Imam Salahuddin Muhammad serves the wider community in his roles as the Chaplain at the New York State Department of Correctional Facilities, and as the Imam at Masjid Ikhlas in Newburgh, NY. When he was released from the system, Imam Warithuddin Umar realized his potential and successfully fought for his employment in the system that he had just left. As a Chaplain in the Department, his services have touched the lives of many Muslim and non-Muslim inmates. Advocacy in the Department of Corrections is a complex task, but Imam Muhammad has managed this role effectively throughout his 29-year career. Additionally, as the Imam of Masjid Ikhlas, he launched a tenacious fund drive to renovate a building into a modern and serene place of worship. Furthermore, as a Board member of the Fortune Society, he has contributed to its mission to support successful re-entry and support alternatives to incarceration. He is also involved in the Mid-Hudson Majlis Ashura—the council of Muslim leaders in the Mid-Hudson Area.
Moreover, Imam Salahuddin successfully completed the Masters Degree program offered by the New York Theological Seminary Program at Sing Sing Correctional Facility. He is currently in the Doctoral Program of Hartford Seminary. Imam Salahuddin Muhammad is being awarded the Citizens Award for Spiritual Leadership because his life is an example of spiritual growth and moral courage, shown in the acceptance and development of his faith while incarcerated, and his achievements in his work and the Muslim community. He works tirelessly inside and outside of the correctional setting and provides positive leadership and a significant example of human character.
