Imam Oliver Salahuddin Muhammad
Oliver S. Muhammad was born in Durham, N.C. to Oliver and Thelma Bullock. He was blessed to have three older sisters and a strong extended family. His Grandparents, Father and Uncles were all sharecroppers in rural Durham County, in Rougemont, N.C.
Imam Oliver comes from a rich religious tradition on both sides of his family. Most of the men in his family were either Pastors or Deacons in their respective Churches. His father is a 33rd degree Mason/Shriner and Potentate. This would greatly impact his spiritual formation as a young man. His mother was a Lady of The Eastern Stars.
Being a child of the turbulent civil rights era there were historical, socio-economic and political paradoxes that would cause a paradigm shift in his theological thinking. He observed his father’s frustrations in providing for his family and also having many in-depth conversations with him after reading the newspapers, magazines, books and watching the evening news regarding the unjust treatment African Americans.
Imam Oliver credits the leadership of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, Al Hajj Malik Shabazz aka Malcolm X, Imam Warith Deen Mohammed ,Shaykh Kenneth Muhammad, and Shaykh Dr. Taha Jabir Alawani as his teachers and mentors in his foundational analysis of the Quran and the life of Mohammed the Prophet (SAW).
Imam/Chaplain Oliver attended St. Augustine’s College in Raleigh, N.C. where he studied Sociology and he graduated from N.C. Central University with a B.S. degree in Business Administration and Management. He has an Imamate and Masters of Religious Practice Degree from Cordoba University’s Graduate School of Islamic and Social Sciences. He has written numerous articles and papers on Quranic Sciences, Hadith, Fiqh and Tafsir (Exegsis).
He was formerly a Regional Clinical Chaplain II and Coordinator of Islamic Services –East for the N.C. Department of Public Safety Adult Corrections, presently he is a staff Islamic Chaplain at the Federal Correctional Complex in Butner, N.C. and the Resident Imam of As Salaam Islamic Center of Raleigh. He is a former organizer for ROAR (Raleigh Organized for Action and Results), he is a former Board member of the Triangle Interfaith Alliance, The Lost Generation Task Force, a member of Congregations for Social Justice, a former member of N.C. State University’s Chancellors African-American Advisory Council, and a member American Correctional Chaplains Association. He has lectured and given presentations to numerous churches, local universities, and colleges. He has participated in an array of panels and interfaith dialogues. He is a member of the N.C. Consultative Body of Imams. He was blessed to fulfill his obligation of Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) in 2008.
He is married to his best friend Sis. Rhonda Muhammad for 40 years who have been working together to develop a Business called, SURA Enterprises and Unique Pie Creations with the mainstay product being Rhonda’s Bean Pie Custard Supreme, they have four children; two girls and two boys, they have five grandchildren; three girls and two boys, and a wonderful daughter in-law and son in law.
Associate Imam Salahuddin M. Muhammad
Imam Dr. Salahuddin M. Muhammad accepted a version of Islam in 1964 (the nation of Gods and earths) at the tender age of thirteen, which started his journey on becoming a bona fide Muslim. Originally from Harlem USA, he has been involved with community activism, and bridging the divide between diverse communities.
An avid student of Imam Warith Deen Mohammed (RAA), he is passionate about overcoming artificial barriers that separate communities and is classified as a “peace monger” by those who have interacted and worked with him over the past 50+ years. He is also passionately involved with Pre-marital and Marital coaching, as he recognizes how important family is to the Islamic community.
He served as chaplain at NYS Department of Corrections for thirty years, providing spiritual guidance and empowering Muslim inmates to break the vicious cycle of recidivism. He was the first Muslim Chaplain hired by a college in the United States.
He has led urban, suburban multi-ethnic and multi-cultural communities through his decades of service. He was the resident Imam of Masjid Al Ikhlas in Newburgh, NY for 26 years. He presently serves as an Associate Imam at As Salaam Islamic Center in Raleigh, NC.
