Tarim, Yemen: A Religious Crossroads (24 images)

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Tarim, Yemen, is a small, backwater city in the remote Haidramout province of Yemen. This region is arid and beautiful--marked by it's ornate palaces and agricultural areas which lie in deep valleys that stretch for hundreds of kilometers throughout the province. Mohammad bin Laden, known best for the legacy of his son, Osama, was born in this same valley. However, despite being best known in the news as "the ancestral homeland of Osama bin Laden," Tarim has a deep history of...
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  • 10/1/2009 Tarim, Yemen.<br /> The city of Tarim is located in one of the many valleys that are the Haidramout region's prime characteristic. Here, an overview of East Tarim, where Dar al-Mustapha school for the Islamic Sciences is located...The Dar al-Mustapha school for teaching Islamic Sciences, located in the rural, and relatively remote city of Tarim, is just a short drive from the birthplace of Osama bin Laden's father--a fact that is often noted in the international press. Under the guidance of Habib Omar bin Muhammad bin Saleem bin Hafeez--a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammad, the Dean of the Dar al-Mustapha school, and a renowned religious leader in the Sufi sect of Islam--Muslims from all over the world, including converts from the United States and Britain, come to Dar al-Mustapha to spend as many as four years devoting themselves to intense religious studies in Arabic, including Quranic memorization, and the sciences of the heart.

  • 10/1/2009 Tarim, Yemen.<br /> The Dar al-Mustapha Islamic school (white), located on the outskirts of Tarim, Yemen...The Dar al-Mustapha school for teaching Islamic Sciences, located in the rural, and relatively remote city of Tarim, is just a short drive from the birthplace of Osama bin Laden's father--a fact that is often noted in the international press. Under the guidance of Habib Omar bin Muhammad bin Saleem bin Hafeez--a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammad, the Dean of the Dar al-Mustapha school, and a renowned religious leader in the Sufi sect of Islam--Muslims from all over the world, including converts from the United States and Britain, come to Dar al-Mustapha to spend as many as four years devoting themselves to intense religious studies in Arabic, including Quranic memorization, and the sciences of the heart.

  • 10/1/2009 Tarim, Yemen.<br /> Shoes sit in cubbies outside the mosque during prayer time at the Dar al-Mustapha, in Tarim Yemen...The Dar al-Mustapha school for teaching Islamic Sciences, located in the rural, and relatively remote city of Tarim, is just a short drive from the birthplace of Osama bin Laden's father--a fact that is often noted in the international press. Under the guidance of Habib Omar bin Muhammad bin Saleem bin Hafeez--a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammad, the Dean of the Dar al-Mustapha school, and a renowned religious leader in the Sufi sect of Islam--Muslims from all over the world, including converts from the United States and Britain, come to Dar al-Mustapha to spend as many as four years devoting themselves to intense religious studies in Arabic, including Quranic memorization, and the sciences of the heart.

  • 10/1/2009 Tarim, Yemen.<br /> Sheikh Habib Omar bin Muhammad bin Salim bin Hafeez (left) eats dinner with students in his receiving room at home, next to the Dar al-Mustapha school for teaching Islamic Sciences, where he is the Dean, in Tarim, Yemen...The Dar al-Mustapha school for teaching Islamic Sciences, located in the rural, and relatively remote city of Tarim, is just a short drive from the birthplace of Osama bin Laden's father--a fact that is often noted in the international press. Under the guidance of Habib Omar bin Muhammad bin Saleem bin Hafeez--a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammad, the Dean of the Dar al-Mustapha school, and a renowned religious leader in the Sufi sect of Islam--Muslims from all over the world, including converts from the United States and Britain, come to Dar al-Mustapha to spend as many as four years devoting themselves to intense religious studies in Arabic, including Quranic memorization, and the sciences of the heart.

