Shaykh Mohammad Omar Hussaini was born in Park Ridge, IL. He grew up in the Chicagoland area where he completed the memorization of the Qur’an at the Ma’had Ta’lim ul-Islam. Upon completing his high school education at the College Preparatory School of America (CPSA) in 1998, he gained admittance to the University of Illinois at Chicago’s (UIC) GPPA Program in medicine. During his high school and college years, he concurrently began studying Arabic language and classical Islamic sciences at Ma’had Ta’lim ul-Islam. Upon graduating with a B.A. in Psychology in 2000, Shaykh Omar took nearly two years off to study sacred knowledge. In 2002, he matriculated at the UIC School of Medicine. At this time he also began his formal training in the science of spiritual purification.

Prior to his final semester in medical school, Shaykh Omar traveled to Darul Uloom Zakariyya, South Africa to further pursue Islamic studies. There in South Africa, he completed the final year of the Shari’ah course. In 2006, he received degrees in both Shari’ah studies from Darul Uloom Zakariyyah and Medicine from the University of Illinois. From 2007 to 2013, Shaykh Omar completed his medical residency in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology and fellowships in Hematopathology and Molecular Genetic Pathology at Washington University in St. Louis.  During this time, he was also received formal authorization in the Islamic science of spiritual purification.

Shaykh Omar is currently a staff academic physician at the Moffitt Cancer Center and an Assistant Professor of Oncological Sciences at the University of South Florida in Tampa where he resides. Shaykh Omar lectures at retreats, I’tikaaf programs, universities, local and national conferences, and mosques throughout the United States and abroad on various Islamic topics. He also teaches weekly online classes in Arabic, Islamic jurisprudence, and spirituality.

Shaykh Abdul Ahad Jawaid was born in 1991 in Fremont, California to parents hailing from the Indian subcontinent. He completed his high school studies at American High School, Fremont, California in 2009 and began his studies of the traditional Islamic sciences under local scholars at Dar us Suffah. He then traveled to Azaadville, South Africa to further his studies, eventually graduating from his Aalim course in Zambia with authorizations in the 6 canonical hadith books, usul-ul-fiqh, tafsir and arabic rhetoric. He then completed a further year of post-graduate studies subspecializing in the sciences of hadith. He also availed the opportunity to teach fiqh, mantiq (logic), hadith and Arabic literature whilst stationed abroad.

He returns to the United States to share the Islamic knowledge and passion for community development he has inherited from his teachers. He has served as the Imam of Islamic Center of New Port Richey and is currently the Imam of Masjid Umar in Tampa, FL where he teaches students at various levels of academic study.

Shaykh Zaib Talat was born in Bloomington, Indiana in 1981 and raised in Kuwait where he completed his secondary education. He then returned to the United States and graduated with a Bachelors degree in Computer Science from Georgia Tech. Shaykh Zaib started the pursuit of Islamic knowledge and Islamic spirituality in 2004 under the aegis of Shaykh Husain Sattar. Thereafter, along with holding down a full time job in the IT industry, Shaykh Zaib formally enrolled in the part-time Alim course under Mufti Mohammad Khalid Qasmi in Dar ul Uloom Atlanta 2010 where, over the course of the years, he completed up to the 7th year of a traditional 8-year course. During this time he also completed Hifz of the Qur’an in 2011, under Mufti Khalid during his daily commute to work.

In 2014, Shaykh Zaib traveled overseas to complete the final year of ‘Alamiyyah degree and received authorization to narrate and teach the 6 canonical books of hadith and Tahawi. During this time, he also received formal authorization in the Islamic science of spiritual purification. Subsequently, Shaykh Zaib completed an additional postgraduate year specializing in the sciences of hadith, studying Tadreeb-ur-Raawee of Imam Suyuti under the tutelage of Mufti Mohammad Sharief Dalal. Shaykh Zaib currently resides in Atlanta with his wife and two sons. During his free time he teaches and lectures on various subjects of Islamic knowledge and also serves as an instructor in the Sacred Learning program.

Sh. Yousuf Ghouse was born and raised in Chicagoland. He completed his memorization of the Quran in 2005 at the Institute of Islamic Education. After completing high school in 2009, he enrolled in University of Illinois at Chicago where he was initially accepted to the gauranteed medicine program. For his undergraduate degree he completed a Bachelors degree in Mathematics with a minor in Economics. While an undergraduate, he began studying Arabic on a part time basis. Upon graduating from college, he enrolled in DarusSalam Academy in Lombard, Illinois. After spending one year of full time study at DarusSalam, he traveled to South Africa, where he studied at Darul Uloom Zakariyya, graduating  from their rigorous 7-year program in 2017. He is now pursuing a post-graduate specialization in hadith in South Africa.

Imam Junaid Khan was certified in the memorization and recitation of the Qur’an in Pakistan in 1993. In 2007, he completed his bachelor of arts in Islamic Studies at Alhasanain Islamic Institute in Pakistan. His studies focused on the Arabic language, theology,  tajweed,  fiqh,  tafseer and hadith. Two years after completing his education, he served as the Imam of Masjid Noor in Louisville, Kentucky for one year. He then elocated to Tampa in 2010 and has been leading prayers, delivering lectures and seminars, and organizing various youth programs at Masjid Daarus Salaam since then. Since November 2012, he has also held daily Qur’an recitation and memorization classes for children.

Alima Zaiba was raised in the Middle East (U.A.E.) and moved to the United States more than 17 years ago. She studied Tajweed in St. Louis and memorized several Ajzaa of the Quran while in Chicago. Ustadhah  Zaiba began her initial studies in Arabic and the traditional Islamic sciences at Zaynab Center, NY, Zaynab Academy, and American Open Islamic University. She later traveled to Jamia Zainab, Lusaka, Zambia to further pursue Shariah studies where she studied the various Islamic sciences including Fiqh, Usul-Fiqh, Hadith, Tafseer, Balaghah. She completed the 4-year Alimah course in 2015 graduating among the top students in her class. Over the past decade, Ustadhah  Zaiba has benefited and continues to benefit from the company of numerous scholars and mashaaikh and has delivered lectures and conducted classes for area youth while in the U.S. and abroad. Alimah Zaiba has taught advanced Hadith classes (Mishkaatul Masabih) for Jamiah Zainab Lusaka and has been the primary teacher for the women’s wing of Makkiyyah since its inception teaching classes ranging from Fiqh to  diseases of the heart.

Alimah Sharmeen teaches for the women’s wing of Makkiyyah. She completed her Alimah course from Ma’had Taleemul Islam and holds a bachelors degree in Education.