In early 2000 he began attending the Masjid as-Salam in Tulsa, OK and became a regular member. By the end of 2000, he had become a very active member in the Islamic Society of Tulsa and in 2001 he was hired as a P.E. instructor at Peace Academy (the local Islamic elementary). During this time he became attached to the school and mosque libraries. In the summer of 2002, he accepted a scholarship offer from the Islamic American University (IAU) in Southfield, MI where he moved and stayed studying for 3 years. The IAU also sponsored him for a year in Cairo, Egypt studying an intensive curriculum of the Arabic language as well as Qur'anic memorization and recitation. In his last few months in Egypt he was blessed with the opportunity to study traditionally in the lectures held by various scholars in the grand mosque of al-Azhar. 

      In Sep. 2005 he was recruited by the Islam Presentation Committee in Kuwait to work as the head of the English Da'wa department. While in Kuwait, he attained a diploma from the institute for Islamic Studies. He also followed a traditional study schedule in weekly study circles with various scholars of Islamic Law. In 2008 he finished his memorization of the Qur'an and attained an Ijazah that put his name on a list of 29 other people who are in the chain of narration of the Qur'an based on memorization and the recitation of the Qur'an by Hafs according to Asim by way of Tayyibah.

 The IFSF Community extends a very warm welcome to Imam Yahya and his family. We are all looking forward to a bright future of increasing knowledge, faith, and good deeds under the leadership of our beloved Imam Yahya Ederer.