Every Friday afternoon, San Quentin’s Muslim Chaplain sits in his office making final preparations for his weekly sermon. As the Muslim community awaits the Imam’s presence, they reflect on God through prayer and meditation.

Imam Muhammad Fasih begins every sermon with the recitation of the Holy Qur’an. According to the philosophy of Islamic ruling, it is required that those who recite the Holy Qur’an do it with a melodic tone.

“The melody that the Imam uses in his recitation of the Qur’an, I feel it in my heart,” said SQ resident Austin “Abd Allah” Hogan, 27, who has been incarcerated approximately six years. 

Hogan stated that he has been in other spiritual environments inside and outside of prison. He always felt out of place until he walked into SQ’s Muslim community led by Imam Fasih.

Fasih first volunteered at the San Diego County Jail, then at California Correctional Facility R.J. Donovan in San Diego. 

Fasih stated he was recommended for the SQ Chaplain job by previous Muslim Chaplain Imam Husain Khawthar, and he has been spiritually advising residents for the past eight years.

“I love coming to San Quentin. I am a student of my environment. I have learned to soak in this environment; it brings me to a humble place,” Fasih said. “Prison chaplains must know the culture of the incarcerated people.”

Fasih stated that when he first walked into San Quentin, he was wearing the traditional Islamic male attire. He noticed people looking at him as if he were a foreigner, but little did they know he was born in Chicago and raised in the Bay Area.

He added that during the 1950s his uncle lived in the United States and prayed with the Nation of Islam. 

Fasih stated that the African-American Muslims is the largest orthodox community in America, this is a result of the first resurrection of Islam in this country. He added that the leader of the N.O.I., Elijah Muhammed, taught the faith to his son, Warith Deen Muhammad, who then taught Islam to his followers.

In a recent sermon the Muslim Chaplain explained that God’s creation is in three parts: humankind, the Jinn (evil spirit), and the Angels. He said that our purpose is to recognize the creator, because “our time on earth is limited.”

“Humankind and the Jinn have a choice to obey or disobey Allah (God), but the Angels have no choice in that regard,” Fasih said.

Fasih has assisted various self-help groups, such as Bridging the Generational Gap, which was founded by SQ resident Marcus “Wali” Henderson, who paroled in 2024. BTGG is a group that is open to all SQ residents; it brings the elderly and young people together to resolve issues through dialogue.

Fasih wants everyone to be aware of the vision of  the group’s founder, and that the elderly should watch over the young people.

SQ residents Sammie Nichols and Eric Allen facilitated BTTG after the founder paroled. Nichols and Allen formed an Executive Body to keep Henderson’s vision alive, according to Allen. 

Nichols, 36, has been incarcerated for 18 years and a practicing Muslim for 14 years. He stated that Imam Fasih created a space for people from all walks of life to be vulnerable and open to constructive criticism. 

“He teaches in a way that the application of the Holy Qur’an can be applied in my daily life,” Nichols said. “He showed us what your brother in humanity looks like in practice.”

SQ residents Robert “Talib” Ortiz, 33, and Edward “Mujahid” Renshaw, 38, explained how Imam Fasih brought diversity to the SQ Muslim community.

Ortiz said he has been practicing Islam for three years. In his 18 years of incarceration, he noticed that Muslim communities in other prisons were predominately black. 

He said when he got to SQ, Imam Fasih and the Islamic community embraced him with open arms. He added that the Imam previously mentioned in a sermon that Islam is not exclusively for one race, and that Fasih embodies the meaning of diversity by bringing it to the SQ community.

“I am blessed to have the Imam as a teacher,” Ortiz said. “He has taught me how to practice proper Islamic Adab (etiquette).” 

Renshaw, who is serving a life term, has been at SQ for three years and six months. He said since being at SQ, Fasih “has given us a place to grow,” unlike other prisons.

“Diversity is heartwarming, but sometimes at other prisons politics are prevalent. But diversity is the beauty of Islam, which is an integral part of the faith,” Renshaw said.

According to Renshaw, Fasih’s door is always open and he is down to earth, which makes it easy to hold a conversation. 

In an effort to educate and show people that there are other methods of rehabilitation, Fasih has set an example of that through Islam.

“I want to cleanse the air when it comes to the image of Islam, and that it is a factor of rehabilitation, but through a different lens,” Fasih said.