Shaykh Muhammad Rami Nsour

Rami Nsour
Ustadh Rami Nsour was born in Amman, Jordan and moved to the United States at the age of 9. He was first introduced to the study of sacred knowledge while attending classes taught by shuyukh in the San Francisco Bay Area; notably, Shaykh Khatri bin Bayba, Shaykh Abdullah bin Ahmedna and Shaykh Hamza Yusuf. Studying at the hands of these inspirational shuyukh kindled his desire to further his studies of the Deen. With their encouragement, Ustadh Rami embarked on a journey to the West African country of Mauritania in 1998 where he became a full-time student of the sacred sciences for several years.

In Mauritania, he studied under the tutelage of some of the greatest scholars of our times such as his foremost teacher, Shaykh Murabit al Hajj bin Fahfu. He was also blessed to study with Murabit Muhammad al-Amin bin al-Shaykh, Murabit Ahmed Fal bin Ahmedna, Shaykh Abdullah bin Ahmedna, Shaykh Tahir ibn Murabit al Hajj and Shaykh Sa'd Bu among others. During the many years he spent in Mauritania, he studied at the School, or Mahdara, of Murabit Al Hajj. All of his lessons were one-on-one. This Mahdara is famous for producing some of the most learned scholars in history. Due to the rigors of its studies, this Mahdara attracts many serious students. Its academic make-up allows for the complete study of the Shari'ah by way of individual lessons with each scholar, followed by review of the lessons with seasoned students and finally, by witnessing the Deen come to life as the laws are implemented on a daily basis by all.

While studying at the Mahdra, Ustadh Rami completed studies in the subjects of Qur'an, Aqeedah, Fiqh, Seerah, Nahu and Ihsan. He dedicated much of his time to studying Maliki Fiqh up to the highest level. He has completed the final text of Maliki fiqh, Mukhtasar Khalil, with memorization has been granted permission by his shuyukh to teach Maliki fiqh. In addition to his extensive study of fiqh, he was afforded the unique opportunity to attend one-on-one sessions with his teachers where he would engage them in countless hours of discuss on the application of fiqh in general and in the West, in specific. It was during these unique sessions that Ustadh Rami developed a love for applying the knowledge gained from his studies to real-life situations. The acquisition of this exceptional skill coupled with his desire to take knowledge to others, would later aid Ustadh Rami in helping countless people and prove to be of immense benefit to all those who would come in contact with him.

Upon returning to California, he continued his study of advanced texts with Shaykh Saleck bin Sidine, a visiting scholar from Mauritania at the Zaytuna Institute. In the years that followed, he lived with Shaykh Saleck and was again afforded the opportunity to learn practical applications of fiqh and fatwa during this extraordinary "in-residence" experience. Ustadh Rami had been teaching and translating for the Zaytuna Institute on visits home to California and continued teaching classes while living and studying with Shaykh Saleck. The classes he taught at the Zaytuna Institute spanned from 2000-2004 and included Maliki fiqh and topics on adab/ihsan based on the works of Shaykh Muhammad Mawlud.

Ustadh Rami has also been gifted with the ability to translate traditional Islamic texts from classical Arabic into the English language in a clear and precise manner. His partial translations of Tadrib as-Salik, al-Izziyyah and Aqrab al-Masalik have been of great service to Malikis living in the West. In addition, his contribution to the science of Islamic etiquette/Adab by translating several works of the great Mauritanian scholar, Shaykh Muhammad Mawlud, have also been of immense benefit to all who have studied these texts. They include Birr al-Walidayan (The Rights of Parents), Ishraq al-Qarar (The Spiritual Aspects of Prayer), and the Adab of Sadaqa. He has also translated a versified version of Adab of the Student entitled Inayant al-Mutafahim (The Assistance of the Student), by Shaykh Muhammad al Hasan.

In addition, Ustadh Rami has dedicated much of his time to community work. He has taught at several local masajid, conducted seminars on Fard Ayn topics and has been involved in marriage counseling. He has spent a great deal of his time teaching and aiding Muslims in prison that are seeking traditional knowledge. His students in the prisons have in turn taught countless people and invited many people to Islam. He has been invited to speak at several national and international Islamic programs and has taught extensively throughout the US and Canada. He was also instrumental in founding Dar as-Salaam, a project dedicated to building and supporting a school which teaches the traditional sciences to adults and children in Mauritania. Ustadh Rami's experience with children includes teaching them the subjects of Arabic, Aqeeda, Fiqh and Adab/Suluk.

He is founder and director of the Tayba Foundation, an educational organization dedicated to preserving the sacred sciences by developing educational programs based on the traditional Islamic texts. At the forefront of the Tayba Foundation's efforts is the compilation of comprehensive educational curriculum whose aim is to teach Muslim children their Fard Ayn knowledge and thereby instill in them a strong sense of Islamic identity. Ustadh Rami currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area, is married and has one child.