Siraj Wahaj?

[Usama]

:salam:

Most of you have probably heard of Imaam Siraj Wahaj. If you haven't, he's an afro-american revert to Islam who is the imaam of Masjid Taqwa in NYC. He is arguably one of the most dominant and influential Islamic figure in North America at this time. His wisdom, passion and uniqe style are very effective to the young and old alike. From giving inspiring talks all around the continent to kicking out drug dealers within a radius of the masjid, Imaam Siraj Wahaj has been doing a lot to ignite the fire into the muslim community and in the process, help society. If you haven't heard him speak before, you definately should check him out...There are a couple of good websites that have a lot of islamic multimedia, including Imaam Siraj lectures... www.aswatalislam.net, www.jannah.com and http://english.islamway.com/ ... If anyone knows of any other sources, please let us know...

wsalam
Usama

P.S so, the purpose of this message...I NEED MORE OF HIS LECTURES!!!

[Computer Guru]

:salam:

I'm one of the thousands of fans of Siraj wahaj. I love the wisdom, content, style and passion of his talks and khutbahs. He has done tremendous practical work in and around his masjid in New York City. For example, taking on drug dealers and gansters in the radius of the masjid and kicking them out of the area is something that only someone of his faith, calibre and courage could succed at, since law enforcement had been futile in all such attempts in the past. If you haven't heard him speak before...check him out at www.jannah.com and aswatalislam.net ... and if anyone knows other databases with his audio lectures..PLZ share it with me and everyone else here, :jazak:

wsalam
Usama

P.S so, the purpose of this message...I NEED MORE OF HIS LECTURES!!!

U know, i like siraj wahaj too, but he doesnt focus on the important things... love of the prophet, clebration of eid, proper way to treat kuffar, but he doesnt focus on the important stuff, the stuff that matter... where is the jihad, muslim rights, jizya, islamic law, puinishment of kuffar, mainitng th Iz in islam... thats what matters.. let him incorporate that, and im his fan 100%!!!

[Goldi]

U know, i like siraj wahaj too, but he doesnt focus on the important things... love of the prophet, clebration of eid, proper way to treat kuffar, but he doesnt focus on the important stuff, the stuff that matter... where is the jihad, muslim rights, jizya, islamic law, puinishment of kuffar, mainitng th Iz in islam... thats what matters.. let him incorporate that, and im his fan 100%!!!

:rolleyes:

[Usama]

U know, i like siraj wahaj too, but he doesnt focus on the important things... love of the prophet, clebration of eid, proper way to treat kuffar, but he doesnt focus on the important stuff, the stuff that matter... where is the jihad, muslim rights, jizya, islamic law, puinishment of kuffar, mainitng th Iz in islam... thats what matters.. let him incorporate that, and im his fan 100%!!!


Just because you haven't come across those specific topics in audio tapes does not in any way mean that he has never addressed those issues. I myself have heard him speak about jihad, islamic law, muslims rights and the rest of what you have mentioned. Sometimes we fall into the trap of thinking that we're the centre and focus of the earth, and if things don't go through us, then they probably haven't occurred; that attitude is ignorance on our part. Also, as we put these great people under the microscope and disect each and every action they take; perhaps, first we should all look at ourselves in the mirror and ask, what are we doing for Islam? Thats where our fingers should point.... So, if you specifically want to listen to the topics you have mentioned, check out the websites that I mentioend in my earlier post, and you'll get your answers.

[Goldi]

Just because you haven't come across those specific topics in audio tapes does not in any way mean that he has never addressed those issues. I myself have heard him speak about jihad, islamic law, muslims rights and the rest of what you have mentioned. Sometimes we fall into the trap of thinking that we're the centre and focus of the earth, and if things don't go through us, then they probably haven't occurred; that attitude is ignorance on our part. Also, as we put these great people under the microscope and disect each and every action they take; perhaps, first we should all look at ourselves in the mirror and ask, what are we doing for Islam? Thats where our fingers should point.... So, if you specifically want to listen to the topics you have mentioned, check out the websites that I mentioend in my earlier post, and you'll get your answers.


I agree.

Also, we should keep in mind that Imam Siraj was honoured by Shaykh Hamza and Imam Zaid at the Zaytuna Institute not too long ago collectively.

