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.

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.

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).

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

Mufti Hussain Kamani is the Resident Scholar at Masjid Al Rahman in Dallas and travels each week to teach and lecture at masājid and conferences nationwide. He memorized the Qur’an as a child, then traveled to England, where he completed the seven-year Alimiyyah program and specialized in Iftāʾ. He studied Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and other classical texts under one of the great Hadith scholars of our age, Shaykh al-Hadīth Mawlāna Yusuf Motala, and was deeply shaped by his mentorship. For over twenty years he has served as an imam and a teacher of Hadith, Fiqh, and Tazkiyah. He played a central role in shaping the Qalam Seminary, where he served as the Director and a senior faculty member. He also taught at Darul Qasim College during his time as an Imam in Chicago. At the heart of Mufti Hussain’s work lies a commitment to forming the next generation of imams and leaders grounded in the Islamic tradition, as well as scholars with the intellectual rigor to critically engage, shape, and transmit that tradition in face of the problems of the modern world. He has trained thousands of students, and many of them now lead their own communities as imams, chaplains, and educators across the country.

Dr. Furhan serves as Dean of the Institute of Knowledge Seminary in Southern California, Seminary Instructor at the same institute, and University Chaplain at the University of California Irvine. He has authored a number of books, on topics such as tafsir, hadith commentary, and introductions to foundational Islamic disciplines, as part of the IOK Curriculum Series.

Born and raised in Southern California and by Allah’s grace, he memorized the Quran at a young age. He studied in Cairo, Egypt in 2006 and in 2007 was granted a scholarship to study at the Islamic University of Madinah. He completed a degree in the Arabic language and then went on to graduate from the College of Shariah. He is currently a Seminary instructor at the Institute of Knowledge in Diamond Bar, California as well as an instructor at the California Islamic University in Anaheim, California. He also serves as the Religious Director at the Islamic Center of Cypress.

Shaykh AbdulNasir Jangda is the Founder and President of Qalam. He is a faculty member at the Qalam Seminary where he teaches Sahih Bukhari, advanced Tafsir, Usul, Fiqh, Aqidah, and Balaghah. He has completed an extensive study of the life of the Prophet ﷺ in the Seerah Podcast. He annually teaches the Qur’an Intensive and Seerah Intensive, and leads groups on the Seerah Umrah tour, as well as to Masjid Al-Aqsa. Born and raised in Dallas, he currently resides there with his wife and three children. He memorized the Qur’an in Karachi at an early age. After high school, he returned to Karachi to study the Islamic sciences full-time at Jamia Binoria. He graduated from the rigorous ‘alim program in 2001 at the top of his class. He then completed specializations in Fiqh and Tafsir. He also attained a B.A. and M.A. in Arabic from Karachi University while completing a Masters in Islamic Studies from the University of Sindh. After returning home, he taught at the local university and Islamic schools, and served as an imam in the Dallas area.

Shaykh Abdullah Anik Misra was born in Toronto, Canada. He hails from an Indian background and was raised in the Hindu tradition. He embraced Islam in 2001 while studying at the University of Toronto, from where he completed a Bachelors in Business Administration. He then traveled overseas in 2005 to study the Arabic language and Islamic sciences in Tarim, Yemen for some time, as well as Darul Uloom in Trinidad, West Indies.

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.

Mufti Aasim Rashid is a distinguished Muslim scholar, speaker and educator. 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 Hussain Kamani is the Resident Scholar at Masjid Al Rahman in Dallas and travels each week to teach and lecture at masājid and conferences nationwide. He memorized the Qur’an as a child, then traveled to England, where he completed the seven-year Alimiyyah program and specialized in Iftāʾ. He studied Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and other classical texts under one of the great Hadith scholars of our age, Shaykh al-Hadīth Mawlāna Yusuf Motala, and was deeply shaped by his mentorship. For over twenty years he has served as an imam and a teacher of Hadith, Fiqh, and Tazkiyah. He played a central role in shaping the Qalam Seminary, where he served as the Director and a senior faculty member. He also taught at Darul Qasim College during his time as an Imam in Chicago. At the heart of Mufti Hussain’s work lies a commitment to forming the next generation of imams and leaders grounded in the Islamic tradition, as well as scholars with the intellectual rigor to critically engage, shape, and transmit that tradition in face of the problems of the modern world. He has trained thousands of students, and many of them now lead their own communities as imams, chaplains, and educators across the country.

