Ustadh Abass Darab
Leading with Heart, Guiding with Wisdom
SALAM Board of Trustees Announcement
SALAM Welcomes Ustadh Abass Darab as Lead Imam and Faculty Member
The SALAM Islamic Center and the SALAM Center for Higher Islamic Learning are honored to announce the appointment of Ustadh Abass as the Lead Imam of SALAM and a faculty member at the SALAM Center for Higher Islamic Learning.
Ustadh Abass began his studies at the distinguished Zaytuna College, where he focused on Islamic Law and Theology, and later continued his academic and spiritual journey at the Madina Institute in South Africa. There, he taught Arabic and deepened his studies under local scholars in Cape Town. He is currently completing his advanced graduate studies in Islamic Chaplaincy at Bayan Islamic Graduate School. Beyond his formal academic training, Ustadh Abass has deepened his scholarship through traditional Islamic study with esteemed scholars across the Muslim world – from Mauritania, South Africa, Yemen, Senegal, Gambia, and Jordan. As a fluent English, Farsi, and Arabic speaker, he brings with him extensive experience in Islamic education, spiritual empowerment, and youth mentorship.
Inshaa Allah, Ustadh Abass will officially begin his responsibilities at SALAM in late August 2025, joining the team as Lead Imam. His focus will include youth mentorship, curriculum development, and leading SALAM’s November 2025 ‘Umrah trip’. In addition, he will serve as a faculty member in the English Track of the Seminary Program at the Center for Higher Islamic Learning, where he is scheduled to teach Sīrah – Life of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ during the Fall 2025 semester. His presence represents a meaningful step forward in advancing SALAM’s mission of spiritual development, academic excellence, and community empowerment.
We warmly invite our community to join us in making duaa for Ustadh Abass and his family, asking Allah SWT to bless their transition from the East Coast, make this relocation as a blessed Hijrah for His cause, increase him in beneficial knowledge, and make him a guiding light and mentor for our youth and larger community seeking purpose and belonging. We ask Allah SWT to bless the entire SALAM leadership with wisdom, sincerity, and success. May He place abundant barakah in our community, unite our hearts, and guide us in building a vibrant and compassionate future. Ameen.
Omar MoheyEldin, Chairperson
SALAM Board of Trustees
