keller who was visiting Atlanta at the time. He got his phone number and after months of almost daily phone calls, Shaykh Nuh and his wife Shaykha Umm Sahl suggested that he come to Damascus to study the Islamic sciences full-time. He lived in Syria for three years before becoming one of the first foreigners to be invited to Tarim by Habib Omar. He would stay there for five years while he completed his studies. Shaykh Jamal is a natural storyteller. This is a four hour interview, but he keeps the listener engaged from beginning to end with stories from his life and beautiful descriptions of his time in Hadramawt. He talks about what it was like seeking knowledge in the '90s with scholars like Habib Omar and Shaykh Nuh. There's great advice here about the importance of humility throughout one's spiritual journey. While Shaykh Jamal may not be a household name, he was instrumental in guiding many on their path to knowledge. His story intersects with many familiar names: الحبيب عمر بن حفيظ - Habib Omar,Habib Ali Al-Mashhur and his son Habib Abdur Rahman bin Hafid, Habib Kadhim al-Saqqaf English, Habib Ali al-Jifri English, Shaykh Abdul Rahman Shaghouri, Shaykh Nuh Ha Mim Keller, Shaykha Umm Sahl, Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi الشيخ محمد اليعقوبي, Habib Ali Abu Bakr bin Shaikh, Habib Salim Al-Shatiri, Habib Hashim bin Aqil, Habib Shahabideen, Habib Tahir Al Attas, Shaykh Dr. Muhammad bin Yahya al-Husayni al-Ninowy الشيخ د. محمد النينوي, Shaykh Umar Hussein Al-Khatib, Musa Furber, Shaykh Jihad Hashim Brown, Imam Zaid Shakir, Abu Munir, Ali Keeler, Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, Shaykh Ibrahim Osi Effa, Shaykh Yahya Rhodus, Shaykh AbdulKarim Yahya, Ustadh Tariq Ameer, Imam Abdul Huqq, Dr. Amin Best, Mustafa Davis, Omar Daytona, Usama Canon

I first met Imam Sohaib Sultan at a weekend retreat organized by the Princeton MLP. Imam Sohaib and his wife Arshe Ahmed welcomed me to the Central Jersey community with open arms, and I think I'm not alone in saying that they go the extra mile to make everyone feel included - even if you're not part of the university. Imam Sohaib's journey started in the Midwest. He describes himself as an "ISNA baby," whose parents were heavily involved in the establishment of ISNA's headquarters in Indiana. During an ISNA convention, then President Dr. Ingrid Mattson recruited him to be among the early graduates of the Islamic Chaplaincy program at Hartford Seminary. He has served as the first full-time Muslim Life Coordinator and chaplain at the Muslim Life Program at Princeton for the past 12 years. Within the world of Muslim chaplaincy, he is known as a trailblazer and a prominent community builder. A few months ago, Imam Sohaib was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer. This was devastating news for the Central Jersey community. In this episode he talks about the diagnosis and his own journey to being content with the Qadr of Allah. There are many lessons in his story and his ability to see everything in life as an opportunity to get closer to Allah SWT - which should help make us grateful for both our blessings and our trials. For more of his reflections please see his blog: https://medium.com/@seekingilham Please share any memories of Imam Sohaib here: http://www.sohaibsultan.com/?fbclid=IwAR1nzoLO2a3sLn2HVZSvCv9k4XotI9LCsMo6ozpvtTL94e2pM7lIMXQ_Wxo

Reflecting on the order and harmony within nature, Shaykh AbdulKarim Yahya knew at a young age that God existed. He embraced Islam in his junior year of high school in Berkeley, California. A translation of Imam Ghazali's renowned "Ihya Uloom al-Deen" ("The Revival of the Religious Sciences") inspired him to seek out teachers who embodied those characteristics. His journey took him to Syria where he studied Arabic and Tajweed. And then onto Tarim, Yemen, where he was one of the first American students to enroll in the newly opened Dar al Mustafa. That became his base for 13 years, and he became a translator for Habib Omar and the other habaib all over the world. After returning to the U.S. he would eventually establish Dar Al-Rahma in 2017 to serve and teach the Muslims of the Detroit area. In this episode he talks about serving and learning with people of knowledge over the last 23 years. He also discusses the inner-city community in Detroit where he teaches, and how it's been impacted by COVID-19 and ongoing police brutality against the Black community. His story intersects with many familiar names: Shaykh Nuh Ha Mim Keller and his wife Shaykha Umm Sahl, Habib Ali al-Mashhur bin Hafiz, الحبيب عمر بن حفيظ - Habib Omar, Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghouri, Habib Ali al-Jifri English, Habib Abdurrahman bin Hafiz, Shaykh Umar Hussein Al Khatib, Habib Abdullah bin Muhammed bin Alawi bin Shihab, Habib Salim al Shatiriy, Shaykh Muhammed Ali al Khatib, Imam Zaid Shakir, Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Shaykh Abdullah Alkadi, Shaykh Ibrahim Osi-Efa, Shaykh Jamal Ud-Deen Hysaw, Shaykh Abu Muneer al-Sha’ar, Abu Anas, Dr. Omar Mahmood عمر محمود, Imam Dawud Walid, Imam Abdullah El-Amin, Imam Saleem Khalid and Shaykh Ali Sulaiman Ali.

