From the Inside Out - A Journey of Redemption and Return

I spent a little over 17 years incarcerated. I was 22 years old when I entered the system — full of pain, confusion, and anger. But somewhere along that long road, Allah guided me to Islam. Finding faith behind bars was like finally seeing light in a place that had only known darkness. I started reading, learning, and praying. I found purpose in Islam, and more importantly, I found peace.

When I was released in 2010, I was grateful to start a new chapter. I was married, working, and had began building a life outside those prison walls. But no matter how far I moved forward, I never forgot the brothers I left behind. I knew their pain because I’d lived it. I understood the loneliness, the hopelessness, and the spiritual hunger many of them carry every day.

Volunteering in prison ministry wasn’t something I planned — it was something I felt called to do. The first time I returned as a volunteer, I remember looking into the eyes of the men I once sat beside. And I knew

I had to keep showing up. I had to let them know they weren’t forgotten. That there is life after prison. That Allah’s mercy is greater than any sentence.

Ansar Outreach grew from that mission — to be helpers, supporters, ansar, to our incarcerated and formerly incarcerated brothers. We don’t do this work for recognition. We do it for the sake of Allah. And because we remember what it felt like to be on the inside, praying for someone — anyone — to reach out.

This work isn’t charity. It’s duty. It’s brotherhood. And it’s my honor to give back.