  • 10/1/2009 Tarim, Yemen.<br /> Students at the Dar al-Mustapha pray the dhuhr (noon) prayer at the school Mosque in Tarim, Yemen. ..The Dar al-Mustapha school for teaching Islamic Sciences, located in the rural, and relatively remote city of Tarim, is just a short drive from the birthplace of Osama bin Laden's father--a fact that is often noted in the international press. Under the guidance of Habib Omar bin Muhammad bin Saleem bin Hafeez--a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammad, the Dean of the Dar al-Mustapha school, and a renowned religious leader in the Sufi sect of Islam--Muslims from all over the world, including converts from the United States and Britain, come to Dar al-Mustapha to spend as many as four years devoting themselves to intense religious studies in Arabic, including Quranic memorization, and the sciences of the heart.

  • 10/1/2009 Tarim, Yemen.<br /> The main courtyard of the Dar al-Mustapha school in Tarim, Yemen. The Mosque sits at the center, with classrooms, sleeping quarters, and offices fanning out in satellite buildings...The Dar al-Mustapha school for teaching Islamic Sciences, located in the rural, and relatively remote city of Tarim, is just a short drive from the birthplace of Osama bin Laden's father--a fact that is often noted in the international press. Under the guidance of Habib Omar bin Muhammad bin Saleem bin Hafeez--a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammad, the Dean of the Dar al-Mustapha school, and a renowned religious leader in the Sufi sect of Islam--Muslims from all over the world, including converts from the United States and Britain, come to Dar al-Mustapha to spend as many as four years devoting themselves to intense religious studies in Arabic, including Quranic memorization, and the sciences of the heart.

  • 10/1/2009 Tarim, Yemen.New students undergo registration at the Dar al-Mustapha Islamic school in Tarim, Yemen...The Dar al-Mustapha school for teaching Islamic Sciences, located in the rural, and relatively remote city of Tarim, is just a short drive from the birthplace of Osama bin Laden's father--a fact that is often noted in the international press. Under the guidance of Habib Omar bin Muhammad bin Saleem bin Hafeez--a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammad, the Dean of the Dar al-Mustapha school, and a renowned religious leader in the Sufi sect of Islam--Muslims from all over the world, including converts from the United States and Britain, come to Dar al-Mustapha to spend as many as four years devoting themselves to intense religious studies in Arabic, including Quranic memorization, and the sciences of the heart.

  • 10/1/2009 Tarim, Yemen.<br /> A new student (back facing camera) talks to one of the brothers during registration at the Dar al-Mustapha Islamic school in Tarim, Yemen...The Dar al-Mustapha school for teaching Islamic Sciences, located in the rural, and relatively remote city of Tarim, is just a short drive from the birthplace of Osama bin Laden's father--a fact that is often noted in the international press. Under the guidance of Habib Omar bin Muhammad bin Saleem bin Hafeez--a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammad, the Dean of the Dar al-Mustapha school, and a renowned religious leader in the Sufi sect of Islam--Muslims from all over the world, including converts from the United States and Britain, come to Dar al-Mustapha to spend as many as four years devoting themselves to intense religious studies in Arabic, including Quranic memorization, and the sciences of the heart.

  • 10/1/2009 Tarim, Yemen.<br /> The library at the Dar al-Mustapha, which includes a number of rare, and old texts...The Dar al-Mustapha school for teaching Islamic Sciences, located in the rural, and relatively remote city of Tarim, is just a short drive from the birthplace of Osama bin Laden's father--a fact that is often noted in the international press. Under the guidance of Habib Omar bin Muhammad bin Saleem bin Hafeez--a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammad, the Dean of the Dar al-Mustapha school, and a renowned religious leader in the Sufi sect of Islam--Muslims from all over the world, including converts from the United States and Britain, come to Dar al-Mustapha to spend as many as four years devoting themselves to intense religious studies in Arabic, including Quranic memorization, and the sciences of the heart.

  • 10/1/2009 Tarim, Yemen.<br /> A student from south east asia purchases a siwak--a piece of wood said to be used by the Prophet Mohammad to clean his teeth, and popular amongst devout Muslims, from a local vendor outside the Dar al-Mustapha Mosque in Tarim, Yemen...The Dar al-Mustapha school for teaching Islamic Sciences, located in the rural, and relatively remote city of Tarim, is just a short drive from the birthplace of Osama bin Laden's father--a fact that is often noted in the international press. Under the guidance of Habib Omar bin Muhammad bin Saleem bin Hafeez--a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammad, the Dean of the Dar al-Mustapha school, and a renowned religious leader in the Sufi sect of Islam--Muslims from all over the world, including converts from the United States and Britain, come to Dar al-Mustapha to spend as many as four years devoting themselves to intense religious studies in Arabic, including Quranic memorization, and the sciences of the heart.