I think that as common adab, we should keep the honour of great people such as him and avoid pointless critcism.

[Computer Guru]

I agree.

Also, we should keep in mind that Imam Siraj was honoured by Shaykh Hamza and Imam Zaid at the Zaytuna Institute not too long ago collectively.

I think that as common adab, we should keep the honour of great people such as him and avoid pointless critcism.

Oh puleez!! Fine, siraj is alright, and i can live with him, at least he doesnt do or preach anything wrong!!!

BUT! hamza is another issue all alone!!! he is a pitiful mess. listen to his sitrah of the prophet, all filed with israiliyat and no hadeeth!!! he claims the prophet attempted suicide by jumping of the mt.!!!! :evil:


and his fatwas!!!! interst on home mortgages is HALAL in america because of our needs!!!! allah akbar, this is a mad man!!! he gives fatwas lleft on right based on his own opinions and airs!!! this is what mufti sahabs are today! he is a strict American government suck up, never sticking up for islam if it puts it in a negative light with american governemnt outlooks and policies!!! his entire fatawa are what america wants him 2 do!!! give me a break goldilox!!! get real, face islam as allah meant it 2 be, not as contemporists want to view it!!! :mad:

[eTeacher]

brother computer guru, you need to chill. I think too much time on the computer is effecting you in a wrong way! :)

as far as your comments about siraj wahhaj go, i really haven't heard his speeches but people should keep in mind that Br. Siraj Wahhaj is not a scholar.

As for Sheikh Hamzah Yusuf, you have to prove that he issued those fatwas. Also, only Allah knows his intentions, so we have no right to judge him.

About his Sirah of the Prophet: A teacher told me that it's shallow and not informative enough.

once again bro...chill!

[Goldi]

Oh puleez!! Fine, siraj is alright, and i can live with him, at least he doesnt do or preach anything wrong!!!

BUT! hamza is another issue all alone!!! he is a pitiful mess. listen to his sitrah of the prophet, all filed with israiliyat and no hadeeth!!! he claims the prophet attempted suicide by jumping of the mt.!!!! :evil:


and his fatwas!!!! interst on home mortgages is HALAL in america because of our needs!!!! allah akbar, this is a mad man!!! he gives fatwas lleft on right based on his own opinions and airs!!! this is what mufti sahabs are today! he is a strict American government suck up, never sticking up for islam if it puts it in a negative light with american governemnt outlooks and policies!!! his entire fatawa are what america wants him 2 do!!! give me a break goldilox!!! get real, face islam as allah meant it 2 be, not as contemporists want to view it!!! :mad:


You have 32 exclamation points in your response. Congratulations.

Let me say some things.

It is common knowledge that if you want your point to come across as well thought out and respected, you have to say it with adab. Angrily shouting with a barrage of exclamation points does not make your point more poignant but rather shows that you're really really ****** off at something and are ready to bite my head off.

Secondly, Islam as it exists today is an often confusing mosaic which needs to be understood in proper contexts so one can comfortably follow the commands of Allah(swt) and the example of the Prophet(sw) with inner comfort with himself and using love with others. This mosaic today consists of many different viewpoints that differ because they have the capacity to exist in an arena where difference in thought is possible. Case in point, political viewpoints. My political viewpoints may differ markedly from yours. Does that make me less of a person than you or vice versa? Of course not. In the same manner, when we disagree with someone's viewpoints, we should accept the difference and move on. Think of it this way, wouldn't it be silly for me to start insulting your mother and the way your dad's gut sticks out solely because I didnt like the way you supported a certain ideology or voted for the party that i didn't like? No, thats silly. In the same manner, we should use proper adab and love our fellow muslims and because of who they are and not over differences we may have with them.

As eTeacher pointed out, Siraj Wahhaj is a community activist and a role model for many to follow. He is not a scholar, but a leader nonetheless.

Now, regarding Shaykh Hamza.

I suppose your main concern with him is legitimacy. I do believe that he is legitimate because he has studied under traditional Ulama for many years and is proficient in the science of Classical Arabic among other things. The first thing that our deen dictates is that we learn our deen from a teacher. Within this unbroken chain of Isnad lies the lifeblood of our deen.

Shakyh Hamza has studied for many years under various shuyukh in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Morocco, and Mauritania.

