YAQEEN INSTITUTE

ZERO Accountability

Yaqeen Institute has chosen to remain RADIO SILENT regarding allegations that have surfaced regarding their CEO, Omar Suleiman. Despite the evidences and recordings that have been unveiled, the silence they choose to maintain is indicative of the fact that they are merely an organization in disseminating information and not rooted in abiding by the religious principles that they propagate through their media and articles. Details regarding Omar Suleiman’s egregious behavior, unbecoming of a public religious figure, can be found via the link below.

[details coming soon]

Slander

After Omar’s close friend and longstanding community member, Salman, released a video regarding Dunia Shuaib and the negligence exhibited by Omar and others, Omar began engaging in a character assassination campaign against him.

Relaying lies to multiple parties including, but not limited to, community members and social media influencers such as Ali Dawah and Muslim Cowboy
Relaying baseless and malicious lies that Salman had essentially staged the police-driven swatting attack against himself
Lies about advising Salman not to marry Dunia Shuaib
Lies about the timeline of when he stopped talking to Dunia Shuaib
Lies denying the claims made by Salman about delaying his call with Dunia until his wife left the home

Disparaging Comments

Omar Suleiman has made derogatory remarks about the Desi community, labeling it as “shallow” and dismissing cultural practices such as Qur’an memorization as superficial acts for social validation. He criticized Desi women, particularly mothers of Qur’an memorizers, suggesting they often do not wear hijab properly or at all. These statements, rooted in an ethnocentric Arab superiority complex and perceived as reductive and stereotypical, have sparked widespread outrage, with many viewing them as an unwarranted attack on the dignity and values of South Asians, who constitute a significant portion of the global Muslim population. Such comments undermine the rich cultural and religious heritage of the Indian subcontinent, further fueling concerns of prejudice and divisiveness within the community.

Omar Suleiman: “Desi Culture Is Very Shallow!”

Wrongful Termination

Yaqeen Institute wrongfully terminated Dr. Abu Ayah a few months after he spoke up about his personal ordeal as a single father battling for custody of his daughters, alleging that Islamic principles were disregarded during his divorce proceedings, accusing Yaser Birjas (an advisor at Yaqeen) of enabling deviant rulings and biases against fathers, and highlighting the emotional and spiritual devastation he has endured in his fight to protect his children and uphold Islamic law. This was deemed as retaliation after he was implicitly advised against going public.

Dr. Abu Ayah [Yaqeen Employee]
Breaks His Silence

Promotion of UFC/MMA

In June of 2024, Yaqeen Institute published a video that controversially promoted UFC/MMA and featured Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady, the brother-in-law of Yaqeen’s founder, Omar Suleiman. This decision has sparked significant backlash, as it represents a glaring disregard for the Islamic principles of modesty, non-violence, and justice.

The Impermissibility of UFC/MMA in Islam

There is a consensus among Islamic scholars regarding the prohibition of UFC/MMA. The following reasons underline this stance:

Sanctity of the Face: The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ instructed, “When any one of you fights, let him avoid (striking) the face” (Bukhārī). UFC/MMA glorifies striking the face, causing physical harm, and inflicting unnecessary violence.
Immediate and Long-Term Harm: These sports glorify knockouts and physical domination, often leading to severe injuries, including concussions, broken bones, and long-term issues like Chronic Traumatic Encephalitis (CTE).
Modesty Violations: Fighters expose their `awrah, violating the hallmark of Islam — Haya’ (modesty).
Haram Sponsors: These events are riddled with promotions for alcohol and other impermissible products.
Promotion of Arrogance and Violence: UFC/MMA cultivates egos, promotes smack talk, and glorifies physical aggression, all of which contradict Islamic values.

Condemnation

Even Yaqeen’s own scholar, Mohammad Elshinawy, has explicitly criticized the compatibility of UFC/MMA with Islam, stating that “smashing people’s faces in for sport is displeasing to Allah,” and that the sport “collides with the hallmark of Islam – Haya’ (modesty).”

Mohammad Elshinawy, as an employee and respected scholar at Yaqeen Institute, WHY do you remain SILENT regarding the promotion of the UFC — something you deemed as "displeasing to Allāh" — all while being broadcast under the guise of "Islamic content"???

Mikaeel Smith

Abu Eesa [1 of 2]

Abu Eesa [2 of 2]

Nepotism and Mismanagement of Donors’ Funds

The choice to highlight Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady as “The Pride of Palestine” is also problematic. Beyond the moral and ethical concerns regarding the promotion of such sports, this episode reveals a deeper issue — nepotism. Spending thousands of dollars of donor funds to feature a family member undermines the integrity of Yaqeen Institute’s mission. This act calls into question the priorities of the organization and its leadership’s accountability to its donors.
*see screenshot of social media post in section below, where Omar Suleiman is clearly promoting his brother-in-law’s UFC engagement.

Censoring Constructive Feedback

Behind Veils, among others, raised these concerns in comments, questioning the decision-making process behind the video, the lack of adherence to Islamic principles, and the blatant promotion of nepotism. Instead of addressing these valid concerns, Yaqeen chose to silence critics by banning them from further engagement.