Sidi Wendell Uthman Ames’ story begins at a hip hop store in Southern California where he worked during high school. He watched his manager take breaks during the day to pray in a back room. A group of Filipino converts began visiting the store further triggering his interest in Islam. The Filipino converts would befriend him, and he took his shahada with them at the age of 17, MashaAllah! He began driving with them to the Bay Area to take classes with Shaykh Hamza Yusuf. This is pre-Zaytuna College. Sidi Uthman would eventually move to the Bay Area and live with Sidi Usama Canon. He’s now a well-known munshid and shares his beautiful voice at gatherings all over the world. Many of you may have heard him at Al-Maqasid or Ta'leef Collective. In this episode, he talks about what many call the “Golden era” of converts coming to Islam in California, watching institutions like Zaytuna and Ta’leef develop from the ground up, and his own spiritual development over the years. He’s met many beautiful teachers and befriended many familiar names along his journey: Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Imam Zaid Shakir, Shaykh Nuh Keller, Shaykh Yahya Rhodus, Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, Ustadh Amjad Tarsin, Dr. Shadee Elmasry, Sidi Usama Canon, Shaykh Abdullah Bin Bayyah, Shaykh Tameem Ahmadi, Ustadh Tarif Arabi, Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah, Dr. Hatem Bazian, Amir Muhammad Shareef, Shaykh Muhammed al-Yaqoubi, Mauritanian scholars like Shaykh Khutri and Shaykh Abdullah, Shaykh Walead Mohammed Mosaad, Shaykh Abdullah Qadi, Shaykh Mahmud Kellner, Shaykha Maryam Dhuhayb, Shaykh Faraz Khan, Habib Ali al-Jifri English, Feraidoon Mojadedi, Mustafa Davis, Shaykh Jihad Hashim Brown Editor’s note - in the podcast Sidi Uthman says he converted at the age of 19. He was actually 17 at the time.

Sister Zainab Ismail is known by many for her popular Instagram page @zainab_fitforallah. Prior to taking her shahada, she worked as a fitness trainer and nutritionist with the “one percent” — hopping between Las Vegas, Miami, the Hamptons and Hollywood for work. A life threatening car accident and deeper reflections on faith led her to Islam and a new lifestyle. She began taking classes for new Muslims at the New York City Muslim Education and Converts Center of America, where Fit for Allah was born. After studying further at MECCA Center, Al-Maqasid, and SeekersGuidance: The Global Islamic Seminary she embarked on a da'wah opportunity to Chiapas, Mexico. That led to more da'wah trips in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, and Panama. She also sparked the idea to translate Dr. Asad Tarsin’s “Being Muslim” to serve the Spanish speaking world and would later help it be translated into Portuguese as well. In this episode she reflects on how influential it was to learn about tasawwuf and meet scholars like Habib Omar in her early years as a Muslim. She also talks about how important it is for new converts to be in spaces where they feel mercy, care and compassion. Her story intersects with many beautiful teachers: Habib Omar, Nuh Ha Mim Keller, Imam Zaid Shakir, Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Imam Amin Muhammad, Shaykh Yahya Rhodus, Dr. Asad Tarsin, Ustadh Amjad Tarsin, Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, Shaykh Samir al-Nass, Ustadha Wajiha Khalil, Ustadh Khalid Abdu, Shaykh Imadudeen Abu Hijleh, Shaykh Walid al-Rifa’i, Shaykh AbdulKarim Yahya, Mustafa Davis, Usama Canon, Shaykh Hamdi Ben Aissa.