Imam Abdessalam Yassine was born in 1928 in Marrakesh (Morocco). He is a distinguished Muslim scholar, an eminent and beloved spiritual guide, and one of the illustrious theorists of the Islamic renascence and movement. He is a teacher and educationalist by profession and the founder of the Justice and Spirituality Association (Jama'atu al-'Adl wal-Ihssân). He is also the founder of the School of the Prophetic Method (Madrassat al Minhâj an-Nabawi), whose project is to reunify the Muslims in light of the model of the Prophet (grace and peace be upon him).

His project is elaborated in detail in his more than twenty-five best-selling books, lectures, articles and letters. His project expounds an authentic-yet-modern practical method of educating, training and organizing Muslim activists in order to work for the reconstruction of the shattered edifice of the worldwide Muslim community. This being not the ultimate goal since the Muslim nation has been depository of the divine message-the Last Testament-that it should communicate to the world through exemplary behavior, earning thus God's grace and favor in the Hereafter.

The fundamentals of his project may be summed up in the following:

• The method of change is to be progressive, flexible, and indulgent.
• It needs a theoretical background so as to be efficient in practice.
• Violence and underground activity are to be vehemently abhorred and avoided at all costs.
• Islam is not the exclusive property of Arabs. Thus its message must be conveyed to the whole world in the most appropriate, lenient, and peaceful manner.
• To make change, the Muslim man and woman should start with themselves, purifying their hearts and souls from evil intentions and sentiments, educating their minds through drawing inspiration from the perfect model of the Prophet Muhammad (grace and peace be upon him)-a model of mercy, peace, human respect, equality, and fraternity.
• In a word, the aim of the project is to establish justice in society and spirituality in the hearts of its citizens. Justice and Spirituality mean peace with the Creator and the creatures, moral rectitude and integrity, social justice, prosperity and a decent life for all human beings-brothers and sisters in faith or in humanity.