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Amir Muhammad Shareef     Amir Muhammad Shareef was born in the United States, in Los Angeles California in 1959. His parents joined the Nation of Islam, when he was a young boy, and he embraced Sunni Islam while a teenager. He is the founding director of the Sankore? Institute of Islamic-African Studies and is well known for his scholarly translations, commentaries of classical Arabic manuscripts from Black Africa, and dynamic speeches calling for the renewal of Islam and justice for oppressed peoples. He studied Arabic, Aqida, Maliki Fiqh, Ahadith, Tasawwuf with Shaykh Abd?r-Rahim al-Burai?, Shaykh Muhammad al-Qudsi, and Shaykh Muhammad an-Nur. He has received ijaazas from Shaykh Hassan Qaribullahi of Omdurman, Shaykh Muhammad al-Faatih al-Burai` in Medina, Shaykh Abd?l-Qadir al-Jayli ibn Shaykh Muhammad al-Bukhari al-Mahi in Medina, Shaykh Muhammad Abu Bakr al-Idrisi, and his teacher and beloved guide Shaykh Muhammad al-Ya`qoubi. He studied the works of Shaykh Uthman ibn Fuduye, Shaykh Abdullahi ibn Fuduye, Sultan Muhammad Bello ibn Uthman ibn Fuduye, and many other scholars of the Sokoto Caliphate with his lifelong teacher Shaykh Muhammad al-Amin al-Khateeb of Maiyurno, Shaykh Abd?r-Rahman Muhammad of `Ish `Ish, Shaykh Isa Talata Mafara of Sokoto, Shaykh Dawud ibn Saalih of Marnono and other scholars in Sudan, Nigeria, Mali, and Niger. He received complete ijaazas to transmit the works of the scholars of Sokoto. In 1999 Muhammad Shareef was appointed as the amir in America of the Jama`ah of Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fuduye by the present Sultan al-Hajj Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad Tahir ibn Muhammad Bello Mai Wurno ibn Ahmad Zaruqu ibn Abi Bakr Atiqu ibn Shaykh Uthman ibn Fuduye. He is a master Arabic calligrapher, and a diligent swordsman, having mastered the Chinese Muslim Habe? Chingyi double handed long sword, the ?four door? broad sword, the Tanwui long sword, and the double Habe? Chingyi broad swords from his instructor Sifu Abd?l-Hamid Bomani Mugharibi. Amir Muhammad has devoted himself to teaching and tirelessly calling people from all walks of life to Allah, the Sunnah of His messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace), and the methodology of Shaykh 'Uthman ibn Fuduye' (Allah be pleased with him) with his words, actions, and state, for almost three decades. He is also an unyielding human rights activist, and historian.

