Imam Abdessalam ibn Muhammad ibn Sallām ibn Abdullah (may God have mercy upon him) was born on Monday morning, Rabi’ II 4, 1347 (corresponding to September 20, 1928) in Marrakech, where he grew up. During his attendance at the local school, which was founded by the Muslim scholar and mujahid El Mokhtar Soussi, young Yassine committed himself to, and subsequently succeeded in memorizing the Holy Qur’an. At the tender age of twelve, Abdessalam Yassine learnt the sciences of the Arabic language (including poetry writing) from the disciples of El Mokhtar Soussi.