He served as president of the Association of Muslim Chaplains (AMC) for seven years (he holds the title of President Emeritus). He was the Vice President of the Muslim Endorsement Council (MEC) for three years. He is a board member of Muslim Alliance in North America (MANA) and a consultant for Leaders by Choice (LBC). He has also been an adjunct professor for four colleges teaching World Religions and Al Islam.
He has a Master of Professional Studies degree in Christianity and Pastoral Counseling from New York Theological Seminary (NYTS), a Graduate Certificate in Islamic Chaplaincy, as well as a Doctor of Ministry degree in Islamic Studies-Christian/Muslim relations from Hartford International University.
Imam Muhammad has been married to Sister Fonda for over 41 years, has five children, ten grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. He is presently an instructor for the Islamic Learning Institute (ILI) and an instructor for the Islamic Learning, Teaching and Development Program (ILTDP). Imam Dr. SMM is seriously committed to servant-leadership!
Associate Imam Shane Atkinson
Shane Atkinson accepted Islam in 1999 with the WD Mohammed Community in Jackson, Mississippi. Shane spent twenty years caring for patients as a Board-Certified Orthotic and Prosthetic Practitioner. In 2011 he was awarded an Ijaza (traditional degree) to teach Islamic theology, law, and spirituality. Shane entered the Clinical Pastoral Education program at UNC Medical Center in 2015 as the first Muslim in their Chaplains Department. Shane completed four units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) and now teaches in UNC’s CPE program as well as serving on their Professional Advisory Group. Shane was named the recipient of the 2019 Muhammad Ali Spiritual Leadership Full-Tuition Scholarship to support his graduate studies in the Master of Divinity program at the Chicago Theological Seminary. Shane currently serves as the Associate Chaplain for Muslim Life at Elon University. Since 2015, Shane has served as an Associate Imam at As Salaam Islamic Center.
Associate Imam Salahuddin A. Muhammad
Salahuddin A. Muhammad comes from rich religious traditions on both sides of his family and is a third-generation Muslim American. He is married with three children: two girls and one boy. He has a master’s degree in Islamic studies and Christian-Muslim Relations from Hartford Seminary in Hartford, Connecticut. He is a Clinical Chaplain for the Bureau of Prisons. He also serves as Vice President of Corrections for the Association of Muslim Chaplains. He authored the book America’s Imam: Warith Deen Mohammed’s Interpretation of Islam in the Milieu of American Society. Salahuddin A. Muhammad also serves as an Associate Imam at As-Salaam Islamic Center of Raleigh, NC.
Associate Imam Abdul Hafeez Waheed
For more than 40 years, Imam Abdul Hafeez Waheed has been a devoted and active member of the Muslim American community, inspired and guided by the teachings of Imam W. Deen Mohammed—whom he worked closely with over the years to help arrange university and college engagements throughout America. His 1987 Hajj and ‘Umrah in 2023 further deepened a lifelong commitment to faith, service, and community uplift.
In 1998, he became Duke University’s first Muslim Chaplain, offering more than two decades of spiritual guidance and mentorship to students and campus communities. He also worked with the North Carolina Central University Muslim Student Association and has long served the students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is currently a Program Associate at the Center for Muslim Life at Duke University.
A respected voice in Durham for more than 30 years, Imam Waheed has strengthened the city through sustained service to numerous civic and interfaith organizations. He has been an active member of Durham Congregations in Action for over 25 years. He helped lead interfaith initiatives, including a landmark 2008 student trip from Duke University to Jerusalem that brought multiple faith traditions together.
His dedication has been recognized with honors including the 1996 Martin Luther King Jr. Keeper of the Dream Award and participation in North Carolina’s 2017 Inaugural Prayer Service.
Imam Abdul Hafeez Waheed’s life and work reflect a simple yet powerful truth: service rooted in faith can uplift an entire community.
Married to Patricia Khadijah Salaam. They have 4 children, 7 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren.