Hamza Yusuf

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Hamza Yusuf

In Madinah during the Rihla of July 2005
Born Mark Hanson
1960
Walla Walla, Washington
Flag of the United States United States
Residence San Ramon, California
Occupation Islamic scholar
Title Sheikh
Religious beliefs Sunni Islam
Children 5
Website
http://www.zaytuna.org

Hamza Yusuf Hanson is an Islamic scholar who teaches at the Zaytuna Institute in California, U.S.. He is one of the signatories of A Common Word Between Us and You, an open letter by Islamic scholars to Christian leaders, calling for peace and understanding.

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life

Hamza Yusuf was born as Mark Hanson in Walla Walla, Washington and was raised in Northern California in a Greek Orthodox family, the son of a US academic father, veteran of WWII, and activist mother. At the age of 17, in 1977, Hanson converted to Islam in Santa Barbara, California, after having a near-death experience in a car accident which led him to read the Qur'an and eventually become a Muslim.

[edit] Years abroad

Yusuf spent four years studying in the United Arab Emirates and elsewhere in the Middle East. Later he traveled to West Africa and studied in Mauritania, Medina, Algeria, and Morocco under such scholars as Sheikh Murabit al Haaj; Sheikh Baya bin Salik, head of the Islamic court in Al-'Ain, United Arab Emirates; Sheikh Muhammad Shaybani, Mufti of Abu Dhabi; Sheikh Hamad al-Wali; and Sheikh Muhammad al-Fatrati of Al Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt. After more than a decade abroad, he returned to the United States and earned degrees in nursing from Imperial Valley College and religious studies at San José State University. In 1996, Yusuf co-founded the Hayward, California-based Zaytuna Institute, dedicated to the revival of Islamic Sciences 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 Arabic[1] and presently oversees an effort to establish an Islamic seminary in Berkeley, California. He has hosted three seasons of "Rihla (Journeys) With Sheikh Hamza" on the Arabic-language MBC satellite channel.

At the recommendation of Abdullah bin Bayyah, he met with President George W. Bush shortly after the September 11 attacks. He also net with the Arab League, and global leaders at the World Economic Forum at Davos. Sheikh Hamza has been a prominent Muslim voice denouncing terrorism and extremism, 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 Fes. He is married and has five children, all boys.

[edit] Political Involvement

Yusuf has occasionally found himself mired in controversy, from Muslims and non-Muslims alike. He has been denounced for appearing alongside the Bush administration after 9/11,[2] and has been called Bush's "pet Muslim".[3]

Yusuf claimed to have failed Daniel Pipes and Stephen Schwartz 'radical interpretation of Islam' test.[4] Hamza Yusuf refers to Pipes and his books as "dangerous". Hamza Yusuf said "these people talk about Islam knowing nothing about it".[5].

In addition, he was mentioned by the British government as someone to help it "combat radicalization" and like the US Government, the UK have used Yusuf as an adviser in dealing with Muslims in the United Kingdom.[6]

[edit] Publications

[edit] 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)

[edit] 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

[edit] Papers

[edit] External links

[edit] Websites

  • Sheikhhamza.com - Contains list of books recommended by Hamza Yusuf, a comprehensive biography and forum.*
  • [1] - Myspace site with Audio Material By Hamza Yusuf
  • MeccaCentric.com - Hamza Yusuf DVDs and CDs

[edit] Articles, Interviews

[edit] Videos

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Speakers", The Doha Debates, 2005-03-09. Retrieved on 2007-03-09. 
  2. ^ "Hamza Yusuf Hanson", FaithWeb, 2005-03-09. Retrieved on 2007-03-09. 
  3. ^ 'If you hate the west, emigrate to a Muslim country' | World news | The Guardian
  4. ^ "Hamza Yusuf Fails My "Test"", Daniel Pipes, 2005-03-09. Retrieved on 2007-03-09. 
  5. ^ "Changing The Tide - Islam in America", Davron Akilbaev, 2007-09-19. 
  6. ^ "Blair government’s strategy to police Britain’s Muslims leaked", World Socialist Web Site, 2005-03-09. Retrieved on 2007-03-09.