  • 10/1/2009 Tarim, Yemen.<br /> Students and the local faithful pray the isha'a (evening) prayer, at the Dar al-Mustapha Mosque, in Tarim Yemen...The Dar al-Mustapha school for teaching Islamic Sciences, located in the rural, and relatively remote city of Tarim, is just a short drive from the birthplace of Osama bin Laden's father--a fact that is often noted in the international press. Under the guidance of Habib Omar bin Muhammad bin Saleem bin Hafeez--a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammad, the Dean of the Dar al-Mustapha school, and a renowned religious leader in the Sufi sect of Islam--Muslims from all over the world, including converts from the United States and Britain, come to Dar al-Mustapha to spend as many as four years devoting themselves to intense religious studies in Arabic, including Quranic memorization, and the sciences of the heart.

  • 10/2/2009 Shabam Haidramout, Yemen.<br /> A sign imploring visitors to "Discover Islam" stands just next to the overlook site where four South Korean tourists were killed by a Yemeni al-Qaida suicide bomber earlier this year. ..The Dar al-Mustapha school for teaching Islamic Sciences, located in the rural, and relatively remote city of Tarim, is just a short drive from the birthplace of Osama bin Laden's father--a fact that is often noted in the international press. Under the guidance of Habib Omar bin Muhammad bin Saleem bin Hafeez--a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammad, the Dean of the Dar al-Mustapha school, and a renowned religious leader in the Sufi sect of Islam--Muslims from all over the world, including converts from the United States and Britain, come to Dar al-Mustapha to spend as many as four years devoting themselves to intense religious studies in Arabic, including Quranic memorization, and the sciences of the heart.

  • 10/1/2009 Tarim, Yemen.<br /> Luke (left), a 23 year old British convert, and Elias (right), an American convert from Bufallo, NY, photographed in Sheikh Habib Omar bin Muhammad bin Salim bin Hafeez reception room...The Dar al-Mustapha school for teaching Islamic Sciences, located in the rural, and relatively remote city of Tarim, is just a short drive from the birthplace of Osama bin Laden's father--a fact that is often noted in the international press. Under the guidance of Habib Omar bin Muhammad bin Saleem bin Hafeez--a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammad, the Dean of the Dar al-Mustapha school, and a renowned religious leader in the Sufi sect of Islam--Muslims from all over the world, including converts from the United States and Britain, come to Dar al-Mustapha to spend as many as four years devoting themselves to intense religious studies in Arabic, including Quranic memorization, and the sciences of the heart.

  • 10/1/2009 Tarim, Yemen.<br /> John Rhodus, 32, an American from Arizona who converted to Islam 13 years ago, has studied at Dar al-Mustapha periodically since 2000. His conversion led to his father severing contact for several years, but they have since reconciled, and his parents have visited him at the school three times since...The Dar al-Mustapha school for teaching Islamic Sciences, located in the rural, and relatively remote city of Tarim, is just a short drive from the birthplace of Osama bin Laden's father--a fact that is often noted in the international press. Under the guidance of Habib Omar bin Muhammad bin Saleem bin Hafeez--a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammad, the Dean of the Dar al-Mustapha school, and a renowned religious leader in the Sufi sect of Islam--Muslims from all over the world, including converts from the United States and Britain, come to Dar al-Mustapha to spend as many as four years devoting themselves to intense religious studies in Arabic, including Quranic memorization, and the sciences of the heart.

