Shaykh Waleed Basyouni, PhD, is the President of AlMaghrib Institute and Head of our Islamic Theology and Ethics Department. Students know him well for his sincere care for their well-being and progress in study. We see Shaykh Waleed as not just our senior scholar, but one of the most important leaders of the da‘wah in the West.

Mufti Aasim Rashid is a distinguished Muslim scholar, speaker and educator (the title ‘Mufti’ indicates his expertise and authority in Islamic law). He is devoted to the study and explanation of Islamic sacred texts and their relation to the modern context. His lectures, delivered at conferences and institutions around the world, are known to be inspiring and pertinent to the issues and pressing questions of the day. Mufti Aasim is the founder of the Al-Ihsan Educational Foundation, which has initiated the ‘Islam Unravelled’ project.

Mufti Abdul Rahman Waheed was born and raised in Lansing, MI. As a youth, he displayed zeal and enthusiasm to involve himself in the religious sciences. At just 9 years of age, Mufti Abdul Rahman went to Toronto, Canada to pursue his dreams of becoming a Hafidh of the Holy Qur'an. Thereafter, Mufti Abdul Rahman traveled to Pakistan to continue his passion to seek knowledge where he completed his 2 year Iftaa program which specializes in Islamic Jurisprudence and Law. Mufti Abdul Rahman is serving as a principal and is a full-time instructor at Michigan Islamic Institute, the brother organization of Miftaah Institute. He travels across North America as a khateeb and lecturer. He is well-known for his calm and down-to-Earth demeanor.

Shaykh Suleiman Hani is the Director of Academic Affairs at AlMaghrib Institute, a research scholar for Yaqeen Institute, and a resident scholar in Michigan. At the age of 14, Suleiman completed a 10-month Qur’an memorization program and began his intensive studies under numerous scholars, earning dozens of traditional religious certifications in the process. He later earned a master’s degree from the University of Jordan’s College of Shari’ah, ranking first in his class, and a master’s degree from Harvard University, where he studied religions, philosophy, political science, and psychology. Over the past decade, he has served as an Imam and community leader in Michigan, lectured in dozens of countries, published a number of books and articles, and was featured on the largest Islamic TV stations worldwide.

Shaykh Noorulhuda Khalid (Assistant Imam/Director of Islamic Education, MCECC) Shaykh Noorulhuda currently serves as the Assistant Imam/Director of Islamic Education at MCECC. He memorized the Qur’an at the age of 10 and then went on to pursue further Islamic Studies at the Michigan Islamic Institute and Institute of Islamic Education in Elgin, IL and graduated with a MA in Islamic and Arabic Studies. Shaykh has also taught Quran, tajweed and islamic studies at various seminaries, including Miftaah Institute.

Umer Ansari hails from Ann Arbor, Michigan where he completed his high school education and began his undergraduate studies. In 2022, he successfully completed the traditional Dars-e-Nizami program earning him the Shahadatul ‘Alimiyyah (equivalent to MA Arabic and Islamic Studies) from Darul Uloom Karachi under the tutelage of some of the most esteemed senior scholars. His Master’s thesis was “Perennialism and the Issue of Salvific Purity: A Critical Analysis in the Light of Qur’an and Sunnah.”

Sh. Yousef Said serves as the full-time Principal Imam and Director of the Islamic Center of San Antonio since 2002. His passion lies within calling others to the way of their Creator, and serving the growing Muslim community of San Antonio. Sh. Yousef completed his Bachelor’s degree in Islamic Studies, and earned his Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in Hadith Sciences. Committed to fostering personal and spiritual growth, he has also served as a youth educator and counselor, providing compassionate guidance to individuals and families. Sh. Yousef is also a clergy at the Texas Medical Center and the Texas Children’s Hospital.

Imam Yusuf, who smilingly likes to be called “Brother Yusuf,” hails from Buffalo, NY, comes to MCECC with a rich background in Islamic education. A Quran memorization graduate in 2002, he later completed a 7-year intensive Masters in Islamic Studies in 2009. Alongside his Associates in Business (2013), he embarked upon his journey as an Imam, previously serving communities in New Jersey and Florida. Brother Yusuf is not only dedicated to Islamic teachings but also engages in inter-faith initiatives and has served as a prison Chaplain. Find him in the Masjid - introduce yourself and let’s strengthen our community bonds!

Mufti Hussain Kamani was born and raised in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. His journey to pursue sacred Islamic knowledge began at age 6. By the age of 9, he completed the memorization of the Holy Quran. To further advance his studies in the Islamic Sciences, he traveled to the United Kingdom and pursued formal Islamic authorizations (ijazahs). For 7 years, Mufti Kamani studied a rigorous curriculum covering the Arabic language and literature, Islamic jurisprudence, Tafseer of the Holy Qur’an, Hadith, Islamic Philosophy, and Aqeedah. Afterwards, he was selected for a post-graduate level course in Islamic Law and Legal Verdicts, which he completed within two years. He later earned his graduate degree in Business Management from the University of Coventry in the UK.

