Hamza Yusuf Hanson (born
Mark Hanson, 1960) is an Islamic scholar who teaches at the
Zaytuna InstituteZaytuna Institute is a non-profit, 501 educational institute located in Berkeley, California, in the United States. It was founded by Hamza Yusuf and Hesham Alalusi in 1996, inspired by a commitment to revive and promote traditional Sunni Islamic thought in a contemporary context...
in
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He is a prominent American convert to Islam, and is one of the signatories of
A Common Word Between Us and YouA Common Word between Us and You is an open letter, dated 13th October 2007, from leaders of the Muslim faith to leaders of the Christian faith. It calls for peace between Muslims and Christians and tries to work for common ground and understanding among both faiths, in line with the Biblical and...
, an open letter by Islamic scholars to
ChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic, religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, who Christians believe was the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, and the Son of God.The term "Christian" is also used adjectivally to...
leaders, calling for peace and understanding.
Yusuf was born in
Washington StateWashington State may refer to:* The state of Washington* Washington State University, a land-grant college in that state....
and raised in
Northern CaliforniaNorthern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The region contains the San Francisco Bay Area, San Jose , Sacramento , as well as the substantial natural beauty of the redwood forests, the northern California coast, the Big Sur coastline area, the Sierra Nevada...
. In 1977, Hanson converted to
IslamIslam Islam Islam ( al-’islām,
[There are ten pronunciations of Islam in English, differing in whether the first or second syllable has the stress, whether the s is or , and whether the a is pronounced as in father, as in cat, or (when the stress is on the i) as in the a of sofa...]
during college, just before his 18th birthday in
Santa BarbaraSanta Bárbara or Santa Barbara, meaning "Saint Barbara" in several Romance languages, may refer to any of the following:-Places:Brazil*Santa Bárbara, Minas Gerais*Santa Bárbara d'OesteCape Verde*Santa Bárbara, Cape VerdeChile...
, and changed his name from Mark Hanson to Hamza Yusuf.
Hamza Yusuf Hanson (born
Mark Hanson, 1960) is an Islamic scholar who teaches at the
Zaytuna InstituteZaytuna Institute is a non-profit, 501 educational institute located in Berkeley, California, in the United States. It was founded by Hamza Yusuf and Hesham Alalusi in 1996, inspired by a commitment to revive and promote traditional Sunni Islamic thought in a contemporary context...
in
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He is a prominent American convert to Islam, and is one of the signatories of
A Common Word Between Us and YouA Common Word between Us and You is an open letter, dated 13th October 2007, from leaders of the Muslim faith to leaders of the Christian faith. It calls for peace between Muslims and Christians and tries to work for common ground and understanding among both faiths, in line with the Biblical and...
, an open letter by Islamic scholars to
ChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic, religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, who Christians believe was the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, and the Son of God.The term "Christian" is also used adjectivally to...
leaders, calling for peace and understanding.
Biography
Yusuf was born in
Washington StateWashington State may refer to:* The state of Washington* Washington State University, a land-grant college in that state....
and raised in
Northern CaliforniaNorthern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The region contains the San Francisco Bay Area, San Jose , Sacramento , as well as the substantial natural beauty of the redwood forests, the northern California coast, the Big Sur coastline area, the Sierra Nevada...
. In 1977, Hanson converted to
IslamIslam Islam Islam ( al-’islām,
[There are ten pronunciations of Islam in English, differing in whether the first or second syllable has the stress, whether the s is or , and whether the a is pronounced as in father, as in cat, or (when the stress is on the i) as in the a of sofa...]
during college, just before his 18th birthday in
Santa BarbaraSanta Bárbara or Santa Barbara, meaning "Saint Barbara" in several Romance languages, may refer to any of the following:-Places:Brazil*Santa Bárbara, Minas Gerais*Santa Bárbara d'OesteCape Verde*Santa Bárbara, Cape VerdeChile...
, and changed his name from Mark Hanson to Hamza Yusuf. After his reversion he subsequently traveled around the
Muslim worldThe term Muslim world has several meanings. In a cultural sense it refers to the worldwide community of Muslims, adherents of Islam. This community numbers about 1.3-1.5 billion people, roughly one-fifth of the world population. This community is spread across many different nations and ethnic...
and studied Islam for ten years. He then returned to the United States and received degrees in Religious Studies and Health Care. He has travelled the world as a renowned Islamic lecturer. He founded the Zaytuna Institute, which has established an international reputation for presenting a classical picture of Islam in the West and which is dedicated to the revival of traditional study methods and the sciences of Islam. Sheikh Hamza currently resides in Northern California with his wife and five children. His ancestral origins are from
MinnesotaMinnesota is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. The twelfth largest state by area in the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.2 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the...
