ABOUT OUR INSTRUCTORS
Sh. Abdullah Ashraf
Sh Abdullah graduated with his Bachelors and Masters from the Islamic University of Madinah in Shariah and Comparative Fiqh. He currently serves as a Co-Imam at Masjid El Farouq. He holds multiple Ijazaat in books of Hadith, Fiqh, Recitation of the Quran, Tafseer and more.
Ustadha Farhat Shamsi
Ustadha Farhat Ahmed Shamsi is the founder of Quran and Soul, and her journey began with the Qur’an after she first began feeling a sense of frustration at not being able to understand the Speech of Allah. By the Grace of Allah she was guided to a course of knowledge which centered on the language and understanding of every single ayah and surah in the Divine Revelation. Her journey became a passion and source of fulfillment; she had never imagined teaching anyone else what she was learning, except perhaps sharing it with her family. Her adult study circles grew as she also brought in Islamic educational reforms in her local community and introduced Qur’an Tafseer classes for high school and college students.
Ustadha Safiya Ravat
Ustadha Safiya Ravat was born in Canada and raised in South Africa and the US, with British and Indian origins. She grew up in Houston, and is the co-founder of Suhbah Institute. She attained her degree in Journalism with a minor in Religious Studies at the University of Houston and went on to write for the Houston Chronicle. Ustadha Safiya studied under Shaykh Isam Rajab for two years at the Arees University, she then attained her Bachelor’s in Fiqh and Usul al Fiqh (Islamic Law and Jurisprudence) from the International Islamic University of Malaysia, and then a Masters in Pastoral Counseling in Marriage and Family Therapy and also serves as a chaplain for the Muslim Students Association at the University of Houston
Ustadh Mahad Qamar
Ustadh Mahad Qamar is native Houstonian and the co-founder of Suhbah Institute. He graduated with a Bachelors in Fiqh and Usul al Fiqh (Islamic Law and Jurisprudence) from the International Islamic University of Malaysia, and then a Masters in Pastoral Counseling in Marriage and Family Therapy. He also serves as a chaplain for the Muslim Students Association at both the University of Houston and Texas A&M University.
Sh. Joe Bradford
Shaykh Joe Bradford holds a Master of Islamic Law from the University of Medina, and is currently a PhD candidate at the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM) where he is researching comparative legal theories focused on financial injustice.
He works as an Ethical Finance Advisor to private funds, family offices, and individuals. He teaches with IOK, Suhbah Institute, and is the Resident scholar at the Islamic Dawah Center.
Shaykh Dr. Ali Ahmed
Shaykh Dr. Ali Ahmed has been active in the American Muslim community, from California to New York, since 2000. After receiving his B.Sc. in Biochemistry and working in the Biotech field for several years, he started travelling to various parts of the world to further his Islamic knowledge to better serve and help the Muslims in the West.
After studying for more than 12 years, Shaykh Ali obtained a Bachelors in Sharī’ah, Master’s in Fiqh & Uṣūl al-Fiqh with Summa Cum Laude, and a PhD in Islamic Judiciary (Qaḍā), with a special focus on Arbitration and Mediation in Muslim Family Law. He has authored books and several academic papers relating to Fatwa, Muslim Family Law, Islamic Judiciary system and its effects on the Muslims living in the West as minorities.
Currently, Shaykh Ali is a Resident Scholar & Advisor and part of several Islamic organizations in the US, UK and Malaysia.
Ustadh Fahad Tasleem
Ustadh Fahad Tasleem is a research fellow and instructor at The Sapience Institute. He is the author of the book, "No Doubt: Finding Certainty in an Age of Uncertainty". Fahad's research areas at Sapience focus on Islamic Theo-Philosophy & Spirituality. He holds a BA in Economics from Michigan State University, an MSc in Business from the University of Southern California and Graduate Studies in Middle Eastern Studies with a focus on Islamic Theology from the University of Texas at Austin and is currently pursuing his Phd in Islamic Thought from the International Islamic University of Malaysia.