Sh. Yaser Birjas is originally from Palestine. He received his Bachelors degree from Islamic University of Madinah in 1996 in Fiqh & Usool, graduating as the class valedictorian. After graduating, he went on to work as a youth counselor and relief program aide in war-torn Bosnia. Thereafter, he immigrated to the U.S. and currently resides in Dallas, Texas. He is also an instructor at AlMaghrib Institute, where he teaches popular seminars such as Fiqh of Love, The Code Evolved, and Heavenly Hues. He is currently serving as an Imam at Valley Ranch Islamic Center, Irving, Texas. Sh. Yaser continues to enhance his knowledge in various arenas and most recently obtained a Masters of Adult Education and Training from the University of Phoenix, Class of 2013

Shaykh Abdullah Waheed was born and raised in the suburbs of Detroit, MI. He commenced his studies at the age of ten in Toronto, Canada, where he went to memorize the Quran. He completed the memorization of the Holy Quran by the tender age of thirteen and then went on to study in the seven-year extensive Shariah program in Toronto, Canada. Shaykh Abdullah specialized in the Tafseer of the Quran. Shaykh Abdullah spent years studying the details and beauty of our Holy book since understanding and mastering the language of the Holy Quran was always the primary goal. Shaykh Abdullah is a co-founder and instructor at Miftaah Institute and is also the Director of Islamic Affairs at Flint Islamic Center.

Shaykh Mubeen was born in Chicago, IL. At a very young age, Shaykh Mubeen began his lifelong pursuit of Islamic Knowledge, beginning at the Islamic Institute of Elgin, Illinois. He later went on to study in Karachi, Pakistan at Jamia Binoria and since studied in various schools around the world including, Darul Hasrot in India and Darul Uloom Madania in Buffalo, New York. His deep desire to further his education in the Islamic studies also led him to the United Kingdom, where at age 16, he enrolled in the acclaimed Darul Uloom Al Arabiya Al Islamiya Bury. There he studied under some of the World’s most renowned scholars and students of Shaykh-ul-Hadith Muhammad Zakariyya Khandalwi. Currently, he resides in Frisco, TX with his wife and child and is the Youth Director at the Islamic Center of Frisco.

Mufti Abdul Wahab Waheed was born and raised in Ann Arbor, MI. He began Islamic studies at Jaamiah al-Uloom al-Islamiyyah in Canada where he became a Hafiz at the age of 11. He started his 7-year Shariah program in Toronto, Canada, and went even further to pursue higher education of Hadith in Karachi, Pakistan. Throughout his travels, Mufti Abdul Wahab addresses communities across the United States on a wide range of Islamic topics and Inshallah, continues to do so with the Tawfiq of Allah SWT. Mufti Abdul Wahab is a Co-founder at Miftaah Institute and also is a Co-Founder and Director at Michigan Islamic Institute.

Mufti Sultan is a Canadian Scholar who began his formal Islamic education at a tender age commencing with committing the Qur’an to memory in Canada simultaneous to his academic education. Subsequently, he enrolled in the 8-year Intensive Aalim program in Canada initially but traveled overseas to a traditional seminary (Madrasah Arabia Islamia, Azaadville, South Africa) for its final years. After acquiring proficiency and receiving Ijaazah (where applicable) in the major fields of traditional Islamic theology including Arabic grammar, Islamic Credence, Jurisprudence, Prophetic Traditions (including all six authentic books and more), Quran Exegesis etc, he was selected to specialize in Jurisprudence through a postgraduate course (Iftaa) authorizing him to issue verdicts according to the Hanafi school of thought. The Iftaa was done in Al Mazaahir Institute in Sandton, South Africa.

Imam Nadim was born in Florida and moved to the DFW Metroplex at a very young age. In 1989 he traveled overseas where he memorized the entire Quran by the age of 11.He has earned a reputation for being a good reciter of the Quran from memory. He began the Alim Course at Jamia Madinatul-Uloom, New Orleans as a student of Shaykh Abdur Rahman Patel. He then went overseas to study at Jamia Taalimul-Islam, Dewsbury, U.K. for several years where he received Ijaazaat in various Islamic Sceinces, including Arabic, Fiqh (Jurisprudence), Hadith, Tafseer, Tajweed, and Qira’ah. He graduated in 2003 with a Masters in Islamic Studies and has been serving Deen in the U.S. till today.

Mufti Hussain Kamani was born and raised in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. His journey to pursue sacred Islamic knowledge began at age 6. By the age of 9, he completed the memorization of the Holy Quran. To further advance his studies in the Islamic Sciences, he traveled to the United Kingdom and pursued formal Islamic authorizations (ijazahs). For 7 years, Mufti Kamani studied a rigorous curriculum covering the Arabic language and literature, Islamic jurisprudence, Tafseer of the Holy Qur’an, Hadith, Islamic Philosophy, and Aqeedah. Afterwards, he was selected for a post-graduate level course in Islamic Law and Legal Verdicts, which he completed within two years. He later earned his graduate degree in Business Management from the University of Coventry in the UK.

Shaykh Kamal El Mekki has been dubbed the Black Belt of Da‘wah. With decades of experience in the Da‘wah scene, Shaykh Kamal combines his ground-breaking teaching style with his own dash of humor, certain to leave students feel at ease & entertained, but above all skilled and empowered. Shaykh Kamal is known best for his workshop “How to Give Shahadah in 10 Minutes”, a 6-hour workshop designed to empower MSAs and Dawah organizations in the art of Da‘wah. His lectures and online videos (targeting contemporary challenges) have also gained popular fame and positive impact among Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Educated at the hands of numerous prominent Islamic scholars from across the world, Shaykh Kamal also has dynamic experience in the secular world.

Mufti Aasim Rashid is a distinguished Muslim scholar, speaker and educator (the title ‘Mufti’ indicates his expertise and authority in Islamic law). He is devoted to the study and explanation of Islamic sacred texts and their relation to the modern context. His lectures, delivered at conferences and institutions around the world, are known to be inspiring and pertinent to the issues and pressing questions of the day. Mufti Aasim is the founder of the Al-Ihsan Educational Foundation, which has initiated the ‘Islam Unravelled’ project.

Mufti Abdul Rahman Waheed was born and raised in Lansing, MI. As a youth, he displayed zeal and enthusiasm to involve himself in the religious sciences. At just 9 years of age, Mufti Abdul Rahman went to Toronto, Canada to pursue his dreams of becoming a Hafidh of the Holy Qur'an. Thereafter, Mufti Abdul Rahman traveled to Pakistan to continue his passion to seek knowledge where he completed his 2 year Iftaa program which specializes in Islamic Jurisprudence and Law. Mufti Abdul Rahman is serving as a principal and is a full-time instructor at Michigan Islamic Institute, the brother organization of Miftaah Institute. He travels across North America as a khateeb and lecturer. He is well-known for his calm and down-to-Earth demeanor.

Hafidh Hamzah is a University of Houston alumni with a Masters in Accounting. He has extensive experience as a teacher and youth director in the Muslim community. He served as an Imam and Quran teacher for over a decade right here in Houston. He memorized the Quran at the age of nine at Madresa Islamia under Qari Hashim and completed his ijaza with Sh. Uthman Khan and Sh. Syed El- Abdullah. Most recently he served as the Dean of Student Affairs at Brighter Horizons Academy and Imam at Klein Islamic Center. Along with being teacher, Hafidh Hamzah works with different MSA’s, communities, and is a motivational speaker. He also focuses on Tarbiyah with youth from all over the city

Ustadh Ubaydullah Evans is ALIM’s first Scholar-in-Residence. He converted to Islam while in high school. Upon conversion, Ustadh Ubaydullah began studying some of the foundational books of Islam under the private tutelage of local scholars. Since then he has studied at Chicagoland’s Institute of Islamic Education (IIE), in Tarim, Yemen, and Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt, where he is the first African-American to graduate from its Shari’a program. Ustadh Ubaydullah also instructs with the Ta’leef Collective and the Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN).

Ustadha Sarah Sultan is a licensed professional counselor, having obtained a Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling and has practiced therapy for nearly 10 years. She is both a research fellow at Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research, a teacher at Mishkah University, and one of the newest instructors here at AlMaghrib. With her commitment to her work and fascination with the intersections between Islamic spirituality, psychology, and counseling, Ustadha Sarah brings a unique insight into a field of knowledge absolutely critical for the modern Muslim community.

Shaykh Tariq Musleh is a graduate from the prestigious Madinah University where he attained his Associate degree in Arabic and Bachelors Degree from the College of Sharia. He completed his memorization of Quran at the age of 13 and went on to receive ijaza from Palestine. He studied Classical Arabic at the Fajr Center in Egypt. Shaykh Tariq has worked as a part time instructor for Islamic Learning Foundation Chicago, where he taught Quran and Arabic studies. He has served in Young Muslims (YM) for many years as a coordinator and murrabi. Shaykh Tariq has also served as the Youth Director for the Islamic Center of Naperville in Chicago and became the Youth Director and Assistant Imam of Mecca Center in Willowbrook, Illinois in July 2017.

For a span exceeding 5 years, Mohammed ElFarooqui has been serving the Houston community as imam at the Islamic Society of Greater Houston. A significant chapter in his journey commenced in July of 2022, when he assumed the esteemed mantle of Imam at the Maryam Islamic Center. His duties are directed towards the orchestration of education, youth, young professionals and programming pursuits within the precincts of this center.