THE ILI TEAM
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Nadiyah Ahmad is the Director of Islamic Learning Institute. She is also ILI's Educational Coordinator, Facilitator, and creator of ILI products. Sister Nadiyah worked directly with her late husband, Imam Qasim Ahmed (RA), for 24 years building and running the institute. She received a Bachelor's of Science degree in Education at the University of Louisville, and a Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction at Concordia University. As a professional educator at the University Academy of Florida, a highly-rated Islamic school in the U.S., she inspired many students to strive for excellence. Many of the Academy's students have attended some of the most prestigious colleges in America. She has created and assisted with the development of Islamic books, Qur’anic studies programs and workshop materials. She uses her curriculum and instruction background to create learning materials and programs for the institute. As her passion is aligning the wholeness of inner belief of heart with the health of the body and mind, Sister Nadiyah is also a distributor of natural health and beauty products.
Imam Yahya Abdullah was a long-time friend and colleague of Imam Qasim Ahmed, and is an ILI board member and advisor. He is the imam of Masjid Muhammad in Jacksonville Florida founded in 2016. He has served as imam to the Islamic Association of DeSoto Texas for 18 years where he established a full-time Sister Clara Mohammed School in 1983. Imam Abdullah attended the Arabic Language Program at the Saudi Academy in DC. He also co-produced a nationally-aired documentary, The Hajj, Pilgrimage to Mecca. He founded African-America Men Against Narcotics. Imam Abdullah is the author of four books. He is a student of Imam W. Deen Mohammed and was his personal friend. He assisted the Imam with Group Volume Buy Imports from China, and continues the business initiatives of Imam W. Deen Mohammed. The two of them visited Saudi Arabia four times. He also co-sponsored and organized ‘Dallas Acts of Kind Week’ along with Imam WDM, Mrs. Rosa Parks, and Martin Luther King, III. Imam Abdullah has participated in numerous interfaith dialogues with Christians, Muslims, Jews and other faiths nationally and internationally. He is the recipient of numerous awards for his dedication to community service including awards presented by President Bill Clinton and President George W. Bush.
Imam Dr. Nasir Ahmad was a long-time friend and colleague of Imam Qasim Ahmed and is an advisor to ILI. He attended Miami Dade Community College and Florida Memorial College. In 1991 he received a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) from McHarry Medical College in Nashville, TN. Currently he holds licenses in the states of Florida, Illinois, Tennessee, and Texas in oral and maxillofacial surgery. As an educator, Imam Nasir has taught in Miami, FL public school system, and has had faculty appointments at several colleges and universities in Nashville, TN. Imam Nasir is an avid and dedicated student of Imam W. Deen Mohammed. He was elected the Coordinator of State Imams for Florida, and the Assistant Regional Imam for the Southeastern United States. He has been the Resident Imam at Masjid Al Ansar and Director of Education at Sister Clara Mohammed School in Miami, FL. He worked alongside Imam W. Deen Mohammed as his personal assistant. In 1976, Imam Nasir was part of the special delegation headed by Imam Mohammed where they toured the member states of the region to meet with heads of states and rulers. His pilgrimage to Mecca concluded with meeting President Anwar Sadat in Cairo, Egypt. Dr. Ahmad is an educator of basic Arabic, and is currently lecturing on religious and health-related topics.
Imam Dr. Wazir Ali is the Imam of the historic Masjid Warithud-Deen Mohammed and Masjid Al-Qur’an in Houston, Texas as well as an ILI board member, advisor, and was an avid student and friend of Imam Qasim since the 80's. Both communities have experienced unprecedented growth under Imam Dr. Ali’s leadership. Imam Dr. Ali is a founding member of Masjid Al-Qur'an. Under Imam Dr. Ali's leadership the average weekly jum'ah attendance grew from 10 to over 500. Imam Dr. Ali completed an eight-year mentorship program in Islamic Studies, comparative religion and Masjid administration under the guidance of Imam Qasim Ahmed (RA). Imam Ali is also a student of the preeminent American Muslim scholar, the late Imam Warithud-Deen Mohammed (may Allah have mercy on him). Imam Dr. Ali, an entrepreneur, kinesiologist, registered dietitian and board certified specialist in geriatric nutrition, owns a private nutrition consulting firm in Houston. Imam Dr. Ali is also the interim director of the dietetics program and a clinical instructor at Texas Southern University. His current academic research interests are energy needs for maintenance hemodialysis, sleep apnea related obesity and obesity treatment/prevention. Imam Ali holds a Doctorate degree in clinical nutrition from Rutgers University, a Master of Science degree in kinesiology from the University of Texas Pan American, and Bachelor of Science degrees in nutrition and psychology from the University of Houston.
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Imam Tyerre El-Amin Boyd serves as an advisor and board member for ILI, and was one of Imam Qasim's protégés for many years. He is the new resident imam of Masjid New Africa & Center for Human Development in Hitchcock, TX. He is a devoted student to the language and direction of late Muslim American Scholar, Imam W.D. Mohammed (RA). He was trained in Houston, Texas under the leadership of Imam Dr. Wazir Ali (2006-2020). Imam Tyerre received additional training from the late Muslim American scholar, Imam Qasim Ahmed (RA), as a student and personal friend. Imam Tyerre is the catalyst for developing multiple outreach programs in his community such as Light of Perception, The Knowledge Circle LLC, co-founder of both The Iron Man Club, and 409 Action Network aimed to improve the blighted condition of community life. By Allah's mercy, Imam Tyerre was blessed to complete the 5th pillar of Islam, by making Hajj in 2019. Imam Tyerre is a 3rd year graduate student at Bayan Islamic graduate school seeking a Master's of Divinity (MDiv) in Islamic Chaplaincy.
