INSTITUTE FOR LIVED ISLAM
O My servants who have transgressed against themselves—do not despair of the mercy of Allah” 39:53
cohort at spentem hq 2026
founded in the belly of a high security prison
Spentem was born in 2006 out of two realities:
- Muslim men using Islamic dogma and minutiae to avoid confronting personal trauma and emotional wounds that still needed healing.
- Muslim men returning home from prison, wanting to practice Islam but feeling ill-equipped for real-world life with their families and communities.
They memorized Quran. They practiced fiqh. They still fell.
imam taymullah with the first spentem cohort in 2006 in the belly of a high security prison
founder
Imam Dr. Taymullah Abdur-Rahman is a restorationist, author and the founder of Spentem. He holds degrees in Islamic Studies, Interreligious Leadership and Transformational Leadership as well as ijaza (classical license) to teach aqeedah (Islamic creed). Imam Taymullah created Restorative Islamic Pedagogy as a methodology that gives access and representation for system-affected Muslims. Restorative Islamic Pedagogy isn't a new fiqh. It's a sequence of restoration based on 39:53 "O My servants...do not despair of the mercy of Allah.
from inside to outside
spentem members celebrating eid 2024
Spentem serves system-affected Muslims - brothers negatively affected by the welfare, educational, criminal justice systems - who are ready to build real moral leadership.
We don't do self-help. We do practice. Week after week, we explore life topics then commit to a weekly life task, hold our word and get direct feedback from the brotherhood.
The result is a life of aspiration and integrity. That's what our two-year program is built on - and why it works.
the table we created
monthly brunch at spentem hq 2026
Spentem started inside a high-security prison 20 years ago. Today it's a brotherhood that meets at the table - every month, every week, every time someone needs to be held up in safety or held to their word in accountability.
This is where we eat. This is where we talk. This is where we keep vigil over one another. The work continues...
Ready to sit with us?