  • 10/1/2009 Tarim, Yemen.<br /> Elias (right), and American convert from Bufallo, NY, fingers prayer beads as Amin (with microphone), a British convert, translates a sermon from Arabic into English at a service following the isha'a (evening) prayer, at the Dar al-Mustapha school for teaching Islamic Sciences, in Tarim, Yemen...The Dar al-Mustapha school for teaching Islamic Sciences, located in the rural, and relatively remote city of Tarim, is just a short drive from the birthplace of Osama bin Laden's father--a fact that is often noted in the international press. Under the guidance of Habib Omar bin Muhammad bin Saleem bin Hafeez--a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammad, the Dean of the Dar al-Mustapha school, and a renowned religious leader in the Sufi sect of Islam--Muslims from all over the world, including converts from the United States and Britain, come to Dar al-Mustapha to spend as many as four years devoting themselves to intense religious studies in Arabic, including Quranic memorization, and the sciences of the heart.

  • 10/1/2009 Tarim, Yemen.<br /> Amin, a british convert from Britain, translates a sermon from Arabic into English at a service following the isha'a (evening) prayer, at the Dar al-Mustapha school for teaching Islamic Sciences, in Tarim, Yemen...The Dar al-Mustapha school for teaching Islamic Sciences, located in the rural, and relatively remote city of Tarim, is just a short drive from the birthplace of Osama bin Laden's father--a fact that is often noted in the international press. Under the guidance of Habib Omar bin Muhammad bin Saleem bin Hafeez--a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammad, the Dean of the Dar al-Mustapha school, and a renowned religious leader in the Sufi sect of Islam--Muslims from all over the world, including converts from the United States and Britain, come to Dar al-Mustapha to spend as many as four years devoting themselves to intense religious studies in Arabic, including Quranic memorization, and the sciences of the heart.

  • 10/1/2009 Tarim, Yemen.<br /> Sheikh Habib Omar bin Muhammad bin Salim bin Hafeez talks with reporters and students in his receiving room at home, next to the Dar al-Mustapha school for teaching Islamic Sciences, where he is the Dean, in Tarim, Yemen...The Dar al-Mustapha school for teaching Islamic Sciences, located in the rural, and relatively remote city of Tarim, is just a short drive from the birthplace of Osama bin Laden's father--a fact that is often noted in the international press. Under the guidance of Habib Omar bin Muhammad bin Saleem bin Hafeez--a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammad, the Dean of the Dar al-Mustapha school, and a renowned religious leader in the Sufi sect of Islam--Muslims from all over the world, including converts from the United States and Britain, come to Dar al-Mustapha to spend as many as four years devoting themselves to intense religious studies in Arabic, including Quranic memorization, and the sciences of the heart.

  • 10/1/2009 Tarim, Yemen.<br /> Locals tour one of Tarim's many lavish, yet uninhabited palaces. The grand structures were abandoned by their wealthy owners when the Communist south rose to power in 1972--fleeing Yemen for lucrative exile in South East Asia and Saudi Arabia--places with long-lasting business and religious links to the Haidramout region of Yemen. ..The Dar al-Mustapha school for teaching Islamic Sciences, located in the rural, and relatively remote city of Tarim, is just a short drive from the birthplace of Osama bin Laden's father--a fact that is often noted in the international press. Under the guidance of Habib Omar bin Muhammad bin Saleem bin Hafeez--a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammad, the Dean of the Dar al-Mustapha school, and a renowned religious leader in the Sufi sect of Islam--Muslims from all over the world, including converts from the United States and Britain, come to Dar al-Mustapha to spend as many as four years devoting themselves to intense religious studies in Arabic, including Quranic memorization, and the sciences of the heart.

  • 10/1/2009 Tarim, Yemen.<br /> Teachers from the Dar al-Mustapha school for the teaching of Islamic Sciences, pray the Maghrib (sunset) prayer at an abandoned palace in Tarim, Yemen...The Dar al-Mustapha school for teaching Islamic Sciences, located in the rural, and relatively remote city of Tarim, is just a short drive from the birthplace of Osama bin Laden's father--a fact that is often noted in the international press. Under the guidance of Habib Omar bin Muhammad bin Saleem bin Hafeez--a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammad, the Dean of the Dar al-Mustapha school, and a renowned religious leader in the Sufi sect of Islam--Muslims from all over the world, including converts from the United States and Britain, come to Dar al-Mustapha to spend as many as four years devoting themselves to intense religious studies in Arabic, including Quranic memorization, and the sciences of the heart.

