Office of the Imams / Past Imams
Office of the Imams
Past Imams
A tribute to the scholars and teachers who have served IAR over the years.
Since 1985, four Imams have led, taught, and cared for this community — each bringing their own scholarship, warmth, and years of service before moving on to serve elsewhere. Their work is part of the foundation IAR stands on today.
A legacy of service
The Imams who came before
Four scholars and teachers who devoted years of their lives to serving the IAR Muslim community — leading prayers, teaching, and caring for this community with sincerity and dedication.
A word on knowledge
يَرْفَعِ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ دَرَجَاتٍ
“Allah will raise those who have believed among you and those who were given knowledge, by degrees.”
Surah Al-Mujadila · 58:11
IAR’s First Imam · 1985–2014
Imam Mohammed Baianonie إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ
Born September 23, 1952 in Aleppo, Syria, Imam Baianonie began studying Shariah in the seventh grade at a school that combined standard subjects with Islamic studies. After high school he attended the University of Damascus, then taught at his former school while continuing to study with a range of scholars.
In November 1985, the MSA at NC State invited him to Raleigh, and the community asked him to become their Imam. He accepted, becoming IAR’s very first Imam when construction had barely begun: “When I first came to Raleigh they had not even finished building the first floor of the old masjid.”
Unlike Syria, where Imam work was part-time, IAR asked for a full-time commitment. “There is no such thing as office hours when you are an Imam,” he said. “I have to be available day and night.” His duties extended far beyond leading prayers — counseling families, running education programs, performing marriages and funeral services, and taking part in IANA’s national Fatwa hotline every Tuesday afternoon.
He hoped to establish an Imam training school in Raleigh, beginning with the Al-Bayan School for Qur’an Memorization, and in his personal time loved reading Islamic books in Arabic and preparing halal meals. He deeply valued watching the community’s children grow up, and is remembered by the community as honest, patient, and grounded in Qur’an and Sunnah. He retired in 2014 after 30 years of service.
Assistant Imam & Teacher
Imam Mohammed Faqih
Imam Faqih’s family roots trace to the city of Harar in the Horn of Africa. His forefathers, originally from Yemen, relocated to East Africa, where they held significant roles in the region’s Islamic history.
He earned a B.A. in Islamic Studies from the Institute of Islamic and Arabic Sciences in America (Fairfax, VA) and completed his Qur’an memorization and recitation certification in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
He held the position of Imam at the Islamic Community Center of Laurel in Maryland, and at the Islamic Association of Raleigh he served as assistant Imam and educator. He went on to lead the Islamic Center of San Diego and the Islamic Institute of Orange County (Masjid Omar AlFarouk), and to instruct with AlMaghrib Institute, delivering seminars toward Islamic Studies degrees. His teaching has spanned subjects including the Rules of Engagement, the Islamic Code of Ethics, and the Sciences of the Qur’an. He most recently joined the Memphis Islamic Center as Imam and director of religious affairs, and speaks often about the importance of enriching the youth and building the community’s future leaders.
Imam · January 2008–June 2014
Imam Dr. Sameh Asal
Born in Egypt in 1977, Imam Asal earned his B.A. in Islamic Studies in English as valedictorian, then an M.A. and Ph.D. with first-class honors, also in Islamic Studies in English, all from Al-Azhar University, where he went on to serve as an Assistant Professor. He was a Fulbright Scholar in 2003.
In 2006 he represented Al-Azhar University in interfaith dialogue with the Anglican Church in the United Kingdom, and he has remained active in interfaith programs and bridge-building with other faith communities in the United States — work he describes as “asserting the message of Islam and teaching others about it while offering them utmost respect and honoring their freedom of choice.”
He served as Imam at the Islamic Association of Raleigh from January 2008 through June 2014, working with the Muslim community in Raleigh and the Research Triangle Park area. He delivered daily and weekly lectures, classes, seminars, and workshops on Islamic knowledge, engaged in marital and youth counseling, built strong connections with Muslim youth through tailored programming, represented the community in local media discussions about Islam and Muslims, and promoted Da’wah and interfaith engagement.
In June 2014 he returned to Egypt to defend his Ph.D. dissertation. He went on to serve as Imam of the Islamic Association of West Virginia (May 2015–July 2016) and the Birmingham Islamic Society in Alabama (August 2016–February 2022), and taught Arabic as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham beginning in 2017. In February 2022 he became the first Muslim Chaplain at the Federal Correctional Complex in Tucson, Arizona, where he currently resides with his family.
Imam · 2015–2022
Imam Mohamed Abu Taleb
A lifelong student of the Qur’an, Imam Abu Taleb has memorized the Qur’an and pursued Islamic studies training through the Cambridge Islamic College and Al-Salam Institute in the United Kingdom, studying under teachers themselves trained at Islamic universities across India, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt.
Alongside his religious education, he earned a Ph.D. and Master’s degree in electrical engineering from MIT, and degrees in physics and mathematics from the University of Maryland. He served as an instructor for the OakTree Institute and lectured extensively across American universities, including Harvard, MIT, Columbia, and Georgia Tech, drawing on technical engineering roles spanning academia, government, and industry to bridge sacred and worldly knowledge.
Imam Abu Taleb served IAR from 2015 to 2022, retiring after seven years of service. He is married with one son and one daughter, and describes his greatest charge in life as worshiping Allah by being a good father, husband, and son. As IAR has noted, “he was an essential part of building and strengthening the community and will leave a lasting legacy of leadership.” His recorded lectures remain available on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.
With gratitude
Grateful for their years of service
Each of these Imams gave years of their lives to teaching, counseling, and leading this community in prayer. IAR continues to build on the foundation they left behind.
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Prayer Times & Jumu'ah Schedule
Daily iqamah is the same at both campuses. Jumu’ah speakers differ — check the campus tab.
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| Prayer | Adhan | Iqamah |
|---|---|---|
| Fajr | — | — |
| Shuruq | — | — |
| Dhuhr | — | — |
| Asr | — | — |
| Maghrib | — | — |
| Isha | — | — |
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Monthly prayer schedule