The Nur uz-Zamaan Institute is a Muslim educational institution in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. ^{1 2} Its parent organization is Masjid Uthman Dan Fodiyo, a Muslim mosque in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that teaches Islam from an African perspective. ^{3 4}

The Nur uz-Zamaan Institute is notable for the controversial statements of its president and lead religious scholar and imam, Na’eem Abdullah, especially regarding his preaching of anti-Semitism. ^{1 5 6}

Background

As an educational branch of Masjid Uthman Dan Fodiyo, the Nur uz-Zamaan Institute follower the teachings of Uthman Fodiyo, a Sufi jihadist Nigerian imam who died in 1817 and led an African Islamic revolution in Western Africa that established the Sokoto Caliphate. ^{7 8} The Nur uz-Zamaan Institute claims to offer religious educational resources for “Black People” based on Fodiyo’s preaching and the teachings of Islam. ⁹

Activities

The Nur uz-Zamaan Institute produces much of its work through its YouTube channel and radio show which contain recorded and live-streamed sermons from various imams and Islamic religious scholars. ^{10 11} The institute also publishes what it calls “the Black Lessons” on its Facebook profile which offer Islamic teachings specifically oriented toward Black Islamic liberation topics. ^{12 2} The Institute also maintains several religious classes led by its lead imam, Na’eem Abdullah, at Masjid al-Mumin, another mosque in Pittsburgh. ¹³

The Nur uz-Zamaan Institute hosts the Black Imams Roundtable (BIRT) which it livestreams on Facebook and YouTube. These roundtables feature prominent Black imams from the American northeast, including Imam Amin Muhammad from Masjid Muhammad of Atlantic City, New Jersey; Imam Faheem Lea from the Quba School and Islamic Center of Camden, New Jersey; and the institute’s own Imam Na’eem Abdullah. ¹³

The institute also organizes local events that bring together the Black Muslim community of the greater Northeastern United States and pilgrimages and trips to Africa through its Nur African Tours program. ^{14 13} It also operates an online bookstore that sells Islamic religious goods. ¹⁵

Masjid Uthman Dan Fodiyo

Masjid Uthman Dan Fodiyo is the parent organization of the Nur uz-Zamaan Institute. ¹⁶ The mosque honors imams Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin and Luqman Abdullah, both leaders of the Al-Ummah radical, Black nationalist-influenced Islamic organization that formed in the United States around the 1970s. ⁸ Al-Ummah advocates for creating an independent Islamic state within the U.S. ¹⁷

The Clarion Project claims that Masjid Uthman Dan Fodiyo also has connections to convicted ISIS terrorist Edward Archer through a guest lecturer who was a friend of Archer’s and defended his actions after Archer shot a Philadelphia police officer in January 2016 and was sentenced up to 97 years in prison. ^{8 18}

Controversies

In 2019, Nur uz-Zamaan Institute president Na’eem Abdullah was caught preaching antisemitism during a sermon uploaded to the group’s YouTube page. During the sermon, Abdullah claimed that Jews “are running everything” and “have all the money” in America. He continued, saying that in the Qur’an God asks Muslims to never become “like the Jews.” Abdullah argued that Moses and Jesus were Muslims and that Muslims should discriminate against Jews just as Muhammad expelled Jews from Medina. Further, Abdullah claimed Christianity and Judaism have been co-opted by white supremacy. ¹⁹ Abdullah also shared his belief that some Jews have been “turned into monkeys and pigs.” ⁵

In response to reports of his antisemitic remarks, Abdullah released a 27-minute video on Nur uz-Zamaan’s YouTube page titled “Setting the Record Straight & Addressing the Slanderous Attacks Against Me #MEMRIslander.” Abdullah defended his comments in the video, arguing that his words from the original Arabic sermon were mistranslated. He claimed the Middle East Media Research Institute intentionally reorganized his words to make them seem more antisemitic, anti-police, and violent. ⁶

Leadership

Na’eem Abdullah is the president of the Nur uz-Zamaan Institute. ¹ He has been accused of regularly preaching antisemitism and Black Islamic nationalism through his work with the institute and other mosques throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. ¹⁹ Abdullah is also an imam at Masjid al-Mu’min of Pittsburgh. ¹³