  • 10/1/2009 Tarim, Yemen.<br /> Students attend a special isha'a (evening) prayer and service commemorating the end of Eid, at the Dar al-Mustapha Mosque, in Tarim Yemen...The Dar al-Mustapha school for teaching Islamic Sciences, located in the rural, and relatively remote city of Tarim, is just a short drive from the birthplace of Osama bin Laden's father--a fact that is often noted in the international press. Under the guidance of Habib Omar bin Muhammad bin Saleem bin Hafeez--a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammad, the Dean of the Dar al-Mustapha school, and a renowned religious leader in the Sufi sect of Islam--Muslims from all over the world, including converts from the United States and Britain, come to Dar al-Mustapha to spend as many as four years devoting themselves to intense religious studies in Arabic, including Quranic memorization, and the sciences of the heart.

  • 10/1/2009 Tarim, Yemen.<br /> Students prepare to pray the Isha'a (evening) prayer, at the Dar al-Mustapha school for teaching Islamic Sciences in Tarim, Yemen...The Dar al-Mustapha school for teaching Islamic Sciences, located in the rural, and relatively remote city of Tarim, is just a short drive from the birthplace of Osama bin Laden's father--a fact that is often noted in the international press. Under the guidance of Habib Omar bin Muhammad bin Saleem bin Hafeez--a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammad, the Dean of the Dar al-Mustapha school, and a renowned religious leader in the Sufi sect of Islam--Muslims from all over the world, including converts from the United States and Britain, come to Dar al-Mustapha to spend as many as four years devoting themselves to intense religious studies in Arabic, including Quranic memorization, and the sciences of the heart.

  • 10/1/2009 Tarim, Yemen.<br /> A student prays privately at the Dar al-Mustapha mosque, in Tarim, Yemen...The Dar al-Mustapha school for teaching Islamic Sciences, located in the rural, and relatively remote city of Tarim, is just a short drive from the birthplace of Osama bin Laden's father--a fact that is often noted in the international press. Under the guidance of Habib Omar bin Muhammad bin Saleem bin Hafeez--a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammad, the Dean of the Dar al-Mustapha school, and a renowned religious leader in the Sufi sect of Islam--Muslims from all over the world, including converts from the United States and Britain, come to Dar al-Mustapha to spend as many as four years devoting themselves to intense religious studies in Arabic, including Quranic memorization, and the sciences of the heart.

  • 10/1/2009 Tarim, Yemen.<br /> Students at the Dar al-Mustapha school for teaching Islamic Sciences (left), and local Muslim children wait for the Isha'a (evening) prayer to start...The Dar al-Mustapha school for teaching Islamic Sciences, located in the rural, and relatively remote city of Tarim, is just a short drive from the birthplace of Osama bin Laden's father--a fact that is often noted in the international press. Under the guidance of Habib Omar bin Muhammad bin Saleem bin Hafeez--a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammad, the Dean of the Dar al-Mustapha school, and a renowned religious leader in the Sufi sect of Islam--Muslims from all over the world, including converts from the United States and Britain, come to Dar al-Mustapha to spend as many as four years devoting themselves to intense religious studies in Arabic, including Quranic memorization, and the sciences of the heart.

  • 10/1/2009 Tarim, Yemen.<br /> A sign on the al-Muhdhar Mosque in Tarim, Yemen, advises that entrance is for Muslims only. Tarim, a center of Islamic scholarship for centuries, is located in Yemen's eastern Haidramout province--one of Yemen's most religiously conservative regions...The Dar al-Mustapha school for teaching Islamic Sciences, located in the rural, and relatively remote city of Tarim, is just a short drive from the birthplace of Osama bin Laden's father--a fact that is often noted in the international press. Under the guidance of Habib Omar bin Muhammad bin Saleem bin Hafeez--a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammad, the Dean of the Dar al-Mustapha school, and a renowned religious leader in the Sufi sect of Islam--Muslims from all over the world, including converts from the United States and Britain, come to Dar al-Mustapha to spend as many as four years devoting themselves to intense religious studies in Arabic, including Quranic memorization, and the sciences of the heart.

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