Shaykh Abdul-Kareem Yahya

Born and raised in Berkeley, California, Shaykh Abdul-Kareem Yahya, by the Grace of Allah, embraced Islam in 1989 in his home city. In 1996, having been inspired to study religious knowledge by the books of Imam Ghazali (Allah be pleased with him) and the call for the revival of Islamic knowledge, he traveled with his family to Damascus, Syria where he embarked on a course of active pursuit of knowledge. During his two-year stay in Damascus he focused his attention on the acquisition of an elementary knowledge of the Arabic language and Quranic recitation, studying the latter under the tutelage of the highly respected Shaykh of Qur'an Abu Anas (Allah preserve him) at the Rawda Mosque in Damascus. Thereafter he moved on with his family to Tarim, Hadramaut where he currently resides.

As a student at Dar al-Mustafa he has primarily turned his efforts towards keeping the company of his Shaykhs’ from the noble prophetic descendents of Ba Alawi and their lovers as well as attaining a knowledge of the Islamic Sciences. Specializing in jurisprudence according to the school of Muhammad Bin Idris al-Shafi'i (Allah be pleased with him), Shaykh Abdul-Kareem has studied the curriculum of jurisprudence at Dar al-Mustafa all the way to the Minhaj of Imam Nawawi (Allah be pleased him).

Since 1998, Shaykh Abdul-Kareem has been studying at the hands of Habib Umar and his older brother Habib Mashhour, the two sons of the late Habib Muhammad Bin Salim Bin Hafiz, as well as the other teachers of Dar al-Mustafa in Tarim, Hadramaut. Shaykh Abdul-Kareem has been given permission to answer questions according to the Shafi'i School as well as to teach jurisprudence, Arabic Grammar, and other disciplines by his Shaykh Habib Umar, Allah preserve him. He has also worked extensively as a translator For Habib Umar Bin Hafiz and Habib Ali al-Jifri (Allah preserve both of them).

Courses Taught:

Summer 2009 Courses

1. GNL121: The Seal of Prophecy
2. SPR101: The Book of Assistance
3. LAS101: Essentials of Islam (Shafi'i) (Associate Teacher)
4. LAS111: Introduction to Islamic Worship (Shafi'i) - Part 1 (Associate Teacher)

Spring 2009 Courses

1. The Book of Assistance
2. Journey to Allah - Part 2
3. Introduction to Islamic Worship (Shafi'i) - Part 2 (Associate Teacher)
4. Living Islam (Shafi'i)

Other Courses Previously Taught

1. Introduction to Islamic Worship (Shafi'i) - Part 1 (Associate Teacher)
2. Journey to Allah - Part 1
3. Attaining Good Character
4. Full Moon Rising

What His Students Say:

“Shaykh is such a humble man who is blessed with the skill of "breaking it down" for everyone to understand. If he doesn't know the answer to the question, he will freely admit it and try to research/ask about it and get back to the asker. He is able to make everyone feel comfortable and know that they are part of the group. No question is too silly or "basic" in his response.”
Dawn McDonald
Customer Service Manager, Hellertown, USA

“The instructor [Shaykh Abdul Kareem] was clear and concise. The classes started on time every week. He was such an inspiration with the dhkir of Allah. The knowledge that Allah has blessed him with to share with others, may he be re Amee in this world and in the next.”
Francine Dennis
Family Daycare Owner, Philadelphia, USA

“Sheikh Abdul Karim Yahya has the most admirable adab and we really really feel that he is an instructor he lives and represents the sunna of al-Mustafa (salla llahu alayhi wa-sallam).”
Daniel Birnstiel
Student, Cambridge, UK

“The instructor was great. Shaykh Yahya seems to be in a constant state of Dhikhr. Its hard not to be impressed by him. Also he is a very good speaker and presented the course material in a very clear manner.”
Zakariyya Dupont
Caretaker, Youbou, Canada

“Shaykh Abdul Kareem has deep knowledge on the subject, having learnt from those most learned on the subject and he has the most beautiful manners, an he constantly makes dua for us and tries to answer all our questions so that we can learn to apply the fine character traits in our lives. Very humble, always has zikr of Allah on his tongue, always gives us good practical advice and hope that we can improve ourselves.”
Sharifah Lubna Alhadad
Student, Johor Bahru, Malaysia

“Masha'Allah, he too has great oral skills, he is engaging and has a sense of humor.”
Fatimah Alhuseini
Student, Sydney, Australia

“May Allah reward Sheikh Abdul-Kareem for his patient explanations and his wonderful teaching style.”
Mostafa El-Gashingi
Student, Sydney, Australia

“I very much appreciated his willingness to answer questions off topic and his humility, saying that he'd have to research some questions before answering.”
Azeeza Mohamed
Mother, Buffalo, USA

