Al-Madina

Shaykh Riad Saloojee 

Shaykh Riad Saloojee is a lawyer by training and has worked in the fields of media and political activism.  He studied the Islamic sciences at Dar al-‘Ulum al-‘Arabiyya al-Islamiyya (DUAI), a well-known Islamic seminary of higher learning in Cape Town, South Africa, where he also taught for a number of years after graduation.  He currently lives in Istanbul, where he is continuing his studies under the mentorship of Shaykh Mokhtar Maghraoui.

Dr. Hooman Keshavarzi

Dr. Hooman Keshavarzi is a licensed psychotherapist who holds a Doctorate of Clinical Psychology.  He is a visiting scholar for Ibn Haldun University in Istanbul, Adjunct Professor at American Islamic College, Hartford Seminary, and the founding director of Khalil Center – the first Islamically oriented professional community mental wellness center and the largest provider of Muslim mental healthcare in the US.  Dr. Hooman is a student of Shaykh Muhammad Zakariya from Toronto, and has studied the Islamic sciences, both institutionally and informally.

Counsellor Abeeda Peer

Counsellor Abeeda Peer is a counsellor and teacher living in Cape Town, South Africa. She has studied and taught the Islamic sciences, and has extensive practical experience in working with couples to strengthen their marriage and resolve the challenges that they face.

Sidi Moutasem Atiya

Sidi Moutasem Atiya has devoted his entire life to Islamic activism, organization and education, and has spent time and studied Islamic sacred knowledge with many of this century’s luminary scholars.  He is the founder of the Al-Madina Institute whose goal, as he says, is “to forge a truly global, spiritual community, and to bring individuals and families together to live the spiritual reality of Islam in a modern context.”

Dr. Amir Abdelzaher

Dr. Amir obtained his Ph.D from the University of Miami, taught at several universities, and was a teacher and Director of Planning at the Islamic School of Miami. He currently lives in Istanbul, where he is continuing his studies under the mentorship of Shaykh Mokhtar Maghraoui.

Dr. Ali Hazratji

Dr. Ali, a neurologist by profession, was born in India to a respected family whose lineage reaches to Rasulullah ﷺ.  Since his early years, he has been an avid student of sacred knowledge and studied with various teachers, including Shaykh Mokhtar Maghraoui, with whom he has enjoyed an intimate companionship for close to two decades. 

Dr. Zulekha Jalal

Dr. Zulekha lives with her family in the United States where she practices is pediatric medicine. She is a lifelong student of Islamic sacred knowledge, has been a student of Shaykh Mokhtar Maghraoui for many years now, and continues to study under his mentorship. 

Sidi Naeem Saloojee

Sidi Naeem Saloojee left his position as CEO of a start-up company in artificial intelligence to join the Suhba Fellowship Program in Istanbul with his family. Before that, he was the Director of Operations for a successful national Islamic advocacy organization.   He currently lives in Istanbul, where he is continuing his studies under the mentorship of Shaykh Mokhtar Maghraoui. 

Syeda Kamrun Nahar

Syeda Kamrun was a top-student at a renowned Islamic seminary where she studied full-time for four years. A mother of two, she also has a degree in early childhood education. During her time in South Africa, she worked extensively with women and youth. She currently lives in Istanbul, where she is continuing her studies under the mentorship of Shaykh Mokhtar Maghraoui.