The United Muslim Association of Houston (UMAH) is a nonprofit organization in Houston, Texas. UMAH started in October 1993 when a group of West African immigrants residing in Houston, Texas came together to form an Islamic organization. While most of the attendees of the meeting were Sierra Leoneans, there were also Gambians, Liberians, Guineans and Senegalese. The main initiator behind the idea to form an organization, Br Mohamed Seray Jarr, was appointed as the tentative leader & Imam of the organization in November of 1993. He was the one who suggested the name “United Muslim Association of Houston” for the organization, and this was accepted by everyone.
From that humble beginning to now, UMAH had gone through a series of transformations and changes, and under different leadership teams. UMAH was formally registered in the state of Texas in 1994. In 1996 the organization rented a place for performing salah, conducting meetings and for weekend Islamic school. Before this time meetings used to be held at members’ residents. Having lost the rental place, it became once again the norm to hold functions and meetings at members’ residents. From 2009 to 2013, all UMAH functions and meetings were held at the residence of Br Brima Amadu and Br Senesie Sheriff.
In 2013 UMAH bought a residential place at 4127 Wildacres Drive, Houston, Texas. UMAH is open to all people. Our
mission is to establish and maintain a vibrant community based on the Quran and Sunnah, through programs that support the religious, social and educational advancement of Muslims we serve. It also includes establishing and strengthening relationships with other Muslims and non-Muslim organizations that share our values. We aim to serve Allah and practice Islam as a total way of life.
The biggest challenge of UMAH since its inception has been to have a Masjid facility for its community. While the residential place the organization bought on Wildacres drive has been a relief, it has not been without its own challenges. This is presently our center where we conduct all our functions: Salah and Jumah prayers, Halaqah for sisters and for the community, weekend school for children, Iftar during Ramadan, and community gatherings. The biggest drawback of our current location is that it has become too small for us and there is no way for expansion. Secondly, there is not enough parking for our congregation. A series of angry protests from the neighbors with police involvement in some of these encounters in Ramadan of 1438 (2017) led the leadership to seek refuge in Masjid Al Anbiyaa for all of Ramadan 1439 (2018). Although we came back to our center to observe Ramadan 1440 AH (2019), it was with great precautions including Houston police officers serving as guards throughout the blessed month.
Umarfarouk Omaru Lolleh is the current chairman of the Board of Directors of UMAH. He has been a member of UMAH since 2010. Before assuming his present position, he served as the president of UMAH from January 2016 to May 2018. Since his first tenure, Br Umar has been working with other leaders of UMAH, including the Imams, to undertake necessary reforms to help the organization develop to its full potential. In 2018 Br Umar, by the leave of Allah S.W.T, led the Board of Directors to forge a collaborative partnership with Masjid Al-Anbiyaa in Houston, Texas. The fruit of this partnership is an adult Quran Tilawah class every Saturday after the Fajr prayer and a monthly community Halaqah for the public. In 2016 Br Umar worked with our Imams and the then executive committee members as well as some parents of our Jamaat to start a weekend Islamic school for community children. UMAH chairman and board members are today occupied with the biggest project of a lifetime – A Masjid project for UMAH. Br Umar started his Islamic education as a child directly from his father in Sierra Leone. He continued his Islamic education in an Islamic primary school and graduated from Jibril Islamic Institute in 1985 with the highest grade. He also has a certificate in Arabic language and a certificate to teach Arabic to non-speakers from the Arabic Institute in the King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Br Umar has a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering and a Master’s degree in Project Management. He is currently working as an Independent Contractor and a Real Estate agent in Houston, Texas.
Alhaji Tesslime Mujtabah has been a member of United Muslim Association of Houston (UMAH) since December 2004. In June 2005 he was appointed the Chief Imam for UMAH and has been serving in this capacity since then. He leads the community during salah and during religious functions. He also provides Islamic religious guidance, teaches UMAH members about Islam, and provides counselling to family members.
Alhaji Tesslime Mujtabah did his Islamic studies in Sierra Leone, initially with Alhaji Liady Carew in the late 1960s and later continued with Alhaji Muctarr Karim until 1978, when he completed the reading of the Holy Quran. He then went on to study the interpretation of the Holy Quran from 1994 to 1996 with Alhaji Bashirr Joaque. Alhaji Tesslime Mujtabah did all his secular education in Freetown, Sierra Leone. From 1966 to 1980, he completed both the primary school and the secondary school. His Higher education was at the British Career Training School, where he studied Accounting.
Br Munir S. Daramy joined the United Muslim Association of Houston (UMAH) in May 2001. In June 2005 he was appointed the Assistant Imam of UMAH. He has been serving in this capacity since then. He helps the main Imam in leading the community during salah and during religious functions. He also provides Islamic religious guidance, teaches UMAH members about Islam, and provides counselling to family members. He is also one of Islamic teachers in the UMAH weekend Islamic school. Br Munir attended Kakua Primary School in Bo, Sierra Leone from 1977 to 1984. He later continued his education at the Islamic Call Society, also in Bo Sierra Leone. Br Munir traveled to Egypt in 1989 to attend the Islamic Research Institute in Cairo where he completed his secondary education. He joined Al Azhar University in Cairo in 1997, where he completed an Associate Degree in Islamic Theology from the Department of Hadith.
