BAVINA SOOKDEO
Salahudeen Mohammed, at 35 years old, is one of the youngest imams in Trinidad and Tobago. The father of three is also an engineer and prison chaplain.
His family’s connection to India lies with his grandfather, Imam Sirajudeen, who arrived as an indentured labourer from India in 1917.
Sirajudeen was a pioneering figure in the local Muslim community, instrumental in establishing the Montrose Masjid and a founding member of Anjuman Sunnat ul Jamaat Association (ASJA). His son Imam Ghiasudeen, who is Mohammed's father, then continued this legacy, serving as an economist in the public service and an imam deeply involved in community work. He served the Montrose community as the assistant imam for more than 20 years and then as the imam at Markaz al ASJA in Charlieville.
Born and raised in Montrose, Chaguanas, Mohammed moved to Longdenville two decades ago.
“I didn't have an inclination to become an imam initially, but I had a deep passion for my religion. I saw Islam as holistic, inclusive and practical in today’s society.”
This interest was nurtured through discussions with his father and interactions with prominent Muslim scholars, both locally and internationally.
[caption id="attachment_1086715" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Salahudeen Mohammed’s grandfather, Imam Sirajudeen who came to Trinidad as an indentured labourer. -[/caption]
Mohammed went to Montrose Government School, Presentation College, Chaguanas, and then to the UWI, where he got a BSc in engineering. Despite his qualifications, finding a job proved challenging, so he did a master’s degree in industrial innovation, entrepreneurship, and management at the University of TT. In 2011, he finally got a job in the public utilities, where he is now a senior engineer.
“While doing my master's, I realised that many misunderstandings about Islam could be cleared up by explaining its core principles of love, peace, togetherness, happiness, inclusion and tolerance. After finishing my master’s, my love for my religion grew, driven not by material gain or position but by a genuine passion for learning about Islam.”
He attended Islamic lectures, did various courses offered by the ASJA and was mentored by several teachers from various countries including Canada, the US, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Sudan. Every December, he tries to attend a retreat in Canada, Revival of the Islamic Spirit, where mainstream Sunni scholars discuss various topics and host a knowledge retreat where classical Islamic texts are studied.
[caption id="attachment_1086712" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Imam Salahudeen Mohammed with his father, Ghiasudeen, and mother, Fatima, in Saudi Arabia (Makkah) for pilgrimage in 2017. -[/caption]
In 2013, he was invited to serve as a prison chaplain and still serves, delivering the Friday sermon once a month at the Arouca Remand Yard and Maximum Security Prison. In January, Mohammed was recommended as the official Muslim prison chaplain after the death of Brother Imam Imtiaz. On a regular basis, Mohammed no
