Muhammad al-Asi

Who is Muhammad al-Asi?

Imam Muhammad al-Asi is the Muslim imam who formerly led prayer at the Islamic Center of Washington, and currently spends most of his time teaching and working on the first Quranic exegesis to be written originally in English. Al-Asi was elected as the Imam of the masjid in 1981. In March 1983, al-Asi was expelled from the center for preaching views that were deemed antithetical to the Saudi establishment. Although he still identifies himself as Imam of the Islamic Center, the Center has stated that it has no affiliation with him. He still holds Jumu'ah khutbahs every Friday on the sidewalk in front of the Islamic Center.

Muhammad al-Asi was born in Grand Rapids, MI in 1951. At the age of 11 he moved to Lebanon. There, he completed high school and attended the Arab University of Beirut, where he intensively studied the Arabic language. In 1973, al-Asi returned to the U.S. and attended the University of Maryland, graduating with a degree in Government and Politics in 1979.

Al-Asi is active in the global Islamic movement, most notably through his involvement with the Crescent International news magazine. He frequently speaks at universities across the United States, Canada, and Europe.