Meet the Imam’s
Imam SHAYKH IMAM MOMODOU CEESAY
Resident Imam/Chairman of AShura Board of Director’s
Imam Shaykh Momodou Ceesay, born into a devout Muslim family in The Gambia, West Africa, began his educational journey memorizing the Quran at age 13. He furthered his Islamic education in Senegal under Shaykh Abdul Aziz Ibn Malick Sy, then pursued studies in Tunisia and Egypt. Graduating with a degree in Arabic Literature and Islamic Studies from AL-AHZAR University, he returned to Gambia to teach and founded the Jamiyyathul Shabab Al Islamia. In 1989, he moved to the United States, dedicating himself to community service, interfaith work, and education. He's known for translating the Quran into Mandinka and promoting understanding among diverse faiths. As Resident Imam of The Muslim Center since 2013, he has expanded educational programs, increased attendance, and diversified activities. Imam Ceesay's vision is to build a prosperous community that values knowledge, working toward establishing a library and school. He is happily married to Kaddy Ceesay and is a proud father of three children.
Al Hajj Imam Mika’il Stewart Saadiq
Detroit, MI/United States/48221 | (313) 355-0261
mstewartsaadiq@gmail.com | linqapp.com/mikail?r=link
Assistant ImamImam Mikail has taught and administrated at the historic Al-Ikhlas Training Academy in Detroit since 1999. He is a former Detroit Police Chaplain and currently the Assistant Imam at The Muslim Center (Detroit). He completed a two-year term as Co-Chair of the Imams Council of Michigan in early 2024. From 2016 to 2021, as a Detroit City Council liaison, he advocated for civic engagement, social equity, and empowerment. Imam Mikail has become known for his political and social activism, and his passionate commentary on black and youth social issues.
In 2013, he became the first Muslim to offer the invocation for a Michigan State Senate session. At the end of 2014, he gained international notoriety when he organized 65,000 people to participate in a 24-hour social media blackout called The National Black Day of Silence; to protest the exploitation of violence against Blacks and marginalized peoples. In 2021, he authored the first draft of the City of Detroit’s Malcom X Day Resolution, which went on to declare that Malcom X Day be recognized every third Friday in the month of May.
In 2023, he led the launch of the national Assessing the State of the African American Muslim Community project cosponsored by five of the most notable Black Muslim led organizations in the country. He holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Criminal Justice and is a Certified Google Project Management Professional. As the founder and lead at Stewart Saadiq Consulting, he has contributed to two presidential campaigns and several local campaigns and offices. The Imam currently lives on Detroit’s northwest side where he and his wife raise their five youngest children.