Guest Scholars

In addition to the Core Scholars, ALIM’s Guest Scholars are a vital part of our faculty. ALIM’s Guest Scholars teach many of the integral courses at the ALIM Summer, Winter, and Mini-programs providing our students with an important spectrum of discourse in Muslim-American studies. ALIM has been fortunate and grateful to have the support of some important leaders and scholars in America.

Below is a list of some of our Guest Scholars who have taught at past ALIM Programs:

IMAM MOHAMED HAGMAGID ALI
Imam Mohamed Hagmagid Ali came to the United States in 1987 and is currently the Imam and Executive Director of the All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS) Center in Sterling, VA and the President of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA). He was born in Sudan, the son of a leading Islamic scholar who was an Azhar graduate that served as the Mufti of Sudan. Imam Magid served as Vice President of the Islamic Society of North America for a number of years as well. Imam Magid...
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IMAM ZAID SHAKIR
Imam Zaid Shakir is among the most respected and influential Islamic scholars in the West. As an American Muslim who came of age during the civil rights struggles, he has brought both sensitivity and scholarly discipline to his faith-based work on race and poverty issues. Born in Berkeley, California, he accepted Islam in 1977 while serving in the United States Air Force. He obtained a BA with honors in International Relations at...
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DR. UMAR FARUQ ABD-ALLAH
Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah (Wymann-Landgraf) was born in 1948 to a Protestant family in Columbus, Nebraska. He grew up in Athens, Georgia, where both parents taught at the University of Georgia. His father taught Veterinary Medicine and Organic Chemistry, while his mother’s field was English. In 1964, his parents took positions at the University of Missouri in Columbia, where his grandfather had been a professor emeritus of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Abd-Allah did his undergraduate...
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DR. INGRID MATTSON
Dr. Ingrid Mattson is the Director of the Macdonald Center for the Study of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations, and the Professor of Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations at Hartford Seminary in Hartford, CT. Dr. Mattson earned her Ph.D. in Islamic Studies from the University of Chicago in 1999. Her research is focused on Islamic law and society; among her articles are studies on slavery, poverty and Islamic legal theory. Dr. Mattson was born in Canada where she studied...
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​DR. SULAYMAN NYANG
Dr. Sulayman S. Nyang teaches at Howard University in Washington, D.C. where he serves as Professor of African Studies. From 1975 to 1978 he served as Deputy Ambassador and Head of Chancery of the Gambia Embassy in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Following his diplomatic stint, he immigrated to the United States and returned to academic life at Howard University where he later assumed the position of department chair from 1986 to 1993. He also serves as...
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DR. JONATHAN BROWN
Dr. Jonathan AC Brown is an Assistant Professor of Islamic Studies in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations. He received his BA in History from Georgetown University in 2000 and his Ph.D. in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations from the University of Chicago in 2006. Dr. Brown has studied and conducted research in Egypt, Syria, Turkey, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Indonesia and Iran. He is a term member of...
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​DR. ZAINAB ALWANI
Dr. Zainab Alwani is an Instructor at the Qurtiba Institute in Sterling, VA. She received her Ph.D. in Islamic Jurisprudence (Fiqh and Usul Al-Fiqh) from the International Islamic University in Malaysia. Her Ph.D. dissertation focused on the implementation of the Maqasid al Shariah: family issues in the American Muslim family. She is currently the Assistant Professor of Islamic Studies at the ...
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​DR. OVAMIR ANJUM
Dr. Ovamir Anjum is Imam Khattab Chair of Islamic Studies at the Department of Philosophy, University of Toledo. His work focuses on the nexus of theology, ethics, politics and law in classical and medieval Islam, with comparative interest in Western Thought. His interests are united by a common philosophical focus on epistemology or views of ..