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Hamza Yusuf currently serves as president of Zaytuna College in Berkeley, California, the first accredited Muslim liberal arts college in the United States, offering both bachelor's and master's degree programs. He was ranked by The Muslim 500 as the 23rd most influential Muslim worldwide.

A leading proponent of classical learning, the traditional liberal arts, and Great Books education in both the Western and Muslim traditions, he has translated, authored, and coauthored numerous publications, including scholarly books, articles, and papers addressing major contemporary ethical concerns.

He serves as vice president of the UAE-based Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies. He is also a co-president of Religions for Peace and served on the Ethics in Action for Sustainable and Integral Development initiative, a collaboration among Religions for Peace, the Vatican, the United Nations, and other organizations.

He is a member of the Jordanian Royal Academy for Islamic Studies and has worked with Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad on key initiatives promoting peace between Muslims and Christians. He also works closely with Shaykh Abdallah bin Bayyah, the architect of the Marrakesh Declaration, a groundbreaking document defending the rights of non-Muslims in Muslim-majority societies. He translated the declaration into English and has helped promote it globally.

He holds traditional advanced degrees (ijazaat) in Islamic law and theology, as well as a BA in Religious Studies from San Jose State University and a PhD from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California.

Yusuf has served as an advisor to many organizations, leaders, and heads of state. He has been an innovator in modern Islamic education, founding the highly imitated Deen Intensives and, together with Shaykh Ibrahim Osi-Efa, establishing the first Rihla program in England, which has been running for over fifteen years. Dozens of young Muslims influenced by his call to revive traditional Islamic studies in the West traveled to Muslim lands in the 1990s and early 2000s to study, many of whom are now teachers in their own right.

Together with Eissa Bougary, Yusuf initiated a media project in the Arab world that resulted in a highly successful cultural and religious program. He hosted the program for three years, during which it became one of the most-watched programs in the Arab world during Ramadan. According to Cambridge Media Studies, the program had a profound influence on subsequent religious programming in the Arab world. He has also been interviewed by the BBC on several occasions and was featured in the BBC documentary segment “The Faces of Islam,” which ushered in the new millennium when it aired at 11:30 p.m. on December 31, 1999.

Yusuf has also authored numerous articles, essays, and academic papers. His published books include The Burda (2003), Purification of the Heart (2004), The Content of Character (2004), The Creed of Imam al-Tahawi (2007), Agenda to Change Our Condition (2007), Walk on Water (2010), The Prayer of the Oppressed (2010), and The Hamziyyah (2025).

Sandala, Inc. serves as the publishing and production arm of Yusuf’s work. Its mission, God willing, is to continue the Islamic tradition of excellence in all works related to knowledge and the sacred. All proceeds are reinvested in the production of much-needed works that are both globally accessible and affordable.