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 Idris Nawaz started studying the Quran at the age of 7 and a half, and by the grace of Allah, he completed his Hifz in a year and a half at the age of 9. Qari Idris spent the next few years studying Tajweed and Qira’aat, and fully and completely by the will and decree of Allah SWT. Qari Idris participated in the International Quran Competition in Doha, Qatar, and out of 2000 participants from over 45 countries, he won 1st place, Alhamdulillah. He is a Michigan Islamic Institute Aalim student graduate.

Born in England, with ancestral ties to Mauritius, and having been raised in Ethiopia, profoundly influenced his personality, worldview, and life perspective. He furthered his educational journey at Binori Town in Karachi, Pakistan. This experience fueled his passion for knowledge and led to the completion of his Masters in Islamic Studies in Bury, England, under the profound mentorship of the late Shaykh Yusuf Motala (May Allah shower his choicest blessings on him), a revered figure in the Islamic world. Following his graduation from Al-Ihsan, he relocated to Montreal, where he served as a full-time federal prison chaplain, providing spiritual services and aiding in the rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates in the province of Quebec. Concurrently, he resides in Windsor and has become an integral figure at Muneer Academy and an instructor at Miftaah Institute, where his passion for Islamic studies and pedagogy continues.

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.

Imam Mohamed specialized in Tafsir and was ranked 5th globally in memorization and in interpretation of the Qur’an at the King Abdulaziz International Qur’an Competition in Makkah in 2013. He has led prayers and delivered Friday sermons in many countries, including Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Egypt, and South Africa. Imam Mohamed co-founded Muslim Minorities Monitor, a UK-based organization dedicated to protecting and advocating for the rights of Muslim minorities.

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 Aasim Rashid is a distinguished Muslim scholar, speaker and educator. 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 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.

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).

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.

Mufti Hussain Kamani is the Resident Scholar at Masjid Al Rahman in Dallas and travels each week to teach and lecture at masājid and conferences nationwide. He memorized the Qur’an as a child, then traveled to England, where he completed the seven-year Alimiyyah program and specialized in Iftāʾ. He studied Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and other classical texts under one of the great Hadith scholars of our age, Shaykh al-Hadīth Mawlāna Yusuf Motala, and was deeply shaped by his mentorship. For over twenty years he has served as an imam and a teacher of Hadith, Fiqh, and Tazkiyah. He played a central role in shaping the Qalam Seminary, where he served as the Director and a senior faculty member. He also taught at Darul Qasim College during his time as an Imam in Chicago. At the heart of Mufti Hussain’s work lies a commitment to forming the next generation of imams and leaders grounded in the Islamic tradition, as well as scholars with the intellectual rigor to critically engage, shape, and transmit that tradition in face of the problems of the modern world. He has trained thousands of students, and many of them now lead their own communities as imams, chaplains, and educators across the country.

Mufti Anwer graduated from the 'Alimiyyah (Islamic Scholarship) Program from the Qalam Seminary where he studied under a number of scholars and teachers including Shaykh Abdul Nasir Jangda, Mufti Husain Kamani, Shaykh Mikaeel Ahmed Smith, and Mufti Muntasir al-Zaman. Mufti Anwer earned a sanad and ijazah (certificate of authenticity and traditional teaching license) in the memorization and recitation of the Holy Qur'an under Shaykh Uthman Khan. He completed his Specialization in Islamic Law and Legal Verdicts (Takhassus fī al-Iftā) from Al-Salam Institute in London and Cambridge Islamic College, where he studied under Shaykh Dr. Mohammad Akram al-Nadwi among other leading scholars from various madhabs. Mufti Anwer has previously served as the Imam and Religious Director at the Islamic Association of Mid-Cities (IAMC) and is a former instructor in the Rufqa Program at the Taqwa Islamic Seminary. Mufti Anwer graduated from Stony Brook University with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) from the Department of Biology with a concentration in Developmental Molecular Genetics and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) from the Department of History with a concentration in Global History and Social Change. He then attended the University of Medicine and Health Sciences (UMHS) and graduated with honors as a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.). He currently serves as the Imam and Director of Religious Affairs at the Nueces Mosque.

Imam Dawood Yasin is an experienced outdoorsman, skilled hunter, and expert wellness mentor. He previously served as the Director of Student Life and the Center for Ethical Living and Learning at Zaytuna College, as well as the Muslim Life and Service-Learning Coordinator at Dartmouth College. His formal Islamic education began at the Abu Nour Institute in Damascus, Syria. With experience teaching at two Ivy League institutions and America’s first Muslim liberal arts college, Imam Dawood brings a unique blend of scholarship, leadership, and practical knowledge to the American Bedouin ethos. We are thrilled to have him as a guiding force, helping us cultivate a way of life that integrates faith, the outdoors, and self-sufficiency.