.
Time abroad
Yusuf spent four years studying in the
United Arab EmiratesThe United Arab Emirates is a federation of seven emirates situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman and Saudi Arabia. The UAE consists of seven states, termed emirates, which are Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Quwain, Ras...
and elsewhere in the
Middle EastThe Middle East is a region that spans southwestern Asia, southeastern Europe, and northeastern Africa. It has no clear boundaries, often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East...
. Later he traveled to
West AfricaWest Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries distributed over an area of approximately 5 million square km:*Benin...
and studied in
MauritaniaMauritania , officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is a country in northwest Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the west, by Senegal on the southwest, by Mali on the east and southeast, by Algeria on the northeast, and by the Morocco-controlled Western Sahara on the northwest...
,
MedinaMedina is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province...
,
AlgeriaAlgeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country located in North Africa. It is the largest country on the Mediterranean sea, the second largest on the African continent and the eleventh-largest country in the world in terms of land area.It is bordered by Tunisia in...
, and
MoroccoMorocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country located in North Africa with a population of nearly 32 million and an area just under . Its capital is Rabat, and its largest city is Casablanca. Morocco has a coast on the Atlantic Ocean that reaches past the Strait of Gibraltar into the...
under such scholars as Sheikh Murabit al Haaj; Sheikh
Abdallah Bin BayyahShaykh Abdallah bin Mahfudh ibn Bayyah is one of highest ranking scholars of traditional sunni islam he is known as a scholar's scholar. He was born in Mauritania . Currently he teaches at King Abdul Aziz University in Saudi Arabia.In his youth, he was appointed to study legal judgments in Tunis...
, head of the Islamic court in Al-'Ain,
United Arab EmiratesThe United Arab Emirates is a federation of seven emirates situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman and Saudi Arabia. The UAE consists of seven states, termed emirates, which are Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Quwain, Ras...
; Sheikh Muhammad Shaybani,
MuftiA mufti is an Islamic scholar who is an interpreter or expounder of Islamic law . A muftiat or diyanet is a council of muftis.-Qualifications:...
of
Abu DhabiAbu Dhabi is the capital of, and the second largest city in the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western coast...
; Sheikh Hamad al-Wali; and Sheikh Muhammad al-Fatrati of Al Azhar University in
CairoCairo is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab World. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a center of the region's political and cultural life...
,
EgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia...
. After more than a decade abroad, he returned to the United States and earned degrees in
nursingNursing is a healthcare profession focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life from birth to the end of life....
from
Imperial Valley CollegeImperial Valley College is a college in Imperial County, California, USA. Founded in 1962 the college currently enrolls around 7,000 students per year. Currently, Ed Gould is President of the college. The main campus is located on a site in the city of Imperial...
and
religious studiesReligious studies, or Religious education, is the academic field of multi-disciplinary, secular study of religious beliefs, behaviors, and institutions...
at
San José State UniversitySan José State University is a public university located in San José, California, United States. It is the founding campus of the California State University system...
. In 1996, Yusuf co-founded the
Hayward, CaliforniaHayward is a city located in the East Bay in Alameda County. The sixth largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area, it is one of the larger suburbs of Oakland. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 140,030. The estimated population in 2007 is 155,312. The former suburbs of Mt...
-based
Zaytuna InstituteZaytuna Institute is a non-profit, 501 educational institute located in Berkeley, California, in the United States. It was founded by Hamza Yusuf and Hesham Alalusi in 1996, inspired by a commitment to revive and promote traditional Sunni Islamic thought in a contemporary context...
, dedicated to the revival of
Islamic ScienceScience in medieval Islam, also known as Islamic science, is a term used in the history of science to refer to the science developed in the Islamic world between the 7th and 16th centuries, a period also known as the Islamic Golden Age. Scientists from the region were also known to develop many...
s and the preservation of traditional teaching methods.
He has traveled all over the world lecturing about Islam and contemporary issues. Yusuf has translated several classical texts and poems from
ArabicArabic is a Central Semitic language, thus related to and classified alongside other Semitic languages such as Hebrew and the Neo-Aramaic languages. In terms of speakers, the Arabic macrolanguage is the largest member of the Semitic language family. It is spoken by more than 280 million people as...
and presently oversees an effort to establish an Islamic
seminaryA seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of higher education for instructing students , sometimes at the postgraduate level, in philosophy, theology, spirituality and the religious life, to prepare students for ordination as clergy or other ministry...
in Berkeley, California. He has hosted three seasons of "Rihla (Journeys) With Sheikh Hamza" on the
Arabic-languageArabic is a Central Semitic language, thus related to and classified alongside other Semitic languages such as Hebrew and the Neo-Aramaic languages. In terms of speakers, the Arabic macrolanguage is the largest member of the Semitic language family. It is spoken by more than 280 million people as...
