Hamza Yusuf (حمزة يوسف)
Classical Islamic Scholarship & Education
Sheikh Hamza Yusuf is one of the most influential Islamic scholars in the Western world. Born Mark Hanson in Washington state, he converted to Islam at age 17 after a near-death experience in a car accident that led him to question the meaning of life.
He spent over 10 years studying traditional Islamic sciences in the Muslim world — in Mauritania, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and North Africa — learning from some of the last great scholars of the classical tradition. He is fluent in Arabic and deeply versed in Islamic theology, law, philosophy, and spirituality.
In 2009, he co-founded Zaytuna College in Berkeley, California — the first accredited Muslim liberal arts college in the United States. He is considered one of the foremost advocates for classical Islamic education in the English-speaking world.
What Hamza is Known For
Zaytuna College
Co-founded the first accredited Muslim liberal arts college in the US — bringing classical Islamic education to American higher education.
Classical Islamic Scholarship
One of the few Western scholars trained in the traditional Islamic sciences — theology, logic, Arabic grammar, jurisprudence — under master scholars in Africa and the Middle East.
Interfaith Dialogue
A prominent voice in interfaith engagement, known for his intellectual exchanges with Christian, Jewish, and secular scholars.
Purification of the Heart
His translation and commentary on Imam al-Mawlud's poem on spiritual diseases of the heart became a bestselling Islamic book in English.
Recommended Lectures
The Crisis of Knowledge
An analysis of the decline of Islamic scholarship and how Muslims can revive the tradition of deep, rigorous learning.
Purification of the Heart
Based on his acclaimed book — exploring spiritual diseases like envy, arrogance, and anger, and their cures from the Islamic tradition.
The Signs of the End Times
A scholarly analysis of the hadith about the signs of the Hour — connecting them to modern events with depth and nuance.
Muhammad (ﷺ) — A Man for All Seasons
A beautiful portrait of the Prophet's character, mercy, and relevance to the modern world.
Notable Quotes
"The disease of the heart is worse than the disease of the body. A sick body can still worship; a sick heart cannot."
— Hamza Yusuf
"We live in a time where people know the price of everything and the value of nothing."
— Hamza Yusuf
"If you want to know where your heart is, look at where your mind goes when it wanders."
— Hamza Yusuf