Muhammad bin Yahya al-Ninowy

Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Muhammad ibn Sa’id ibn Muhammad ibn Ali al-Ninowy (born 1970) is a Syrian-born American Muslim Islamic scholar. He is the Founder and Director of Madina Institute, Inc. and its global affiliates, the Madinan Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies, and Planet Mercy.

Al-Ninowy was born in Aleppo, Syria. He is a Sayyid, a descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, through his grandson Husayn ibn 'Ali by way of Musa al-Kadhim. His family descends from the southern Iraqi village of Ninowa, where Husayn ibn 'Ali was martyred in a partial area which is also known as Karbala.

He began his study under his father, Sayyed Yahya (RahimahuAllahu Ta'ala), and many of the senior scholars of Aleppo at the time, memorizing the Qur'an and acquiring knowledge in many Islamic disciplines, such as Aqidah, Hanafi/Shafi’i Fiqh, Usul, and Ihsan. He particularly specializes in the fields of Hadith and Tawhid.

Besides graduating from the Faculty of Usul-ud-Din at Al- Azhar University, Shaykh Dr. Muhammad delved further into the fields of Hadith and Ihsan under the tutelage of many of the foremost scholars worldwide, who resided in Syria, Hijaz, Morocco, Egypt, and others.

Shaykh al-Ninowy has established a global network of Madina Institutes which all strive to carry the same message: love for all, malice toward none. Shaykh Muhammad focuses on reviving the call to Deen (Way of Life) with a Back to Basics approach i.e. the Qur'an and Authentic Sunnah, in addition to teaching tolerance, peace and compassion. Shaykh Muhammad is the founder and senior-in-residence scholar of Madina Institute, Inc. (a masjid and seminary) in Duluth, Georgia since 2012. He has authored many books in the science of Tawhid, Hadith, and Usul, some of which are being translated into English and published, such as: The concept of Bid’a and its application, Nisf-Sha’ban virtues in the authentic Sunnah, Hadithi commentary on the Shama’il of Imam Tirmidhi, Explanation of the Nukhba Text in Hadith sciences, Explanation of the Al Fiyyah in Hadith terminology, Hadithi commentary on Imam Nasa’iy’s Khasa’is, Expressing Delight for the Birth of the Light, and many texts which are yet to be published.

In addition to his education in Islamic Studies, Shaykh Muhammad al-Ninowy also holds a bachelor's degree in Microbiology from the University of Illinois and a Doctor of Medicine degree.

Shaykh Muhammad continued pursuing Islamic knowledge from many great scholars who resided in Makkah, Madina, Morocco, Egypt, Syria, Sudan, Jordan and went on to study at Al-Azhar University at the Faculty of Usul-u-Deen, specializing in Hadith (PhD). He also holds a Doctor of Medicine degree and a bachelor's degree in Microbiology from the USA.

Shaykh Muhammad bin Yahya al-Husayni Al-Ninowy is the Founder and Director of Madina Institute, an Islamic seminary in Atlanta, Georgia, with campuses in Canada, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Norway, Sudan, Malaysia, Mauritius, India, and Sweden. Dr. Al-Ninowy is considered to be a Muhaddith; a scholar of Hadith sciences. He has authored books in Usul, Creed, Hadith, and Sufi sciences. He has been a pioneer working on grass root levels to bring back Unconditional compassion and love as the central themes of religion, and has been the forerunner promoting non-violence among all people and religions worldwide.

He participates in many national and international conferences on Islam, world peace, and welfare of humanity. He is the founding director of Madina Institute and been its foundation scholar since its inception.

Al-Ninowy was also a professor of Anatomy and Physiology and has done extensive research in oncology (more specifically in breast cancer).

Al-Ninowy has recently launched the Center for Non-violence and Peace Studies at Madina Institute USA, whose goal is "to continue the Madinan School of Nonviolence and Peace as laid down in the Prophetic example, and to challenge global extremism, in both its violent and nonviolent forms".

Al-Ninowy lives with his family in Atlanta, Georgia, United States.