MBCThe Middle East Broadcasting Center is a Saudi-run company broadcasting a mix of free-to-air news and entertainment channels via satellite. It was launched on September 18 1991 as the Middle East Broadcasting Corporation, initially broadcasting from London in the United Kingdom...
satellite channel.
At the recommendation of Abdullah bin Bayyah, he met with U.S President
George W. BushGeorge Walker Bush was the 43rd President of the United States from 2001 to 2009 and the 46th Governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000....
shortly after the September 11 attacks in 2001. He also met with the
Arab LeagueThe Arab League , officially called the League of Arab States , is a regional organization of Arab states in Southwest Asia, and North and Northeast Africa. It was formed in Cairo on March 22, 1945 with six members: Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan , Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria...
, and global leaders at the
World Economic ForumThe World Economic Forum is a Geneva-based non-profit foundation best known for its annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland which brings together top business leaders, international political leaders, selected intellectuals and journalists to discuss the most pressing issues facing the world...
at
DavosDavos is a municipality in the district of Prättigau/Davos in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland.It is located on the Landwasser River, in the Swiss Alps, between the Plessur and Albula Range...
. Sheikh Hamza has denounced
terrorismTerrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion.At present, there is no internationally agreed definition of terrorism...
and
extremismExtremism is a term used to describe the actions or ideologies of individuals or groups outside the perceived political center of a society; or otherwise claimed to violate common moral standards...
, while promoting cooperation and education.
Yusuf is the first American lecturer to teach in Morocco's prestigious and oldest university, the University of Al-Karaouine in
FesFes may refer to:* Fes, Morocco, also known as Fez, a city in Morocco* Persona 3 FES, an 'add-on' disk for Shin Megami Tensei:Persona 3.FES is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:...
. He is married and has five children, all boys.
Yusuf famously said in a 2001 interview to
The GuardianThe Guardian is a British daily newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. Founded in 1821, it is unique among major British newspapers in being owned by a foundation .The Guardian Weekly, which circulates worldwide, provides a compact digest of four newspapers...
, "I would rather live as a Muslim in the west than in most of the Muslim countries, because I think the way Muslims are allowed to live in the west is closer to the Muslim way".
Books authored
- The State We Are In: Identity, Terror, and the Law of Jihad (contributing Author), 2006.
- Educating your Child in Modern Times
- Agenda To Change Our Condition (Co-authored with Imam Zaid Shakir)
Books translated with additions
- Purification of the Heart: Signs, Symptoms and Cures of the Spiritual Diseases of the Heart
- Content of Character
- The Creed of Imam al-Tahawi
Books which include his foreword or note
- Instruction of the Student : The Method of Learning
- The Prophetic Invocations By Mostafa Al-Badawi
Papers
Websites
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:GlobalCentreRenewalGuidance
Articles, interviews
- AP Article upon Hamza's involvement in starting a Muslim University
- Hamza Yusuf article in The Guardian
The Guardian is a British daily newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. Founded in 1821, it is unique among major British newspapers in being owned by a foundation .The Guardian Weekly, which circulates worldwide, provides a compact digest of four newspapers...
- Tough Medicine: Interview with Sh. Hamza Yusuf in Egypt Today
Egypt Today is an Egyptian English-language monthly magazine that was first published in 1979. Its articles mainly cover current affairs in Egypt....
by Ethar El-KatatneyEthar El-Katatney is an award-winning journalist, a blogger, and an author. She is currently a staff writer at Egypt Today, the leading current affairs magazine in the Middle East, and at its sister magazine Business Today Egypt...
- FRONTLINE: Interview with Shaykh Hamza Yusuf
- Viewpoint: What the West can learn from Islam
- Islam post-9/11: Hamza Yusuf
- Holocaust Denial Undermines Islam
- BBC: Thought of the Day
- In Praise of God - The Prophet’s Birthday BBC World Service
- HomeGrown Muslim Leaders
- Terrorists are mass murderers, not martyrs
- Hamza Yusuf on TV, Truth, and Technomania
- Excerpts from "The Science of Shariah"
- BBC
- A Time for Introspection
Videos