“I loved everything about Shaykh Abdul Kareem. It's difficult to point out and choose the things i admired most!!”
Madiha Noor
Student, Dubai, UAE

“Shaykh 'Abdul-Kareem is a great instructor and shaykh and I highly recommend anyone to take any one of his courses. He is "down to Earth" and "easy to approach" with regards to questions related to the course and he will defer to someone else when he feels a question or topic is outside his realm of expertise (i.e. he doesn't falsely claim to know everything). He first allows students to ask questions any lesson-related questions and tries to answer them; he is also available during his office hours for questions and he also responds to email questions as well (in other words, he is accessible). I admired many traits of Shaykh 'Abdul-Kareem including his sincerity, humility, knowledge, and kindness.”
T. Murtaza Shameem
Web Design/Programming, Carol Stream, USA

“Shaykh 'Abdul-Kareem was very open to our questions and answered them very effectively. The closing supplications at the end of each live lesson was a trait i admired as it helped us to remember others in our duas, an action that tied in with the message of the course.”
Saira Dawood
Student, Lisbon, Spain

“He would ask us questions to test our learning. He was very patient and extremely approachable which I feel is vital esp for an online course. He ensured all our questions were answered.”
Uzma Jung
Ilford, UK

“Masha'Allah extremely concise, thourough, friendly, welcoming, and handled the class with the best respect and manner. Masha'Allah a very humble and insipiring person.”
Nisreen El-Saadoun
Patient care coordinator, Seattle, USA

“I found sheikh Yahya very patient and very sincere in his teaching, may Allah accept his work.”
Anouss El Alaoui
Cornwall, Canada

“(He) was excellent - clear, concise and willing to explain anything patiently.”
Sarah Williams
Student, London, UK

“Mashallah the instructor makes the course very interesting by making it interactive sessions, and by sharing his immense knowledge.”
Rehan Noor
Toronto, Canada

“Sh. Abdul-Kareem is a very motivating and insightful teacher.”
Umm Thabit Zainab Ahmed
Homemaker, Seattle, USA

“I have taken a few courses with Sheikh Abdul-Karim Yahya and always look forward to courses with him, Alhamdulillah. He is a wonderful, clear teacher, full of knowledge and patience, masha Allah. He is inspiring, like so many of SP's teachers, Alhamdulillah.”
Anisah Christensen
Mother, London, Canada

“Shaykh Abdul Kareem Yahya is a wonderful teacher; I've benefitted from every course he's taught and I hope to benefit from more.”
Nagina Razaq
Network Damage Cost Recovery, Slough, UK

“Br. Abdul Kareem Yahya was a great teacher Alhamdulillah. Not only did he know his material, he had a very friendly attitude and teaching style. As well, he was very easy to get a hold of outside of class hours for questions.”
Toshio Rahman
Student, Vancouver, Canada

“By Allah, I think he was a wonderful teacher. He showed patience, kindness, answered questions, provided resources, and knew how to hold my attention. Actually, this was the first class that I took on-line, so it was far better than what I expected.”
Francine Dennis
Family day care provider, Philadelphia, USA

“I can say he's an excellent teacher with an immense love for the Prophet PBUH. And as his student he has been a beneficial source of instilling the love for Rasul Allah PBUH in my heart. May Allah bless Sh Abdul Kareem and his family.”
Nosheen Ayyub
Software Developer, Manchester, UK

“Sh. Abdul Yahya Kareem is definitely a very sincere slave, I can sense his deep committment to serving and passing on knowledge.”
Helen Jamila Kosobayashi
Psychologist, Minneapolis, USA

“Shaykh Abdul Karim sowed taqwa and common sense in dealing with issues that affect Muslims in the West. I am very grateful to him.”
Mohyudin Dingle
Student, Nuneaton, UK

“Shaykh Abdul Kareem as always is such a good teacher. Very patient, knowledgeable, friendly and he incorporates a joke or two so we are all not so tensed. And Shaykh was also readily available during office hours, by email and also thru questions and answers in the forum. Shaykh Abdul Kareem - SIMPLY THE BEST!”
Farah Chaudhry
Chief Cardiac Physiologist, London, UK

“Shaykh Abdul Kareem was an extremely good instructor and he taught us much not just regarding the subject matter but also through his sincerity and fine example of adab.”
Sharifah Lubna binte Syed Ahmad Alhadad
Student, Johor Bahru, Malaysia

“Shaykh Abdalkarim Yahya is an amazing asset to the Ummah of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), his wittiness and ability to teach makes sitting in his class all the more enjoyable and beneficial. His tongue is constantly moist with the dhikr of Allah and His Messenger, I did not notice a moment of silence in the live session except that he was making dhikr or Allah and His Messenger. May Allah reward him and his family and benefit the Ummah through him and through Sunnipath. Ameen.”
Omar Helal
Software Developer, Sydney, Australia

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