Shaykh Jamal ud-Deen Hysaw — From Chicago to Tarim: Finding the Sunnah Through Sacred Knowledge | Talking With Teachers

In this powerful episode of Talking With Teachers, we sit down with Shaykh Jamal ud-Deen Hysaw, a teacher of the Islamic sciences whose journey to sacred knowledge spans decades of study across Syria and Yemen.

Originally from Chicago, Illinois, Shaykh Jamal embraced Islam in 1992 after an early attraction shaped in part by the themes and messages of conscious rap music. His search for truth led him to Damascus, Syria, where he studied Arabic and Islamic studies at Abu Nur Institute and the University of Damascus. He later continued his studies in Tarim, Yemen at Dar al-Mustafa under the tutelage of the famed scholars of the Habā’ib, including Habib Umar bin Hafidh, Habib Abdur-Rahman bin Hafidh, Shaykh Umar al-Khatib, and Habib Ali al-Jifri. During this period, he received authorization to teach classical works in Shafi‘i fiqh, ‘aqidah, hadith, tafsir, and the sciences of the heart.

In this conversation, Shaykh Jamal reflects on:

• His personal journey into Islam and the unexpected influences that shaped his early path
• The role of conscious rap music in sparking his initial interest in Islam
• His difficult experiences with harsh approaches to religious practice and narrow understandings of the Sunnah
• How studying under Habib Umar bin Hafidh transformed his understanding of the Prophetic tradition and deepened his spiritual connection to the Sunnah
• The importance of balance, character, and spiritual refinement in practicing Islam today

Shaykh Jamal currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia, where he serves as an Arabic instructor at the Atlanta Masjid of Al-Islam. He continues his studies under Shaykh Muhammad bin Yahya An-Ninowy and leads regular learning programs, seminars, retreats, and community initiatives.

This episode offers profound reflections on transformation, sacred learning, and the living tradition of the Sunnah in the modern world.

Shaykh Khalil Abdur-Rashid joins Talking With Teachers to discuss his new book Malcolm X and the Indigenizing of Islam in America. This conversation reflects on Malcolm X’s enduring influence, the formation of an authentic American Muslim identity, and the spiritual and social lessons his life continues to offer today.

📖 Book on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Malcolm-X-Indigenizing-Islam-America/dp/180011012X

#TalkingWithTeachers #KhalilAbdurRashid #MalcolmX #AmericanIslam #MuslimHistory #IslamInAmerica #LamppostEducation

In this powerful episode of Talking With Teachers, Dr. Abdullah bin Hamid Ali interviews Imam Mujahid Abdus-Salaam, a Muslim chaplain working in the criminal justice system and longtime youth mentor with Garden State Youth.

Imam Mujahid offers a deeply personal reflection on:

• Growing up Christian in Philadelphia
• His conversion to Islam
• Mentoring at-risk youth
• The passing of his mother
• His relationship with his devout Christian father
• Lessons from the late Philadelphia Muslim elder Ali Subhan (rahimahullah)

This conversation explores grief, faith, identity, fatherhood, mentorship, and the responsibility of serving young Muslims in America. It is a rare and intimate look at a life shaped by devotion, struggle, and compassion.

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