Some of the scholars he studied with include Shaikh Baya bin Salik, head of the Islamic court in Al-'Ain; Shaikh Muhammad Shaybani, Mufti of Abu Dhabi; Shaikh Hamad al-Wali; and Shaikh Muhammad al-Fatrati of Al-Azhar University. In 1984, Hamza Yusuf entered the Bilal ibn Rabah Madrasa of Tizi, Algeria and studied with Shaikh Sidi Bou Sai'd. Later on, he travelled to Mauritania and studied with the most noble scholar Shaykh Murabit al-Hajj bin Fahfu where he continues his studies periodically.

He has also translated books from Fus-ha straight into english. This is not the work of some ordinary man. Besides, one of my teachers, Mufti Yusuf Mullan from toronto (www.shariahprogram.ca (http://www.shariahprogram.ca)) has heard his tapes and does not have any problems with it.

Also, I'd like to point out that slandering another man by calling him derogatory names, not to mention someone who is knowledgeble in deen, is a very heinous act that Allah(sw) warns us about many times. It is not befitting a muslim to do such a horrible thing.

Also, I'd like to bring to fruition the rules regarding Ikhtilaf. A non-scholar does not have authority to call out someone who is a more learned man than himself. If there is a legitimate difference of opinion among the Ulama, then they have the authority to do so and even then, respectfully. For you to call Shakyh Hamza a mad man is improper and shows a lack of adab to a scholar and as a fellow human being.

I can go on but I will state some personal experiences to further my point. I always tell people that Shaykh Hamza is the most tableeghi non-tableeghi you'll ever meet. For example, I once remembering listening to him after some scholars were discussing why the state of the Ummah is in the state it is in now. He said (something to the effect of) that there is one and only reason why it is so. Hubb ud Dunya wa Karaahutul Maut, referring to the following Hadith:

On the authority of Thawbaan , the Prophet said: "The People will soon summon one another to attack you as people when eating invite others to share their food." Someone asked, "Will that be because of our small numbers at that time?" He replied, "No, you will be numerous at that time: but you will be froth and scum like that carried down by a torrent (of water), and Allah will take the fear of you from the breasts (hearts) of your enemy and cast al-wahn into your hearts." Someone asked, "O Messenger of Allah, what is al-wahn?" He replied, "Love of the world and dislike of death." [An authentic hadith recorded by Abu Dawud and Ahmad]

I was shocked. To hear a man who gets blamed for being 'modern' to say this was something that I thought reeked of irony. If someone else was discussing the demise of our ummah and suppose a tableeghi in a masjid had said that, he would have been labelled an over-the-hill backwards mulla who didn't understand the intricacies of today's world. This man understood what our scholars knew and preached.

The second incident was during the RIS (Reviving the Islamic Spirit conference) in 2002 in Toronto. Halfway during his speech, he started to smile and hit off so many insults towards the American government that the whole crowd was laughing. Like when he spoke of how America sells the 'blueprints' to the countries and when they construct the weapons, they are labelled as terrorist and ones who are to be blamed for possessing 'weapons of mass distruction' The other jokes were just as good but sadly, i cannot recall them right now.

To me, this did not seem to me a man who was supporing 'America' no matter what. He has criticized everything from American Insurance companies, Bill Clinton to Mickey D's. It hurts me when people slander him with such idiotic things when they themselves have not heard all of his talks.

Finally, one thing that I'd like to say is that we should always be careful when we slander someone else. It is not in our tradition to do so to anyone (forget a scholar), especially a muslim brother of ours.

Ibne Abba(ra) narrates: Rasulullah (saw), on seeing the Ka'ba said (with over whelming joy and fondness): La ilaha illallah (O Ka'bah!) how Atyab (superlative degree of being pure and clean) you are, and how Atyab is your fragrance, and how great is your honour! (But) the honour of a Mu'min (believer) is far exceeding yours. Indeed, Allah (sw) has made you respectable; like wise the wealth, the blood, and the honour of a Mu'min has been made respectable. And (because of this respect, Allah has) forbidden to suspect (a Mu'min without reason) of wrongdoing. [Tabarani and Majma-uz-Zawaid]

[Saleel]

:salam:

