Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch
[stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/religion/story/82CFB232D7846EE9862571900016C68D?OpenDocument]
On June 16, 2006 the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported, "From settling family disputes to meeting with heads of state, Sheikh Muhammad Nur Abdullah has been a father of sorts for the Muslim community in St. Louis, a leading voice for Muslims in America and their representative to the rest of the world. After 16 years, Abdullah has resigned from his position as spiritual leader of the Islamic Foundation of Greater St. Louis, leaving a bereft community and a legacy of building bridges with other faith leaders. 'I'm devastated,' said Barbara Qureshi, a member of the Islamic Foundation, who has worked closely with Abdullah for years. 'He's like the diamond in our crown, and we lost him.' Abdullah says he sought a sabbatical from his duties, which was denied by the board governing the Islamic Foundation. He says he was left with no option but to resign this month. 'I'm not leaving the community,' said Abdullah, who is originally from Sudan. 'This community is a part of me ... I am part of every brick in this mosque.' Abdullah, 59, plans to write books on Islamic topics. He is a sought-after national religious leader, and he said he has already fielded several job offers in the weeks since he resigned. Abdul Munshi, chair of the governing board, said Abdullah has done 'an excellent job,' and the community was saddened by his departure. Munshi said the foundation could not afford to pay for a sabbatical and did not want to leave the community without a religious leader. He said the board is still interviewing candidates to fill the position."