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The Sankore' Institute     ?To the government of Islamic Africa, the Sankore? University/Mosque supplied generations of administrators, judges and functionaries of the state. To the wider community, the university furnished teachers, men of religion, jurist, and a class of merchants, notaries, and clerks. There emerged within the vicinity of the Sankore? University/Mosque complex scholarly guilds who combined the teaching of ?ilm with the transmission of professional vocation. There were the Alfa guilds responsible for the transmission of the craft of scribe, tailoring and embroidery. There were the Arma guilds responsible for the transmission tanning and leatherwork. There were the Modibe? guild responsible for the transmission of city planning, architecture, masjid construction and the important craft of grave digging (malu). They also supervised the gabibi guild of masons (soro banna), carpentry, and smiting (diamouasi).? Among these respected and venerated modibe? scholar/master builders was the erudite chief judge of Timbuktu, al-Qadi al-Aqib ibn Mahmud ibn Umar who built the Sankore? University/Mosque. He accomplished this with the financial assistance of a wealthy African woman who left a generous endowment for the founding and building of the famous educational center. Shaykh Mahmud Ka?ti described the process and building codes utilized for the building of Sankore? in his Tareekh ?l-Fataash,     ?Al-Qadi Aqib made the pilgrimage . . .in the year 989AH he began building the Sankore? mosque, may Allah be merciful to him. I was informed by one of the shaykhs, ?When he made the pilgrimage and prepared to take leave to return to Timbuktu, he took authorization from the attendants of the noble Kaaba to delineate the measurement of the Kaaba in length and breadth. They gave him permission and he measured it with a long cord measuring the length and breadth by marking these on the cord. He then brought this cord back to Timbuktu to serve as proportions. When he was ready to build the Sankore? Mosque, he unrolled the cord and delineated the exact breadth he wanted to build by placing four pegs planted on the corners of the four directions. Thus, the inner court of the mosque had the exact dimensions of the Kaaba. It is not deficient of excessive to it in any way.?     In short, the products of this religious and educational institution became the leaders of society in all its spheres of activity. The Sankore? University was the symbol of the spirit of the society, the guardian of its morals and the formulator of its hopes and aspirations.? Our teacher, the late Waziri of Sokoto, Junayd ibn Muhammad al-Bukhari once said, ?Knowledge is universal and eternal but it has a social and cultural stamp. It also has a purpose and a commitment to a particular worldview. It therefore cannot be neutral.? History has shown that African Muslims around the world have been branded and stamped with a social and cultural stamp which not their own. The worldview that they now share is completely alien to them. Waziri Junayd also said in his book called Nayl ?l-Arab Fi Istifsaa?i ?n-Nasab,     ?Whoever does not inform his children of his grandfathers, then he has destroyed his child, marred his descendants, and injured his offspring the day he dies.     Whoever does not make use of his ancestry, then he has muddled his reason.     Whoever is not concerned with his descent, then he has lost his mind.     Whoever neglects his origin, then his stupidity has become critical.     Whoever does not cause his ancestry to be abundant, then his incompetence has become great.     Whoever is ignorant of his lineage, then his intellect has dissipated.     Whoever does not increase his place of descent, then he has abolished his honor.?     Although this searing poem was originally composed more than 500 years ago, it accurately describes the psychosis suffered by Africans the world over, especially the Africans in the United States and the Western Hemisphere. The above poem by our Muslim ancestors foretold our sickness and the work of the Sankore? Institute of Islamic-African Studies will help (Allah willing) to calculate the cure. The overall aims of the institute are to rediscover the authentic purpose, commitment and particular worldview of Islamic Africa and to revive the learning which gave it its unique social and cultural stamp. In short, the Sankore? Institute is, with the help of Allah ta?ala, is preserving and extending the intellectual heritage of the ancient Sankore? University/Mosque of the 15th century - making this legacy viable for the electronic age for the Muslims of Africa, America and the world.     Amir Muhammad Shareef     Founding Director of the Sankore' Institute of Islamic-African Studies

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Aboo Muhammad 'Uthmaan ibn Muhammad ibn Foodee, born in Maratta in northern Nigeria in 1168 AH/1754 CE. The name 'Dan Fodio' is the Hausa rendition of Ibn Foodee. He was from a family of scholars that migrated to Hausaland from Futa Toro before the 15th century CE, bringing with it the Islamic tradition of Timbuktu. He waged a jihad in 1217 AH/1802 CE against clans that had opposed Islaam and the Muslims.  He established the Sokoto Islamic state which ruled by Sharee'ah in West Africa. He is known for his tajdeed efforts and his stance against innovations.  A number of folkloric legends and myths surrounded the personality of Dan Fodio as some people claimed that he could "walk on water" or appear in dreams. Some people even claimed that he was the Mahdi! All of these ideas were refuted by Dan Fodio himself during his time. In a book entitled Tanbeeh al-Faheem, Dan Fodio refuted the claims of a man named Hammaa who lived in Maganga, Nigeria and was claiming to be the Mahdi. The man was later executed for his heresy (MA al-Hajj, The Mahdist Tradition in Northern Nigeria, A.B.U. 1973). Dan Fodio however did make some comments in some of his works that were in line with the 'Asharees, but at times he clearly said things in line with the Salaf (pious predecessors) as have been mentioned. He therefore was akin to Imaam an-Nawawee and Ibn Hajar, who also had teachers that were of the 'Ash'aree 'aqeedah but were not pure 'Asha'arees.  Dan Fodio's chain of scholars however reveals interesting facts. One of teachers was Jibreel ibn 'Umar of the Tuareg tribe who had made Hajj and thus lived in Makkah for a while. In Madeenah, Jibreel Ibn 'Umar studied with Muhammad Murtada az-Zabeedee (1145-1205 AH/ 1732-1791 CE) who was originally from India but had travelled to az-Zabeed in Yemen where he lived for a while and studied before going on to teach in Madeenah himself. One of az-Zabeedee's teachers was Shaah Waliullaah ad-Dehlawee (1702-1762 CE) of Delhi in India. Dan Fodio's uncle who taught him hadeeth was Muhammad bin Raaj who had studied under Abu'l-Hasan as-Sindee also from India and a teacher of hadeeth in Madeenah.  Abu'l-Hasan as-Sindee was a student of Muhammad Hayaat as-Sindee another great hadeeth scholar of India who was also teaching in Madeenah.  One of Muhammad Hayaat as-Sindee's students was Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhaab (raheemahumullaah). [Also see a recent study conducted in Nigeria and written in Arabic entitled Asaaneed al-Faqeer ad-Da'eef al-Mutashaafee bi'l-Mushaffa' Ahmad as-Shareef (Ms. University of Ibadan Library 82/137:Ibadan, Centre of Islamic Documentatino (CAD). This sanad was also mentioned by an American Muslim researcher who had graduated from Madeenah University. Also see the research of a non-Muslim researcher Stefan Reichmuth in his "Murtada al-Zabidi (d. 1791) in Biographical and Autobiographical Accounts - Glimpses of Islamic Scholarship in the 18th Century CE" in the Islamic studies journal Die Welt Des Islams - International Journal for the Study of Modern Islam (Leiden, Boston and Koln: Brill, Vol. 39, No. 1, March 1999) p. 70.]

