Uthman Ibn Farooq Yusufzai
Uthman Ibn Farooq Yusufzai, commonly known as Sheikh Uthman, is an American da’eeh. He is best known for his work with the One Message Foundation (OMF), a platform aimed at inviting people to Islam through interfaith dialogue and public outreach. Uthman gained widespread recognition for his street dawah efforts in Balboa Park, San Diego, where he engages in religious discussions and debates, primarily with Christians and atheists. His videos on YouTube have garnered millions of views, making him a key figure in modern Islamic outreach efforts in the West.
Uthman Ibn Farooq Yusufzai | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Title | Sheikh | |||||||||
| Personal | ||||||||||
| Born | ||||||||||
| Religion | Islam | |||||||||
| Denomination | Sunni | |||||||||
| Jurisprudence | Hanbali | |||||||||
| Creed | Athari | |||||||||
| Main interest(s) | Aqida, Fiqh, Hadith | |||||||||
| Occupation | Islamic scholar, Da’i | |||||||||
YouTube information | ||||||||||
| Channel | ||||||||||
| Years active | September 29, 2014–present | |||||||||
| Subscribers | 1.14 million[1] | |||||||||
| Total views | 497 million[1] | |||||||||
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Last updated: 14 October 2024 | ||||||||||
| Website | www | |||||||||
Early life and education
[edit]Uthman was born in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, of the Afghan-Pashtun Yusufzai Tribe. He grew up in California, United States, where he was exposed to gang life. He began to be heavily influenced by religion in his late teens, reading about Christianity and Islam. As he grew older, he traveled to countries such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Pakistan, and the United Arab Emirates to study under traditional Islamic scholars.
Uthman earned several ijazat (Islamic certifications) in various fields of Islamic law and theology, including Hanbali Fiqh (jurisprudence), Hadith (prophetic traditions), and Usul al-Fiqh (principles of Islamic jurisprudence). His mentors included notable scholars like Sheikh Awad al-Gargur and others from traditional Islamic seminaries.[2] He also holds secular academic qualifications, including a degree in Information Technology and an Executive MBA in Technology Management.[3]
Career
[edit]Uthman serves as the Imam at Masjid Al-Ribat in San Diego, California. In addition to his role as an Imam, he has dedicated much of his life to dawah (Islamic outreach). In 2014, he founded the One Message Foundation, a platform that focuses on educating people about Islam through debates, lectures, and street dawah.[4]
One of his most notable contributions has been his street dawah sessions at Balboa Park, where he regularly engages with passersby, including Christians, atheists, and people from other faith backgrounds. His debates, often centered around theological and philosophical topics, are filmed and posted on YouTube, where they have gained significant viewership. Through his channel, Uthman aims to clear misconceptions about Islam and present the religion in a peaceful, rational manner.
One Message Foundation:
The One Message Foundation (OMF) was established with the mission of spreading the message of Islam through education and outreach. Sheikh Uthman has stated that the foundation is rooted in the principles of peaceful dialogue and interfaith engagement. The foundation’s YouTube channel features videos of live dawah interactions, including debates and discussions with people of other faiths. The content aims to address common misconceptions about Islam, covering topics such as the concept of God in Islam, the authenticity of the Qur’an, and comparative religion .
The success of the One Message Foundation is attributed to its accessibility, as the videos reach a global audience through social media. Uthman’s calm and methodical approach to engaging in religious debates has earned him respect both within the Muslim community and among interfaith audiences.
Personal life
[edit]Uthman ibn Farooq is married and a father of several children. He lives in San Diego, California, where he is actively involved in community service. In addition to his dawah efforts, Uthman regularly conducts classes and lectures on Islamic theology and practice at Masjid Al-Ribat. He emphasizes the importance of adhering to the Qur’an and Sunnah (the way of the Prophet Muhammad), and encourages Muslims to continually seek knowledge and engage in dawah work.
References
[edit]- ^ a b "About One Message Foundation". YouTube.
- ^ "The Muslim Voice, Nigeria". Retrieved 24 October 2024.
- ^ "Canadian Dawah Conference". Retrieved 24 October 2024.
- ^ "Masjid Ribat". Retrieved 24 October 2024.