Hajjah Aneesah Dawan serves as an advisor and board member for ILI, and was one of Imam Qasim's protégés for many years. She studied Arabic and Islamic Studies at Abu Nour University in Damascus, Syria, obtaining a 2-year Arabic language certification. Aneesah’s earlier Islamic and Arabic education came from various Imams and teachers in the United States under the leadership of Imam W. D. Mohammed. Her most influential studies in Arabic and the science of tajweed came under the tutelage of Imam Qasim Ahmed while residing in Houston, Texas. Aneesah refined her Quranic recitation while studying in Syria and has become known for her precise, yet eloquent reading of Quran using the Hafs style of recitation. As a tool to teach tajweed and encourage the recitation of Quran among women, Aneesah began professionally recording the Quran for public distribution. Aneesah has lectured at various Islamic and Interfaith conferences representing women in Al-Islam and focusing on areas such as tajweed and tafsir.
Imam Hatim Hamidullah serves the ILI as an Educational Facilitator, advisor, board member, and was one of Imam Qasim's first students. He is a respected Imam of Masjid Al-Haqq in Orlando, Florida. He is an active member of the Florida Conference of Muslim Americans in association with the Ministry of Imam WD Mohammed (ra) and a member of the Shura of Imams of the Islamic Society of Central Florida. Imam Hamidullah is also on The Mayor’s Interfaith Council of Central Florida. He is Executive Director and co-founder of Knowledge for Living, Inc. a 501C3 nonprofit organization which seeks to improve (with social service and education) the total well-being of citizens in economically disadvantaged communities. Imam Hatim has held responsible positions of Imam (Community Leader) throughout the years in Texas, Oklahoma, Georgia, and Florida. Through his association with Imam WD Mohammed, Imam Hamidullah was selected as a guest of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to participate in their first intensive Islamic Educational program in Washington DC, teaching Quranic Arabiyyah (Arabic), Hadith Methodology, Seerah (history), and Fiqh (religious rulings). His travel includes Hajj to Mecca (al-hamdulillah), South Africa, Muslim Spain, Morocco, and Canada. Imam Hatim is a frequent lecturer throughout the United States at masaajid, universities, colleges, churches, synagogues, and online.
Hajjah Olaiya Humphrey is an Educational Facilitator, Marketing Director and webmaster for ILI. Her work with Imam Qasim Ahmed and Sister Nadiyah includes developing online classes, learning and marketing materials, and advancing ILI's online presence. Olaiya is also an entrepreneur and owner of Best Foot Forward Training Transformations. She received a Bachelor's of Business Administration in Human Resources Management from the University of Texas and certifications in Adult Continuing Education, Counseling Skills, Corporate Training, Robert Greenleaf Servant Leadership, and Satori Alternatives to Managing Aggression. She also developed the Management Achievement Program, Sexual Harassment Prevention, and Cultural Diversity trainings for several organizations. Olaiya studied Arabic through Emory University, the MALI Institute, and Imam Qasim Ahmed and Sister Nadiyah Ahmad. She provides Islamic teaching, graphics, and media support for ILI as well as for Masjid Bilal of San Antonio, 5th Ward Islamic Center, East Austin Community of Al-Islam, and the Southwest Section.
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Imam Abdullah Rasheed is an advisor for ILI, and studied under Imam Qasim for many years. He is the Assistant Imam for Masjid Warithuddeen Mohammed in Houston, Texas. He is also an Entrepreneur, Engineer, and member of the Houston Islamic Community in Texas. He teaches several classes related to Islamic Sciences including Qur'anic Arabic, Seerah and Tafsir.
Hajjah Nadiyah Sa'id-West is an Educational Facilitator for the institute. She is a graduate of Sister Clara Mohammed Elementary School where she began her early studies in Qur'anic Arabic. She is a student of Imam W. D. Mohammed and has studied Qur'anic Arabic with a multitude of scholarships within our community. She is a graduate of Science High School in Newark, NJ; and is the daughter of Hajjah Valerie Good and the late Bro. Musheer Muhammad (RA). Hajjah Nadiyah earned her BA in Psych. and Master’s in Social Work from Rutgers University in New Jersey. She recently earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Texas Woman’s University. She and her family support the growth and development of the ummah, and dedicate significant resources to programming at the Islamic Association of DeSoto, TX where Hajjah Nadiyah holds the office of Administrator.
Hajja, Dr. Hajirah Abdus-Salaam, BCND, CI, CNHP, BS supports the Islamic Learning Institute’s Administration and educational facilitation. She is a Board Certified Naturopathic Doctor, Certified Iridologist, Certified Natural Health Professional. CEO of Read A Healthy You “Wholistic Health.” Al-Rawiya College studied Uloom Al-Quran, Uloom Al Hadith, Seerah of the Prophet, Language of the Quran, Studies of Tafsir to name a few. She is currently the Board President of Muslims in Portsmouth, Chesapeake, and Suffolk, Virginia (MSPCS); Member of Ummatil Islamic Center, Portsmouth, Va., and member of the Dawah Team of Hampton Roads. She is also a regular guest of WGAI 560 AM Crucial Conversations "The Human Stakes are High" for her Read A Healthy You segment, "How to Eat, Live, and Prosper." Dr. Abdus-Salaam has been in the forefront of dawah and lecturing about Al-Islam in the Hampton Roads. She speaks at colleges and universities and participates in interfaith dialogues with Faith Leaders in Hampton Road, Virginia.
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