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Another scholar who the contemporary al-Muraabitoon speak much of is 'Uthmaan ibn Foodee (Dan Fodio). The Muraabitoon and other Maalikee Soofees like to use and quote 'Uthmaan Dan Fodio and twist what he said. In fact many of them do not even quote his own writings and books. With regards to fanatical blind following of Imaam Maalik, it is known that "the greatest contribution of Dan Fodio's reforming ideas, apart from his views on Sunnah and Bid'a, was in the field of madhaahib (schools of law)." [F.H. al-Misri (ed.), Bayaan Wujoob ul-Hijrah 'ala'l-'Ibaad (Khartoum University Press and OUP, 1978 CE)] 'Uthmaan ibn Foodee said in his book Hidaayah ut Tullaab [(Zaria: Gaskiya Corporation, 1961), p. 2]"Neither Allaah in His book, nor the Prophet in his Sunnah made it obligatory that one particular madhdhab should be followed, nor did we hear any of the early scholars enjoining a person to follow one way. If they had done that, they would have committed a sin by not allowing people to act in accordance with ahadeeth which that particular way did not give weight to." Other statements from 'Uthmaan ibn Foodee can be found in his book Hisn ul-Afhaam min Juyoosh il-Awhaam (The Fortification of Understanding Against the Armies of Delusion)[This was translated into English as Islam Against Illustions (Quality Press, 1989) by Faslur Rahmaan Siddiqi]. In the book 'Uthmaan ibn Foodee says of many 'scholars,' "If such a person is not aware of the Sunnah it is not permissible to follow him...He is simply a lunatic lost in his special state." [ibid. p.105 (Arabic text), p. 157 (Eng. Text)] 'Uthmaan ibn Foodee also says in the same book, "Some people are ignorant of the Sunnah, but they are anxious to emulate the practices of their Shaykh. If you speak to them about the Sunnah they will reply, "My Shaykh was doing this, my Shaykh was doing that," thus contradicting the clear and open Sunnah." [ibid. p.90 (Arabic text), p. 99 (Eng. Text)] 'Uthmaan ibn Foodee also mad similar statements in his books Irshaad al -Ummah ilaa Tayseer il-Milla and Tawqeef ul-Muslimeen. [Ahmad Mohammad Khani, The Intellectual Origin of the Sokoto Jihad (Ibadan, Nigeria: Iman Publications, Muharram 1405 AH/1985 CE). Pp.85-90] These statements from 'Uthmaan Ibn Foodee (Dan Fodio) are sound advice fro the al-Muraabitoon Soofee movement, who actually claim to follow him!? However, the al-Muraabitoon regularly propagate that whoever does not follow a madhhab is a "Wahhabbi"!?

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He studied Arabic, Aqida, Maliki Fiqh, Ahadith, Tasawwuf

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Amir Muhammad has devoted himself to teaching and tirelessly calling people from all walks of life to Allah, the Sunnah of His messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace), and the methodology of Shaykh 'Uthman ibn Fuduye'