1. “Home.” Nur uz-Zamaan Institute. Accessed December 8, 2024. https://www.nuruzzamaaninstitute.org/
2. “Nur uz-Zamaan Profile.” Facebook. Accessed December 8, 2024. https://www.facebook.com/lightoftheage/
3. “Masjid Uthman dan Fodiyo Philadelphia Pa.” Facebook. Accessed December 7, 2024. https://www.facebook.com/masjiddanfodiyo/
4. “Clarion Intel EXCLUSIVE: Nationwide Militant Islamist Network.” Clarion Project. July 11, 2019. Accessed December 7, 2024. https://clarionproject.org/2019/07/11/clarion-intel-exclusive-report-nationwide-violent-islamist-network/
5. Reinherz, Adam. “Pittsburgh imam condemned for anti-Semitic remarks.” Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle. February 8, 2019. Accessed December 8, 2024. https://jewishchronicle.timesofisrael.com/pittsburgh-imam-condemned-for-anti-semitic-remarks/
6. “Pittsburgh Imam Naeem Abdullah Responds To MEMRI Exposure Of His Statements, Adds: ‘They Are A Bunch Of Liars’ And ‘Their Only Intent Was To Slander Muslims.’” Middle East Media Research Institute. February 8, 2019. Accessed December 8, 2024. https://www.memri.org/reports/pittsburgh-imam-naeem-abdullah-responds-memri-exposure-his-statements-adds-they-are-bunch
7. “Usman dan Fodio and the Sokoto Caliphate.” Country Studies, U.S. Library of Congress. Accessed December 8, 2024. https://countrystudies.us/nigeria/9.htm
8. “Clarion Intel EXCLUSIVE: Nationwide Militant Islamist Network.” Clarion Project. July 11, 2019. Accessed December 8, 2024. https://clarionproject.org/2019/07/11/clarion-intel-exclusive-report-nationwide-violent-islamist-network/
9. “About.” Nur uz-Zamaan Institute. Accessed December 8, 2024. https://www.nuruzzamaaninstitute.org/about
10. “Nur uz-Zamaan Institute Official Channel.” YouTube. Accessed December 8, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/@nuruzzamaan
11. “Class with Amir khalil Abdullahi – Live from Masjid Uthman Dan Fodiyo.” Nur uz-Zamaan Radio on MixCloud. July 6, 2014. Accessed December 8, 2024. https://www.mixcloud.com/nuruz-zamaanradio/class-with-amir-khalil-abdullahi-live-from-masjid-uthman-dan-fodiyo/
12. “The Black Lessons.” Nur uz-Zamaan Institute. Accessed December 8, 2024. https://www.nuruzzamaaninstitute.org/the-black-lessons
13.  “Updates.” Nur uz-Zamaan Institute. Accessed December 8, 2024. https://www.nuruzzamaaninstitute.org/general-8
14. “Upcoming Events.” Nur uz-Zamaan Institute. Accessed December 8, 2024. https://www.nuruzzamaaninstitute.org/about-1
15. “Bookstore.” Nur uz-Zamaan Institute. Accessed December 8, 2024. https://www.nuruzzamaaninstitute.org/bookstore
16. “Nur uz Zamaan Institute.” Masjid Uthman Dan Fodiyo. Accessed December 8, 2024. https://masjiduthmandanfodiyo.weebly.com/nur-uz-zamaan-institute.html
17. Gartenstein-Ross, Daveed . “The Shooting of Luqman Abdullah.” Foundation for Defense of Democracies. November 18, 2009. Accessed December 8, 2024. https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2009/11/18/the-shooting-of-luqman-abdullah/
18. “Edward Archer Sentenced Up To 97 Years In Prison For Shooting Of Officer Jesse Hartnett In Name Of ISIS.” CBS News. May 14, 2018. Accessed December 8, 2024. https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/sentencing-day-for-edward-archer-who-shot-philadelphia-officer-jesse-hartnett-in-name-of-isis/
19. “Pittsburgh Imam: Jews ‘running everything,’ and ‘have all the money’.” Cleveland Jewish News. January 29, 2019. Accessed December 8, 2024. https://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/jns/pittsburgh-imam-jews-running-everything-and-have-all-the-money/article_ebb2427b-6f29-5638-8bd8-86287749bdcc.html