Imam Zaid Shakir was born in Berkeley, California and accepted Islam in 1977 while serving in the United States Air Force. He obtained a BA with honors in International Relations at the American University in Washington D.C. and an MA in Political Science from Rutgers University. Spending time overseas in Egypt, Syria, and Morocco, he studied Arabic as well as the traditional Islamic sciences including Islamic law, Quran, and Islamic spirituality. Upon returning, he co-founded Masjid al-Islam in Connecticut and taught Political Science at the Southern Connecticut State University. He has translated several books from Arabic into English including “The Heirs of the Prophet.” Since 2003, he has acted as a professor and scholar-in-residence at the Zaytuna Institute & Academy, and currently serves as a Board Advisor for MeccaOne Media.