Shaykh Mohamed Almasmari, of Yemeni descent, was born and raised in Michigan. He memorized the Qur'an at a very early age and after high school, left to study at Sana'a University. Soon after, he obtained his Bachelor/Master Degrees in Islamic Law & Islamic Science from Yemen. During his studies, he was able to obtain ijaazas in recitation & teaching of Al-Qur'an, Qur'anic Exegesis (Tafseer-ul-Qur'an), Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence), Sahih Bukhari & Muslim and Imam Nawwawi's works such as the commentary to Sahih Muslim and Riyaad-us-Saliheen. In 2007, he became the Imam of a local masjid in California few miles down from Shaykh Zaid Shakir, where he left a very high standard and tough shoes to fill. Then, In 2009, he was called upon to serve in Brooklyn in a community that was desperately in need of an Ameer (leader). Within two years, Alhamdulillah Shaykh Almasmari, by the Will of Allah swt was able turn that community around for the better. He has lead taraweeh prayers during the month of Ramadan since the age of 18. Now Shaykh Mohamed Almasmari is the Imam and Khatib at UMMA.

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.

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).

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.

Imam Mikaeel Ahmed Smith is an instructor at Qalam Seminary in Dallas, Texas and has a Degree in Islamic Studies from Dar ul-Uloom Canada in Chatham, Ontario. He is passionate about meeting the needs of Muslim converts, building Islamic literacy among youth, and striving for social justice. He recently published his first book, a translation of a classical Arabic text on Islamic pedagogy. He currently lives in Dallas, Texas with his wife and three young children.

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.

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.

Dr. Nasser Karimian embraced Islam at the tender age of 14 and began a life of research and da’wah, being an active participant in local MSA events and lectures. He received his Bachelor of Arts of Degree from Concordia University with a Major in Religion and a Minor in Classical Arabic Language. He went on to earn a Master’s Degree in the History and Philosophy of Religion from the same university. He then continued his Islamic studies in Qalam Institute which is headed by Sheikh Abdul Nasir Jangda. In 2019, he completed his Ph.D. from the International Islamic University Of Malaysia (IIUM) in Usul al-Din and Comparative Religion. Dr. Nasser has travelled throughout the US, UK and Canada giving lectures on Islam to various Islamic youth groups and organizations. He joined Al Huda Foundation in 2020 as Imam, Resident Scholar and Youth Director.

Ustadh Shamaas Nyazee was born and raised in St. Louis, MO. He attended Islamic school until 8th grade. He then went to Parkway West High school from which he graduated in 2009. He had plans of going to college, but all that changed due to the effort made by Mufti Minhaj on the youth of St. Louis. After high school Shamaas decided to take a year off before college to Memorize the Qur’an. He finished the memorization of the Qur’an with Shaykh Haroon at Darul Qur’an Foundation in January 2010 in a span of about 8 months. With the mercy of Allah and with the advice of his teachers, he decided to further expand his horizon and pursue the Prophetic Knowledge.