Majlis Ash-Shooraa

​​Imam Muhammad Ikhlas was born in New York, New York to Brother Sultan and Sister Malikah Ikhlas. Muhammad grew up in South Jamaica, Queens with his parents and three sisters, where his mother worked as a school teacher and his father as an entrepreneur in the baking industry. Both his mother and father were early, active members of what is now Masjid Malcolm Shabazz (formerly Temple No. 7). In Muhammad’s childhood home, education and Islam were paramount. As a child, Muhammad was bussed from Queens to Staten Island, NY to study at Al-Madrasa Al-Islamiya, now located in Brooklyn, NY. During that time, his parents were active members of Masjid Muhsi- Khalifah in Brooklyn, N.Y.

After high school, Muhammad served four years in the United States Marine Corps, where he was assigned to the security team for the U.S. Marine Corps’ premiere helicopter squadron (HMX-1), enabling him to travel worldwide. He simultaneously pursued undergraduate studies at the University of Maryland, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree shortly after his discharge from the military. Muhammad then relocated to the Washington D.C. area where he attended Georgetown University Law Center and served on the Board of Trustees of Masjid Muhammad (the “Nation’s Mosque”) for several years, while also serving as Assistant Scoutmaster for Masjid Muhammad’s Boy Scout Troop 1517 under late Scoutmaster Mujahid Muhammad (may Allah forgive him his sins and grant him paradise).

Presently, Imam Muhammad is a practicing attorney with three Muslim law partners, specializing in real estate law and litigation. He also teaches Arabic and Islamic Studies at Masjid Freehaven’s Clara Muhammad Sunday School. During his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and four children, studying Qur’anic Arabic and keeping fit with several brothers from Masjid Freehaven.