Computer Guru, :mash: Goldi responded to your comments well, but all I'll say is a reminder of the rules of sunniforum.com. In particular:



This is an Islamic forum and thus Islam will be respected. This means STRICTLY no slander against Allah (SWT), all previous Prophets of Islam (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon them), Prophet Muhammad, Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him, and the Prophet's companions, May Allah be pleased with all of them, the 4 revered imams, as well as current-day scholars of Islam such as Mufti Taqi Usmani, Mufti Ebrahim Desai, Mufti Muhammad ibn Adam al-Kawthari, Mufti Yusuf Mullan, Shaykh Abdurrahman ibn Yusuf Mangera, Sidi Faraz Rabbani, Shaykh Hamza Yusuf etc. This list of scholars is not exclusive.
:jazak:

:salam:

[eTeacher]

Nice reply brother Goldi. Btw....it's not 32 exclamation points! It's 33. hehe :lol: <<<<<has some issues with his laugh

[Goldi]

Nice reply brother Goldi. Btw....it's not 32 exclamation points! It's 33. hehe :lol: <<<<<has some issues with his laugh

Please forgive me. You are the original 'man' so I must always respect the greatness. braap.

[Usama]

:salam:

ANYWAYS, the point of starting this thread was...Anyone else know other places where Imaam Siraj lectures could be found?

[Computer Guru]

Message deleted by Admin.

Computer Guru said: I QUIT!!!!!

[al-kushiari]

wa alaikum asalaam

you wont be missed :)

[Computer Guru]

Message deleted by Admin.

[Saleel]

:salam:

Your attitude is not acceptable Computer Guru. Your messages have been deleted.

If you wish to leave sunniforum.com, that is your choice. But the doors to sunniforum.com remain open, and :insh: feel free to return at any time.

:jazak:

:salam:

[al-kushiari]

thanks for your brilliant insight and immensely articulate reply CG

al-kushiari is a laqab لقب


can we have a rule against short-hand typing

[salman]

sallamu alaikum

Note that disparging the Ulema as a whole can be Kufr and disparaging even one of them wrongly is Fisq.

"The Ulema are the heirs of the Prophet"

Narrated from Abu al-Darda by Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, and Ibn Majah in their Sunan, Ahmad and Darimi in their Musnads, Ibn Hibban in his Sahih, and Bukhari in "inset" form (mudman), without chain nor attribution, in the Book of Knowledge of his Sahih, chapter entitled "Knowledge comes before talk and action." Ibn Hajar in Fath al-Bari (1:193) mentions its strengthening through its many chains. It is also cited by Tahawi in Mushkil al Athar, al Baghawi in Sharh al Sunna (1:275 #129 gharib), Ibn Abd al Barr in Jami Bayan al Ilm (p. 37-41), and others

Fear Allah

Wallahu A'lam

[UmmIbrahimIsa]

Assalamu alaikum wr wb

An Email from Gibraltar Educational Institution

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

Gibraltar Educational Intiative and Masjid Taqwa
(Brooklyn) present:

Foundations of Our Tradition: Qur'an and Sunnah

A one day intensive exploring the nature of the
Muslim's relationship with the Qur'an and the
Prophetic traditions, touching on such topics as the
miraculous nature of the Book of Allah, Ulum al
Qur'an, the authoritative nature of the Prophetic
Sunnah, and the practical application of these divine
sources in modern times.

Saturday, June 26, 2004

10 am to 6 pm

Teachers:

Imam Zaid Shakir, Zaytuna Institute
Ustadh Abdullah Ali, chaplain, PA prison system

Masjid Taqwa
1266 Bedford Ave
Brooklyn, NY

Registration is $20 and includes access to audio
recordings of the program on the web.
Pre-registration is not necessary, participants can
register on-site. Registration fees enable us to
continue to provide quality programming, however, no
one will be turned away for lack of funds.


The reason why I posted it in this thread is because Sirraj Wahhaj is the imam of Masjid Taqwa and I'm told he'll be there too.

[Computer Guru]

Message deleted by Admin.

:salam:

Brother, by disgracing the said Shaykh, you are breaking the rules of sunniforum.com. :insh: please conform to the rules - they are there for a reason. If you do not agree with the thinking of the Admins, the moderators, the members, then :insh: that is your choice and may Allah swt grant you Guidance. But please do not use sunniforum.com as a platform to air your negative comments towards a pious Alim of Islam.

sunniforum.com does not like to turn anyone away and so therefore you are most welcome the site, as long as you conform to the rules.

:jazak:

:salam:

-- Saleel

[UmmIbrahimIsa]

Assalamu alaikum wr wb

Comp Guru>If you have an issue with the board, wouldn't it be better to discuss it with the moderators and administrators privately? By sending them an email instead of posting it a public forum board. There's a hadith by the Prophet SAW said that we should like for our brother what we like for ourself, and also not to harm a muslim brother. Another one says not to backbite and slander, and these two are found in the quran of Surah Hujarat 49:12, and also Surah Humaza.

In regards to your claim they do not pretend to be a sunniforum, they are. If you do not like it that is up to you, and your choice. Does not mean you have the right to come here and bash people and break the rules. It says on the forum before you join that you agree to the rules not to cause fitnah, yet you break the rules to boost your ego. AstagfiruAllah!

Maybe insha'Allah next time you give feedback and you're going to resort to name calling and accusations that you can either email them privately or leave it be as it doesn't need to be said as the Prophet SAW said; 'Either say something good or keep quiet.'

In this case, we should do the same. and Allahu Alim.

[Computer Guru]

i think i said something good! i cleared up a misconception for everyone!

[Saleel]

:salam:

Computer Guru, in addition, your avatar was against the rules, so has been removed. The specific clause of the rules:

Avatars CANNOT contain faces of people, including cartoon drawings. Nor can they contain weapons, or imply any hatred to any group of people/religion. Avatars containing images related to movies, musicians, etc., are also not allowed. Such avatars will be removed. sunniforum.com reserves the right to remove any avatar deemed to be inappropriate.
The full rules can be viewed here (http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13) :insh:.

Please feel free to use a new avatar which does conform to the rules.

:jazak:

:salam:

[Computer Guru]

HOY! wait up a sec! i may have broken some rule son purpose, BUT I AM NOT IN VIOLATION OF THIS ONE!!! this was a ROBOT, a non-living thing, NOT a HUMAN, or even an ANIMAL: it was a COMPUTER!!! it was someone dressed up AS a robot, but a purely OCMPUTER ANIMATED graphic, WHICH COMPLIED WITH ALL YOUR RULES!!!

[Mossy]

Avatars containing images related to movies, musicians, etc., are also not allowed

I believe that was the T100 terminator from the movie of the same name..

It is an avatar created in human form and more than a dash creepy.

Especially as it's apparent design was to eradicate the human species.

Still, take a step back, breath and chill out.

[eat-halal guy]

Rules:


...including cartoon drawings....sunniforum.com reserves the right to remove any avatar deemed to be inappropriate.

[Computer Guru]

NOT a cartoon, a computer animated graphic... cartoons are drawn by CARTOONISTS!!!

and, i see no reason y it was unislamic.... dunno if u guys saw it or not!

[eat-halal guy]

:salam:

Brother, please chill out and relax. Even if you disagree with us on some issues, I hope you'll stick around and take part in other discussions, because as Muslims, we do have many common interests.

Also, when there is something you disagree about, you are welcome to *discuss* the issues (not issue verdicts), but in a civil and polite manner, without showing disrespect to anyone.

Manners are an integral part of a truly Islamic lifestyle.

I hope to see you around on sunniforum.com.


Wassalam

[eat-halal guy]

NOT a cartoon, a computer animated graphic... cartoons are drawn by CARTOONISTS!!!

and, i see no reason y it was unislamic.... dunno if u guys saw it or not!


Main Entry: car·toon
Pronunciation: kär-'tün
Function: noun
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Italian cartone pasteboard, cartoon, augmentative of carta leaf of paper -- more at CARD
1 : a preparatory design, drawing, or painting (as for a fresco)
2 a : a drawing intended as satire, caricature, or humor <a political cartoon> b : COMIC STRIP
3 : ANIMATED CARTOON
4 : a ludicrously simplistic, unrealistic, or one-dimensional portrayal or version


As well, as bro Mossy said, it was from a movie.

In any case, it was deemed to be in appropriate, and was thus removed. Please do not continue the discussion on your avatar here. If you have concerns, feel free to use the contact us form. The link is at the bottom of the page.

:jazak:

[pinkworld]

...
As for Sheikh Hamzah Yusuf, you have to prove that he issued those fatwas. Also, only Allah knows his intentions, so we have no right to judge him.

About his Sirah of the Prophet: A teacher told me that it's shallow and not informative enough.
...

assalamu `alaykum wa rahmatullah
I wonder if Sh. Hamza intended the text to be introductory. Perhaps it is meant to be a primer so that one would be more prepared for further or more intensive study?

I am grateful for the information on Siraj Wahhaj. Previously I did not know very much about him. It is also refreshing to hear Sh. Hamza's strong stance against Americqan policies. Alhamdulillah. Thank you to everyone who contributed information to this thread. It has been an informative read. Barakallahu fikum.

[Mustafa]

As-salaam alaikum wa rahmatullah

'Shallow' is a bit harsh. The sirah tapes are based on Martin Lings' (Abu Bakr Siraj ad Din) book 'Muhammad', which Shaykh Hamza considers to be the best sirah written in the English language. He doesn't deviate much from the text, except to point out minor errors. He wanted the students in the class (who may or may not have a good grasp of Arabic) to be able to access a sirah in a language they are familiar with. Had they been able to understand Arabic, I'm sure he'd have looked at a deeper text. Martin Lings book is based on early sirahs itself.

As for these supposed fatwas, I find them very hard to believe just for the reason that the Shaykh is not a mufti and has never, as far as I know, ever issued any fatwas. I know he considers rib'a to be one of the worst wrong actions and has spoken and written out against it. I know he considers buying a house with rib'a haraam. There are many taped lectures of him saying exactly this.

Say something good or keep silent. That's the deen.

Wa salam
Your brother in Islam
Mustafa

[salman]

he claims the prophet attempted suicide by jumping of the mt

As narrated in bukhari, sirah ibn Kathir and Tabaqat Al Kubra by Ibn Sad.


interst on home mortgages is HALAL in america because of our needs

It is Halal if the need is Dire (which has a specific definition) as mentioned by Mufti taqi Uthmani and Shaikh Buti. It is best to know the context of a Fatwa before commiting Gheeba and slander.

As i mentioned before:


Note that disparging the Ulema as a whole can be Kufr and disparaging even one of them wrongly is Fisq.

"The Ulema are the heirs of the Prophet"

Narrated from Abu al-Darda by Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, and Ibn Majah in their Sunan, Ahmad and Darimi in their Musnads, Ibn Hibban in his Sahih, and Bukhari in "inset" form (mudman), without chain nor attribution, in the Book of Knowledge of his Sahih, chapter entitled "Knowledge comes before talk and action." Ibn Hajar in Fath al-Bari (1:193) mentions its strengthening through its many chains. It is also cited by Tahawi in Mushkil al Athar, al Baghawi in Sharh al Sunna (1:275 #129 gharib), Ibn Abd al Barr in Jami Bayan al Ilm (p. 37-41), and others

[Haaji_Abubakr]

Masha Allah, When one speaks of Shaykh Siraj I can only think of a man that gave his whole life for the sake of Allah 'azza wajal.

[mujahid7ia]

See the great page about Imam Siraj on Shaykh Abdallah Adhami's site: http://www.sakeenah.org/celebrate.shtml

[Haaji_Abubakr]

See the great page about Imam Siraj on Shaykh Abdallah Adhami's site: http://www.sakeenah.org/celebrate.shtml

Jazakallah khayr

I found this article (http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/200503/the.imam.of.bedford-stuyvesant.htm) on a different thread that explains how Shaykh Siraj cleaned up his neighborhood. Masha Allah!

[Dhul-Qarnayn]

Jazakallah khayr

I found this article (http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/200503/the.imam.of.bedford-stuyvesant.htm) on a different thread that explains how Shaykh Siraj cleaned up his neighborhood. Masha Allah!I cannot find a better example of the definition of what an 'Imam' should be. A true community leader.

The fact he goes on the lecture circuit and gives those great talks is just icing on the cake, but people shouldn't hold him to task for not giving talks on such and such a subject... it's not his responsibility. He's an Imam of a Brooklyn-area Masjid first and foremost.