Nuh Ha Mim Keller

Nuh Ha Mim Keller (b. 1954 CE / 1374 AH) is an American scholar who converted to Islam in 1977 and became a leading Shafi'i jurist, Arabic translator, and Sufi shaykh. Born in the rural northwestern United States, he studied philosophy and Arabic at the University of Chicago and later traveled to Syria and Jordan to study Islamic sciences under traditional scholars, including Abdul-Rahman ash-Shaghouri, a renowned Syrian Sufi master.

Keller's most significant contribution to English-language Islamic scholarship is his translation of Umdat as-Salik wa-Uddat an-Nasik (Reliance of the Traveller), the classic Shafi'i legal manual by Ahmad ibn Naqib al-Misri. This translation, certified by al-Azhar University, became the first Islamic legal work in a European language to receive such certification and remains the standard English reference for Shafi'i fiqh. He also translated and edited Imam an-Nawawi's al-Adhkar (The Book of Remembrances) and wrote several influential essays on Islamic creed, Sufism, and the scholarly tradition.

Keller is based in Amman, Jordan, where he teaches Islamic sciences to an international community of students. He is an initiated shaykh of the Shadhili Sufi order and emphasizes the complementarity of Shariah, Sufism, and traditional Ash'ari-Maturidi theology. His works and teachings have been particularly influential among English-speaking Muslims seeking to engage with traditional Islamic scholarship. He has played a significant role in making classical Islamic legal and spiritual texts accessible to Western audiences.